Name: Perfectly Simple Pico de Gallo Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4-5 medium plum tomatoes (like Roma), medium dice; 1/2 medium white onion, diced; 1-2 juicy limes, juiced; 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced; 1-2 pinches coarse salt, to taste; 1 splash Chipotle Tabasco

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Pico De Gallo (aka Pico) is an easy-to-make, popular, Mexican condiment that makes everything taste better. Amazing with a big bowl of chips, on tacos or served sprinkled over nachos like these incredible vegan nachos with sausage and queso!

Bowlful of pico de gallo topped with a slice of jalapeno and surrounded by a pile of chips.

Why We Love Pico de Gallo

easy to make
healthy
better than store bought
vegan, vegetarian, plant based, oil free, gluten free, nut free
makes everything 1000 times better

Pico is delicious on so many dishes. On Friday nights, we love digging into a big bowl of taco chips, pico, TexMex Cashew Cream, and Guacamole. Pico is a must add to crispy vegan fish tacos and elevates any breakfast scramble, burritos, loaded nachos, quesadillas, and pizzas.

Ingredients for Pico de Gallo

Since Pico de Gallo has only a few basic ingredients, look for the best quality ingredients you can find. You'll need ripe tomatoes, white onions, jalapeno peppers, fresh cilantro, juicy lime, and coarse salt.

Tomatoes: Since tomatoes are front and center for pico flavour, it's imperative to select the reddest, ripest, most flavourful tomatoes available.

Do you deseed the tomatoes in your pico? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Plum tomatoes (like Roma) have a higher solid to seeds ratio and lower moisture content than regular tomatoes making them a good choice for pico. As long as the tomatoes are top quality, and perfectly ripe, any variety will work; but if they are super juicy, I remove most of the seeds and pulp to manage an over abundance of liquid.

Onions: I used to use red onions for my pico. I love red onions for their flavour and nutrition profile. BUT, after a pico-eating trip to Mexico, I switched to white onions. The sharpness and pungency of white onions is a perfect compliment to the ripe tomatoes in pico.

Everything Else: chopped fresh cilantro, jalapeno chiles (to taste), juicy limes, coarse ground salt, and chipotle Tabasco (optional).

Let It Rest: Once you've sliced and diced all the veggies and herbs and mixed them together, let it sit out on the counter where the flavours will mingle and be enhanced. Just before serving, taste the pico and adjust the seasonings to suit your personal preference.

More Vegan Recipes to Enjoy

If you like fresh pico, you're going to love my Tender-Crispy Fish Tacos (vegan), Spicy Sweet Tofu Pineapple Bowl, Loaded Mushroom Tacos, or Healthy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.

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Bowlful of pico de gallo on a tray of taco chips and a glass of beer.

Perfectly Simple Pico de Gallo Recipe

This simple pico made with fresh whole foods like tomatoes, onions, and cilantro is easy to make. Pile it on top of nachos, tacos, Buddha bowls, and breakfast burritos to elevate your favourites. It's 100% plant based, oil free, gluten free and 1000% delicious.

Author :Tracy Halasz

Servings:4 servings

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

INGREDIENTS

4-5 medium plum tomatoes (like Roma), medium dice
½ medium white onion, diced
1-2 juicy limes, juiced
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1-2 pinches coarse salt, to taste
1 splash Chipotle Tabasco

INSTRUCTIONS

This is so simple.
Slice the tomatoes in half and remove seeds and pulp if desired.
Cut the tomatoes into about ½" pieces (medium dice). Place the tomatoes into a medium-sized bowl.
Chop the onions and cilantro, and mince the jalapeno. Add to the tomatoes.
Squeeze the juice of one lime onto the tomatoes (if it's a really juicy lime, that might be enough, but sometimes the limes are small or a bit dry so add more to taste).
Season with coarse ground salt to taste. Taste and adjust lime and salt as desired.
Add a splash of Chipotle Tabasco sauce - this is optional but delicious.
Let the pico sit at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes for flavour development.
Stir, taste, and adjust the seasonings once again. Enjoy!

NOTES

Make the pico first and let it sit while you make the rest of your dinner to give the flavours a chance to marry.

Pico is best served fresh although it does keep in the fridge for a day or maybe two without too much loss of flavour and texture. I usually throw leftover pico in soup, chilli or stew.

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