The best quick and easy pico de gallo recipe, homemade with fresh simple ingredients in one pot and 10 minutes. A simple, traditional Mexican salsa, served as a side dish or appetizer!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from One Pot Recipes
I love making salsa in the Summer time, especially my Strawberry Salsa (One Bowl), Easy Mango Salsa (One Bowl), and Easy Pineapple Salsa (One Bowl). But I have to say that today's recipe beats them all. It's just as good, if not better, than what you get at restaurants. I am not sure how authentic this is but I truly believe that all other "cool" salsas we enjoy today have been adapted from this classic version in some way or another. You may know it by other names, too: salsa fresca (fresh salsa) or salsa cruda (raw salsa) or even salsa huevona (lazy salsa).
Jump to:
Key ingredients
- Chopped tomatoes- Fresh Roma tomatoes are my favorite to use.
- Onion- This raw veggie brings a nice crunch and distinct sharpness.
- Jalapenos- For a little kick that many like to find in salsas.
- Cilantro- Tossed in for some nice color and bit of flavor as well.
- Limes- Adds a touch of tartness that balances out the overall taste.
- Garlic- Added for aroma and a savory depth.
- Spices- This includes salt, pepper, and cumin powder.
Variations
- Add avocados- Mix in 1-2 diced avocado.
- Fruit version- Add in mangoes, pineapples, or strawberries to counter the spice.
- Try other herbs- Cilantro is the classic choice but you can also add parsley, chives, or mint.
- Add more vegetables- This would also help balance out the spice factor. My personal favorite add-ins are cucumbers and corn.
- Turn it into guacamole- Mix some pico with mashed avocados for a super simple guac.
How to make easy one pot pico de gallo salsa recipe from scratch?
- Mix together- Vegetables, cilantro, and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in- Lime juice and zest, and spices.
- Chill in fridge- Then serve and enjoy.
What to serve with best pico de gallo recipe?
- I love it with tortilla chips. It makes a delicious appetizer and is also great for Cinco de mayo, game day and tailgating parties.
- Use it as a topping in rice bowls, burrito bowls, tacos, tamales, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, along with rice, beans, Vegetable Fajitas (One Pan) and cooked meats such as Mexican Shredded Chicken (One Pot) or Steak Fajitas (One Pot) or,Chicken Fajitas (One Pot).
- Set up a taco bar with this salsa and and all the other sides and allow your guests to get creative with these homemade Ground Beef Tacos (One Pot).
Tips and techniques
- Do not use a blender-This salsa is traditionally served chopped. Adding everything in the blender to puree it or pulse it will make a chunky, mashed paste.
- Quality matters- Use the freshest, ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can find.
- Fresh tomatoes vs. Canned tomatoes- Don't use canned tomatoes. Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes or even cherry or grape tomatoes are the best. Be sure to remove the seeds and make sure they are ripe.
- White onions vs. Red onion- Either can be used and it's a personal preference. Red onion is a little sweeter.
- Jalapeno vs. Serrano- Either can be used. Be sure to remove the seeds to prevent the salsa from becoming too spicy.
- Cumin is optional- I like to add it because I think it adds a wonderful subtle taste.
- Adjust amount of ingredients- This is such a versatile recipe that all the ingredients can be adjusted to your preference. Don't like onions? Reduce the quantity. Too much zest? Omit it e.t.c.
- Lemon vs. Lime- Traditionally, limes are used but lemons work well too.
- Let it rest- Once you have tossed all the ingredients together, cover and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen. This is optional but I really think it makes a big difference.
Recipe FAQs
It's a salsa that is made by mixing together fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper. Typically, it's served as a side dish, appetizer or a topping in Mexican cuisine.
Salsa has a thinner consistence because the ingredients are usually pureed in a blender but pico is chunky and all the ingredients and finely chopped and mixed together with a spoon.
In Spanish, the translation/meaning is: “beak of the rooster.” Based on my research, apparently this salsa reminded people of the colorful feathers of a rooster and thus, resulted in that unique name. However, some people say that it got this odd name because it looks like bird food.
Storage
- Refrigerate- Place in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
- Freeze- This is not recommended, because the texture of the vegetables changes.
- Make ahead- You can make this the night before and serve it the next day right out of the fridge. However, the tomatoes will get a little mushy and the cilantro might wilt a bit. Overall, the salsa will be more "watery."
- Reheat- There is no need to heat this up.
More one pot Mexican side dishes
- Mexican Corn Salad Recipe (One Bowl)
- Tomato Avocado Salad (One Bowl)
- Easy Corn Salsa (One Pot)
- Easy Pineapple Salsa (One Pot)
- Mexican Corn on the Cob (One Pan)
Recipe
Easy One Pot Pico De Gallo Salsa
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from One Pot Recipes
Ingredients
- 5-6 Roma tomatoes Deseeded, Finley chopped
- ½ cup Onion Finely chopped
- 1 Jalapeno Deseeded if you want it mild, Finley chopped
- ⅓ cup Cilantro Finley chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic Finely minced
- 2 tablespoon Lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Lime zest
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin powder Optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, salt, pepper, cumin powder.
- Mix everything together until combined.
- Cover and chill for 20-30 mins in the fridge to allow the flavors to deepen.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Leave a Reply