This easy pico de gallo comes together in 10 minutes with just a handful of fresh ingredients. Bright, chunky, and so much better than store-bought.

Tortilla chip being dipped into easy homemade pico de gallo in a white bowl.

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I Could Eat This Simple Pico de Gallo Every Day

If you know me, you know I’m a chips and dip kind of girl. I could genuinely eat pico de gallo every single day and never get tired of it. It’s one of my favorite Mexican appetizers and it takes less than 10 minutes to throw together.

It also makes everything better. Tacos, salads, taquitos, lettuce wraps, you name it. And if you love fresh Mexican dips as much as I do, my guacamole, salsa verde, and mango salsa are all worth bookmarking too.

XO - Jamielyn

Pico de Gallo vs Salsa

The ingredients are almost identical, but the texture is completely different. Pico stays raw and chunky because everything is finely diced and never cooked. Restaurant style salsa and homemade salsa are smoother because they get blended or pureed. Same uses, just a different bite.

Ingredients

Fresh pico de gallo ingredients on a cutting board including roma tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and lime.

Amounts included in printable recipe below.

  • Tomatoes: I like to use roma tomatoes. I’ve found they’re a little less watery and chop up nicely. Just make sure they’re ripe, with a vibrant red color.
  • Cilantro: I love the freshness that cilantro adds to pico. It helps give it that delicious Mexican flavor!
  • Onion: You can use a white or red onion. My personal preference is white, but red works well too. Just make sure it’s finely diced!
  • Lime: The juice of one lime adds just the right amount of acidity and gives it the perfect zing.
  • Jalapeno: The jalapeno adds a little punch of heat. I used 1 whole jalapeno, but you can modify the amount depending on how hot you like it. Make sure to scrape out the seeds if you prefer it on the milder side!

How to Make Easy Pico de Gallo

Ten minutes, one bowl, done!

Making easy pico de gallo in a bowl.
  1. Add the onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir and let it sit for a couple of minutes while you prep the rest.
  2. Slice the jalapeno in half and scrape out the seeds. Finely dice it and add it to the bowl. Start with about a teaspoon and adjust to your heat preference.
  3. Dice the tomatoes and drain off any extra juices before adding them. Gently stir everything together, taste, and adjust salt.
Easy pico de gallo recipe served in a white bowl with fresh lime wedges.

Tips for the Best Pico

  • Drain the tomatoes. After dicing the tomatoes, make sure to drain any extra seeds and juices so your pico isn’t too watery.
  • Chop finely. The key to the best pico de gallo is to chop the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro into super fine pieces. It takes a little more time, but gives you more flavor in every bite!
  • Spice. If you like heat, feel free to leave the seeds on the jalapeno or use extra jalapeno to reach your desired heat level.
  • Garlic. Fresh minced garlic makes a wonderful addition and adds an extra boost of flavor.
  • Let rest. If you have the time, let the flavors marinate together for about 15 minutes before serving. You can really taste the difference when you do this!
Bowl of pico de gallo with lime wedges.

More salsa recipes to try include fruit salsa, cranberry salsa and roasted tomato salsa.

More Salsa Recipes

A bowl of quick and easy pico de gallo with tortilla chips to the side for scooping the fresh dip.

Pico de Gallo

5 from 15 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
This easy pico de gallo comes together in 10 minutes with just a handful of fresh ingredients. Bright, chunky, and so much better than store-bought.
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2-3/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2-1 cup freshly chopped cilantro
  • 1 lime , juiced
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt , more to taste
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 5 roma tomatoes , diced

Instructions

  • Combine the onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a medium size bowl. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
  • Meanwhile, slice the jalapeno in half. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.  If you like it spicy, you can leave the seeds in. Then dice the jalapeno finely. Add 1-3 teaspoons depending on the level of heat desired. Toss with the onion mixture and let sit another minute. 
  • Next add the tomatoes to the bowl, draining the juices before adding. Stir the tomatoes in gently and then salt to taste. Add more jalapeno or cilantro if desired.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storage: Pico is best the day you make it. The tomatoes release liquid over time, so drain any pooled juices and give it a stir before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Sodium: 197mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 545IU, Vitamin C: 14.4mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.