Name: 5 Ingredient Homemade Pico de Gallo
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped; ¼ medium red onion, finely chopped; 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed and finely chopped; ⅓ cup cilantro, finely chopped; juice of 1 lime; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

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This 5 Ingredient Homemade Pico de Gallo is a fresh and flavorful condiment that takes just five simple ingredients to make. It’s so delicious you’ll want to whip up a double batch.

Pico de Gallo, finished product in a serving bowl, garnished with cilantro and a lime wedge, served with tortilla chips

A Simple 5 Ingredient Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe

Pico de gallo really couldn’t be any easier to make as there are only a handful of ingredients needed. The five ingredients include tomato, jalapeño pepper, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. The salt and pepper are added to finish to taste.

There is no need for a food processor or blender. All you need is a knife, a cutting board and 15 minutes.

Fresh Ingredients are Key to a Restaurant-Worthy Pico de Gallo

The best pico de gallo is going to be one made with the freshest ingredients. That means fresh tomatoes, limes, jalapeños, onions and cilantro. Which also means it is a great Summer recipe.

When Summer comes around, so does fresh produce, which provides the best flavor. You can easily find these fresh ingredients at your local grocery store or farmers market. Flavorful tomatoes, sweet onions, and fresh fruit and herbs are plentiful and easily accessible during this time.

Tomatoes sliced in half, lime, jalapeño, red onion and cilantro for the pico de gallo

Ingredient Substitutions for This Fresh Pico de Gallo

This is such an easy recipe that it makes it perfect for you to adjust to your specific taste. Here are some of my top suggestions for substitutions or other recipe adjustments:

A lot of people do not like the flavor of fresh cilantro. Feel free to substitute fresh parsley to add that lovely fresh brightness to this delicious pico de gallo.
If spicy is not your thing, simply omit or reduce the amount of jalapeno pepper.
If you like more of a kick, feel free to add more jalapeno to the mix.
If you can’t find a jalapeno pepper, serrano peppers are the closest substitute in terms of flavor and spiciness.
If you don’t like the taste of raw onion, you can omit. Or, if you want a milder onion flavor, substitute a couple of sliced green onions.
Many people like fresh garlic in their pico de gallo. Feel free to add in a clove or two.

The bottom line is that a really good pico de gallo is a flexible recipe that you can tailor to your personal preferences.

Tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño and cilantro all chopped and ready to be mixed together

How to Store Pico de Gallo

You can prepare this great recipe ahead of time. Simply prepare the pico de gallo per the recipe, put the finished product into an airtight container and place into your fridge. It should keep well for 2-3 days.

Pico de gallo does not freeze well, so it’s best to refrigerate and consume within a few days of making it.

Serving the Pico de Gallo

Whether hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration, looking for a great snack or dressing up another dish, this easy pico de gallo recipe is perfect for most any occasion. Here is a favorite way or two I like best:

Served alongside my favorite tortilla chips. Traditional and simple.
On top of my avocado toast. A nice fresh touch.
Definitely on top of my tacos and burrito bowls.
As a topping for grilled meats and fish like these Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw and Pico de Gallo

Tips and Tricks for Making Pico de Gallo

Make sure your ingredients are finely chopped into small pieces, especially if you’re going to be dipping chips into it. It makes it easier to get a nice pico to chip ratio.
If you don’t care for cilantro, substitute fresh parsley.
You can add as much or as little red onion as you like or feel free to substitute some sliced green onion to add a mild onion flavor.
Roma tomatoes work really well, because they don’t tend to be as juicy as other varieties. But, still make sure you remove the seeds before you chop the tomatoes to reduce the amount of liquid.
Use as much or as little jalapeno as you like. It’s also good to chop it as finely as possible to make sure that the flavor is well distributed.
If your lime is hard to squeeze, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. This will help to soften it and make it easier to release the juice.

Ingredients Needed to Make Pico de Gallo

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

Roma tomatoes – I prefer these because they tend to have fewer seeds and so aren’t quite as juicy as other varieties of tomato.
Red onion – These tend to be milder than yellow or white onion, so they don’t overtake the flavor.
Jalapeño – You can add more or less jalapeno peppers depending on how spicy you’d like the pico to be.
Fresh cilantro
Fresh lime juice – Fresh is far superior to bottled in my opinion. If you don’t have fresh limes on hand, substitute fresh lemon juice.
Salt
Black pepper

How to Make Pico De Gallo

In a bowl, gently stir all prepped ingredients together, until well combined.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dipping a tortilla chip into the finished pico de gallo

More Delicious Fresh Salsas

Yield: 6