Pico de Gallo
Posted Apr 22, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This pico de gallo recipe is easy to make in 10 minutes with 6 ingredients. Learn how to make authentic homemade pico de gallo that’s perfect for topping your favorite Mexican recipes or as a dip for chips.
Once you make this homemade pico de gallo – you’ll never buy store-bought again!
This pico de gallo recipe is fresh, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients. It comes together in minutes (the time it takes to chop some tomatoes, onions and cilantro) and elevates all your favorite Mexican recipes like tacos, nachos or breakfast burritos!
Or, you can even just eat it like salsa with some chips – it’s so good you’ll want to! Add some diced jalapeño for some heat if you’d like!
Pico De Gallo Ingredients & Substitutions
There are a few substitutions you can make in this recipe, let’s chat about them!
- Ripe tomatoes. Choose your favorites like roma, heirloom, etc.
- Red onion. Yellow onion works well too.
- Minced garlic. You can substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder for the minced garlic if you’d like.
- Fresh cilantro. No substitute here – it’s a must!
- To make it spicy, add some diced jalapeño!
How to Make Pico De Gallo
We’ll walk through this recipe together step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for additional guidance.
Begin by chopping all the ingredients. This is by far the most time consuming step, so if you have a tool that makes it easier by all means use it!
When you dice the tomatoes, remove the seeds/pulp to ensure your pico isn’t watery. Be sure to dice everything very small so you get all the ingredients in each bite!
Then, once you’ve diced the tomatoes, transfer them to a medium sized bowl.
Next add the diced onion and chopped cilantro.
Then add the garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Finally add the lime juice and stir everything together. I suggest tasting it here and adjusting the salt and pepper if you need to!
It’s best to chill the pico de gallo for at least 30 minutes so the flavors blend together well. I like to make it in the morning to serve it with dinner.
Serve
Serve it chilled or room temperature with your favorite Mexican recipes. Here are some suggestions:
Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Pico de Gallo Recipe FAQS
Pico de gallo is very similar to salsa, except it’s not blended. So it has many of the same ingredients but has a chunkier, fresh flavor. It’s used more as a garnish or topping than a dip for chips.
Roman, vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes are all great choices.
Remove the seeds and jelly-like pulp from the inside of the tomatoes when you dice them.
I suggest chilling it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Pico de Gallo Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound Roma tomatoes (about 4 medium tomatoes)
- ½ red onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Finley dice the tomatoes and remove the seeds/pulp from the center.
- Then, finely dice the red onion and chop the cilantro.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or serve immediately.
Notes
- Ripe tomatoes. Choose your favorites like roma, heirloom etc.
- Red onion. Yellow onion works well too.
- Minced garlic. you can substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder for the minced garlic if you’d like.
- Fresh cilantro. No substitute here – it’s a must!
- To make it spicy. add some diced jalapeño!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
