Pico de Gallo (fresh tomato salsa)
Pico de Gallo is a garden-fresh tomato salsa brimming with raw tomatoes and onion, cilantro, jalapeno and fresh lime juice. It is commonly used in Mexican cuisine for topping tacos or fajitas, or even grilled meats, but it’s also a perfect standalone as a dip, served with chips. Pico de Gallo is fresh, delicious, and incredibly easy to prepare!
Chip Dip Perfection
I’ve highlighted the simplicity of this chip-dip-perfection with a before-stirring-the bowl-photo, just for your viewing pleasure. See! It’s so simple! And yet so tasty! There’s no cooking involved with Pico de Gallo. There’s also no pureeing. Simply dice the ingredients, stir in a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, cover, and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. As it rests, the flavors will meld and the tomato will juice to a create an irresistible flavorful and fresh salsa.
With Memorial Day approaching, and summer on the horizon, I thought I’d share this simple recipe because it is perfect to bring to a barbeque or gathering. Everyone loves it! It’s a cinch to prepare. Goes great with a beer or a cocktail! And did I mention it’s delicious!?
Tips
The great thing about this fresh salsa, is that the measurements don’t have to be precise. Have an extra tomato you want to use? Dice it up. Like it extra spicy? Throw in another jalapeno. Have a love of fresh cilantro (Me! Me!)? Add extra for that garden-fresh flavor. Are you a cilantro hater? You can even leave it out. It’s pretty hard to mess up this recipe. And while I advise dicing and chopping everything finely, even a coarser dice or chop will do no harm.
Tip 1: Jalapeno Pepper – remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno pepper before dicing the pepper. Most of the heat in a jalapeno is contained in the seeds and ribs. If you like spice, no need to omit.
Tip 2: Onion – I use white onion. This variety of onion contributes a sweetness and crunch that is preferred in this recipe to a red or yellow onion.
Enjoy! And if you like the recipe, please share on Pinterest, or snap a photo of your creation and tag me on Twitter, or Instagram!
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 6 Tomatoes small, on the vine, diced
- 1 cup White Onion finely chopped (about 1 small-med)
- ½ cup Cilantro fresh, chopped
- 1 Jalapeno medium, finely diced, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 Lime juiced
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dice the tomatoes and add to a non-reactive bowl.
- Remove outer skin of the onion, and finely dice. Add to the tomatoes.
- Wash the cilantro and remove leaves from stem. Discard the stems. Once a small handful of leaves (1/2 c) have been separated, chop the cilantro and add to the tomatoes.
- Wash and remove the top of the jalapeno and slice pepper from top to bottom to create 2 equal pieces. Be careful when handling a jalapeno. A kitchen glove, towel or even plastic bag can be used to protect your skin from the heat of the seeds and ribs. From here, remove the seeds and ribs with your knife and fingers. Finely dice the jalapeno and add to the tomatoes.
- Juice Lime using juice press or squeeze with hand. A fork can be inserted into the flesh while squeezing to release more juice, if juicing by hand.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. I add 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper to start.
- Stir to combine. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and allow to rest in fridge for about 30 minutes. The tomatoes will release juice and flavors will meld.
