Easy Pico de Gallo

This pico de gallo is so zesty, fresh, and flavorful! It’s nutritious and perfect in any tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, or as an appetizer with chips. Yum!

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We LOVE Mexican inspired food and the super flavorful, zesty seasonings that go along with it. Thinking back to my college days, this fresh salsa definitely inspired me to get into the kitchen and cook!

The truth is, with things like pico de gallo, it’s really hard to make your tacos, burritos, bowls, or appetizers taste bad. Actually pretty hard… The juicy tomatoes, the bold red onion, and the cilantro all soak up the zesty lime juices and give any meat, vegetable, or bean a bold and beautiful flavor. Not to mention, it is very customizable.

To make it your own, feel free to add –

• Avocado
• Sweet corn
• Black or pinto beans
• Red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
• Tropical fruit such as mango, pinapple, or papaya
• Jicama
• Spices like cumin
• Sweet onion

This recipe was inspired from my mama in law, who is a wonderful cook! She loves to make a pico for tacos and hers always comes out so delicious. She has been my cooking inspiration for a long time ♥️

What do I need to make a simple Pico de Gallo?

• Vine Ripe or Roma tomatoes – you may use another type of tomato such Heirloom or the smaller ones on the vine, but make sure you de-seed the tomato
• Red Onion – chop into small pieces
• Cilantro – a whole bunch! If yours is a giant bunch you can use half of the bunch
• Limes – you will need the juice to flavor this delicious Pico. Fresh limes are best
• Jalapeño pepper – some jalapeño peppers are spicier than others so you may need more than one if you like it extra spicy. Alternatively, use a Serrano pepper
• Salt and Pepper

How to make the best simple Pico de Gallo

If you have the time, I highly suggest making it ahead of time and letting it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes (or up to overnight) to soak up all the lime juices. With time, the tomatoes get extra flavorful and zesty when they mingle with the rest of the ingredients – try it and you will see exactly what I mean.

Start with washing and chopping all that colorful produce! Dice the onion and chop the cilantro. When chopping your jalapeno pepper, carefully cut out the white inner ribs… You might also want to taste it to see if it tastes like a fiery volcano or if the spice level is closer to a bell pepper. I’ve had jalapeños that were on each end of that spectrum.

To take seeds out of the tomatoes: cut in half horizontally, take each half and using clean hands take seeds out over the sink with your fingers. This method works best with vine ripe tomatoes and it is the easiest method of them all.

Combine everything in a medium bowl and squeeze some zesty lime juice. Don’t forget your salt! It will bring out all those wonderful flavors… and you definitely want that. 

And now mix it up and wait anywhere from 30 min to few hours to let the pico flavors intermingle… Yum!

What do I serve Pico with?

Have some pico with tortilla chips, in your tacos, with your blackened fish or shrimp, in a burrito bowl, or in a southwestern salad. Endless options with this one! I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes with this pico soon, so stay tuned 🙂

As always, I would love to hear from you and see any pictures (please tag @anyascookbook so I can see). How did your pico come out? What did you serve it with? Let me know in the comments.

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