• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Very Veganish
  • HOME
  • RECIPES
    • Plant Based
    • Oil-Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Quick and Easy
    • Comfort Food
    • Tacos
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Breakfast
    • Kid Friendly
    • Salads
  • CUISINE
    • TexMex
    • Italian
    • Southern
    • Asian
    • Caribbean
    • Indian
  • ABOUT
    • Cooking Classes
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Quick & Easy
  • Sauces
  • Comfort Food
  • Recipe Index
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Quick & Easy
    • Sauces
    • Comfort Food
    • Recipe Index
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Chips and Dip

    Fresh Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)

    Published: Aug 14, 2019 · Modified: May 6, 2022 by Abi Cowell · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases · See my privacy policy linked in footer · This blog uses cookies

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Pico de gallo, also referred to as salsa fresca, is a fresh tomato salsa made with diced onion, tomato, jalapeño or serrano pepper, cilantro and lime juice. Pico is easy to make authentic and is a crowd-pleaser as a delicious fresh and flavorful dip with tortilla chips, in tacos or on top of tostadas and enchiladas.

    finished meal

    You may sometimes find this type of fresh salsa on the table at restaurants in Houston instead of pureed or cooked salsas. But, I see pico de gallo most often served with fajitas, along with the lettuce, guacamole and other condiments.

    Jump to:
    • 🧄 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Tips
    • 🥣 Serving Suggestions
    • 🔄 Variations
    • 🌶 How to prevent a jalapeño burn
    • 🌮 More TexMex recipes you'll love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    🧄 Ingredient notes

    For this authentic pico de gallo recipe, you'll need:

    • tomatoes
    • onion
    • jalapeño
    • fresh cilantro (coriander)
    • lime juice
    • salt and pepper

    🔪 Instructions

    Okay, are you ready to chop? In 10 minutes, you could have this fresh pico de gallo salsa sitting on your table.

    Grab a big bowl, cutting board and a good, sharp knife.

    Now, dice up all your tomatoes, onion, cilantro and add them to the bowl.

    Now, put some gloves on and mince your jalapeño, using a separate cutting board and knife. Add that to the bowl.

    Squeeze fresh lime juice into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

    • If your pico is too sharp, add more tomato.
    • If it needs more sharpness, add more onion.
    • If it's too mild, add more jalapeño.
    • If it's too spicy, add more tomato and/or onion.
    • If it's bland, add more lime juice and/or salt.
    Fresh Pico de Gallo Dip Salsa Fresca close up, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño

    💭 Tips

    Do I have to use fresh ingredients? Can I use canned tomatoes?

    • Fresh is best here. The beauty of pico de gallo is how fresh it tastes. The freshness of all the individual elements and how they complement each other are key. So, it's incredibly important to use all fresh ingredients for this recipe.
    • No canned tomatoes or "from concentrate" lime juice from a bottle here guys! Not this recipe. I have nothing against them, just save them for a different recipe.

    How long does pico de gallo last?

    • Fresh pico de gallo will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
    • I do not recommend freezing pico de gallo.

    What can I do with leftover pico de gallo?

    • Spanish or Mexican Rice: Leftover pico de gallo can be added at the beginning of the recipe to a pot of rice to amp up the flavor. To complete the simple Spanish or Mexican rice, add ground cumin, granulated garlic, vegan bouillon and half a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
    • Add to Beans, Soup or Stew: You could also use it to add flavor to a pot of beans, tortilla soup, Texas chili or stew.
      • Once the leftover salsa fresca is added to beans, soup or stew, it can be frozen.
    chips and dip

    🥣 Serving Suggestions

    Tortilla chips are the vehicle of choice in this house for devouring this amazing pico de gallo as a dip. It's a regular, crowd-pleasing appetizer we serve when we have company over or for taking to game day parties or any casual gathering.

    For oil-free tortilla chips, you have two easy choices:

    1. Buy baked tostadas (check to make sure they are oil-free) and break them into pieces.
    2. Bake your own! It's surprisingly easy to make your own healthy fat-free baked tortilla chips and it's pretty fast, too. Ready in under 20 minutes. You'll save quite a few calories while you're at it.

    Pico de gallo is also served as a condiment for many Mexican and TexMex dishes. Top your tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, charro beans or nachos with this flavorful salsa.

    🔄 Variations

    Guacamole

    Mix this accidentally vegan pico de gallo recipe with mashed avocado for an easy guacamole. There you go, two dips in one!

    Mango Salsa

    Substitute diced mango for the tomato for an easy mango salsa dip or condiment.

    🌶 How to prevent a jalapeño burn

    If you are not accustomed to working with hot peppers, please consider wearing gloves while you dice them. The capsaicin in peppers can actually burn your skin (been there, done that, not fun).

    My modus operandi while working with hot peppers:

    • wear gloves
    • use a separate cutting board and knife just for the jalapeños (or serranos, habaneros, etc.)
    • once finished cutting the peppers, immediately wash the utensils
    • throw away the gloves carefully
    • wash hands

    Some people report that coating their hands with oil before working with spicy peppers helps. If you may have a method that works for you, great!

    Just wanted to warn the uninitiated, because, well, jalapeño burns are super painful. I don't want anyone going through that!

    🌮 More TexMex recipes you'll love

    • Healthy homemade fat free baked tortilla chips
    • Easy vegan chile con queso nacho cheese
    • 30+ vegan taco ideas + rainy day everything tacos
    • Vegan spicy charro beans in the crockpot
    • Breakfast tacos with spinach, sweet potato and charro beans
    • assorted mini tostadas topped with various vegan, meatless, vegetarian toppings of beans, ceviche, corn, crema, pickled onion, avocado and lettuce
      Mini Plant-Based Tostadas, 4 Ways
    • tostada with refried beans, dairy-free mexican street corn esquites, sour cream and cilantro on a wooden board with a lime in the background
      Tostadas with Mexican Street Corn and Beans (vegan)
    • creamy spicy mexican-style street corn in a white bowl with cilantro sprinkled on top
      Vegan Esquites - Mexican Street Corn in a Cup with Frozen Corn
    • diced potato and onion after baking with spices on a parchment paper lined sheet pan
      Oil-free Roasted Potatoes and Onion with Cumin, Garlic and Chili Powder

    Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄

    📖 Recipe

    salsa in bowl with chips

    Fresh Pico de Gallo

    Abi Cowell
    Super fast, easy and flavorful fresh salsa recipe for pico de gallo. Great as a dip or with any TexMex meal!
    5 from 1 vote
    Estimated Cost: $3
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Chips and Dip
    Cuisine TexMex
    Servings 6
    Calories 24 kcal

    Equipment

    • Santoku knife or chef's knife
    • Cutting board
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 ½ cup fresh tomato diced
    • 1 ½ cup onion minced
    • 1 bunch cilantro stems removed and minced
    • 1 jalapeño deseeded and minced
    • Juice of 2 limes
    • sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Combine all prepared ingredients in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
      1 ½ cup fresh tomato, 1 ½ cup onion, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 jalapeño, Juice of 2 limes, sea salt and pepper
    • Taste with a chip, if you're serving as a dip, so you don't oversalt it. You might have to add a little more lime juice or a little more salt and pepper. If it's too sharp with onion, add another ½ cup of diced tomato.
    • Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    Video

    Notes

    • Will keep in fridge for 3-5 days in a covered container.
    • EASY GUACAMOLE: Mix 2 tablespoon of pico de gallo with a mashed avocado for a quick guacamole.
    • If you have leftover pico de gallo, you can add it into recipes for Mexican rice, a pot of black or pinto beans or tortilla soup for extra flavor.
    • Easy MANGO SALSA: substitute fresh mango for the tomato for a mango salsa.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 426IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword fresh salsa, pico de gallo
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Vegan, Plant-based Chips and Dip Recipes

    • bowl of Venezuelan Creamy Avocado Cilantro Salsa guasacaca criollo con aguacate
      Venezuelan Creamy Avocado Cilantro Salsa (guasacaca con aguacate)
    • small bowl of vegan choriqueso with cilantro on top
      Vegan Chile con Queso with Soy Chorizo (choriqueso)
    • dipping tortilla chip in black bean dip
      5-Minute Vegan Black Bean Dip
    • closeup of vegan ceviche tostada
      Vegan Ceviche Tostadas with Heart of Palm and Avocado

    About Abi Cowell

    Hey y'all! I’m the plant-based food blogger, recipe developer, photographer and cooking class instructor behind Very Veganish. Join me as we explore and taste incredible plant-based food, with cultural influences from around the world. You’ll find healthy comfort food vegan recipes and inspiration here. When I'm not cooking, you'll find me homeschooling my two boys, volunteering and trying to survive the Texas summers with copious glasses of iced tea.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Scott says

      September 20, 2019 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Abi Cowell smiling in her kitchen

    Hi! I'm Abi, mom of two hungry boys, caregiver, plant-based food blogger and cooking instructor from Houston, Texas. I help busy women create simple & healthy vegan meals in under 30 minutes so they spend less time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. Join me as we make quick & easy vegan comfort food you and your family will love (no matter how they eat).

    More about me →

    Trending

    • pot of yukon golds
      Instant Pot Steamed Potatoes
    • baked banana oat cookies on parchment paper
      3 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (no egg, no flour)
    • finished meal in bowl
      Healthy Hash Browns (low-calorie, oil-free breakfast)
    • stack of baked tostadas on sheet pan
      How to Make Homemade Tostada Shells (air fryer or oven baked without oil)
    • cooked spinach in metal pan with tongs
      How to Cook Sautéed Spinach with Onion and Tomato
    • spreader in jar of vegan mayo
      Vegan Miracle Whip Substitute (fat-free, egg-free mayo)
    • two glasses with straws
      How to Make Perfect Iced Tea
    • closeup of pasta with fork
      Vegan Mac and Cheese (without cashews)

    Fall Recipes

    • closeup of bite of crustless mini pumpkin pie
      Crustless Pumpkin Pie Ramekins with Leftover Filling (vegan)
    • closeup
      Roasted Curried Cauliflower (oil-free, vegan)
    • fluffy baked murasaki sweet potato on plate
      Perfect Baked Murasaki Sweet Potatoes (Korean Yam, Satsumaimo, Red Kumara)
    • pumpkin pie oatmeal in baking dish
      Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal (no egg, vegan)
    • slice of pie with whipped cream on top
      Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Silken Tofu
    • salad bowl of kale salad with spoons for tossing
      Kale Chopped Salad with Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing (vegan, oil-free)
    • holding a mini pumpkin pie with a bite taken out
      Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pies - Single Serving Pumpkin Tarts
    • pouring syrup
      Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Watch 3 Secrets of Crispy Hash Browns without Oil Web Story
    • Disclosure Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    Buy me a tea

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

    pinterest image