Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe

This recipe for Homemade Pico de Gallo will take you only a few moments to make at home! Soon enough, you will have a refreshing, healthy, and easy snack on your table, just ready for tacos, nachos, or anything else you could desire!

Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

What is Pico de Gallo? 

Pico de Gallo is a type of salsa very common in Mexican and Central/South American cuisine. It is made by combining chunky tomatoes with onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Then, you can use your Pico de Gallo as a delicious topping for rice bowls, a dip for chips, or a side with huevos rancheros. 

Making Homemade Pico de Gallo is so easy, and satisfying! Making this dish from scratch will only take you about ten minutes, but the result is so much better than anything you’d be able to buy in a store. 

Interested in an African version of pico? Check out Kachumbari. It’s served as a filling dish vs a dip to scoop up, but very tasty too.

What does Pico de Gallo Mean in English? 

This recipe for Pico de Gallo is eaten very frequently in Costa Rica. Just how Costa Rica’s most famous rice dish, Gallo Pinto, got its name from a rooster, so too, did Pico de Gallo. 

Pico de Gallo directly translates to mean Beak of the Rooster. There are a few theories behind why this dish got its name from a rooster. First and foremost, food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst suggested that it was because the salsa used to be eaten by pinching it between the thumb and forefinger resembling the way a rooster’s beak worked. Another theory is that the chunky salsa resembles bird feed. 

What Ingredients are in this Recipe? 

Roma tomatoes
Red onions
Olive oil 
Cilantro
Garlic
Kosher Salt
Lime Juice
Jalapeño (optional) 

How to Make Homemade Pico de Gallo From Scratch

Making Homemade Pico de Gallo is as simple as combining all of your ingredients together in a bowl. You can season the Pico de Gallo with whatever you’d like. I simply use salt, pepper, and garlic. You can also add chili powder or jalapeños  if you like your salsa to be a little bit spicy. 

Once you combine all of your ingredients together, cover them and leave them in the fridge for at least a half an hour. You can eat your Pico de Gallo directly after making it (I did), but the best results always come from allowing the ingredients to marinate together. 

How Long will This Salsa Last in the Fridge?

Your salsa is made from fresh produce with no preservatives, so only keep it as long as you think your vegetables are good for. I find that I enjoy my Pico de Gallo the best when it’s been in my fridge for less than three days. My tomatoes have more body to them this way. 

However, I would say that it’s safe to keep your Pico de Gallo for about 7 days as long as it is in an airtight container. Please note that the longer you save your Homemade Pico de Gallo, the mushier the tomatoes will be and the more the cilantro will wilt. 

Did you like this recipe for Homemade Pico de Gallo? If so, leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought. If you made it, post a photo on Instagram or Facebook letting me know what you thought! 

And if you liked this recipe, you might also like: 

• Homemade Tostones 
• Crab Ragoons 
• Sweet and Sour Sauce 
• Liptaur: An Austrian Cheese Spread  
• Sweet Potato Fritters with Lemon Tahini Sauce
• Spicy Peanut Sauce from Benin