Fresh Pico de Gallo

A tortilla chip sticking out of a wooden bowl filled with pico de gallo

Course: Starters

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: blue cheese dip, pico de gallo, salsa

Prep Time: 10

resting time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 13kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Use the freshest ingredients for the best tasting Pico de Gallo. See note section for variations.

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Ingredients

6 Roma tomatoes slightly underripe
1 medium (1 1/2 cups) yellow onion peeled
5 cloves garlic peeled
1 large (2 tablespoons) jalapeño pepper (or more or less depending on your spice preference)
1/4 cup lime juice from 1 large lime
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
1/2 bunch (1 1/2 cups) cilantro leaves chopped

Instructions

Use a chef's knife to cut the tomatoes into quarters. Remove the stem and the white, flavorless core of the tomato from the wedges. Press out and discard the seeds, stems and cores.
Slice the wedges into 1/4" thick strips. Turn the strips and cut them, crosswise, into a 1/4" dice. Scoop the diced tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
Cut the onion in half, then slice the halves into 1/4" strips perpendicular to the root, but don't cut through the root. Turn the onion half and cut across the strips to create a 1/4" dice. Add the onions to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Finely mince the garlic cloves before adding them to the mixing bowl.
Cut off the stem end of the pepper, then cut the pepper in half down its length, then again into quarters.
Use the tip of your knife to remove the white membrane, which should also remove the majority of the seeds. Add a 1/4-1 teaspoon of the seeds to the bowl, depending on how spicy you would like your pico de gallo to taste. Omit the seeds if you prefer no spice at all.
Thinly slice the pepper quarters before cutting to achieve a fine mince. Add the peppers to the bowl with the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
Add the lime juice and salt to the ingredients in the bowl.
Give the contents a quick toss before adding the chopped cilantro and gently tossing once more.
Once the pico has been mixed, cover the bowl and allow the pico de gallo to sit, refrigerated, for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. This gives the flavors a chance to mingle.
After resting, taste the pico and adjust the salt to taste.
Serve the pico with tortilla chips or spooned over your favorite dishes.
Store this pico de gallo in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

Optional Stir-In Suggestions (change up the flavors by stirring in the following ingredients):

1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced pineapple
1 cup roasted corn kernels
1/2 pound shrimp (peeled, steamed, and chopped)

Nutrition