How to Make Pico de Gallo
Real pico de gallo has clean, bright flavors that wake up your mouth. No cooking required — just good knife work and knowing when to salt.
Use ripe tomatoes and work fast
Ripe tomatoes hold their shape better when diced and taste sweeter. Once you add salt, the vegetables start releasing water, so serve within an hour for best texture.
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
What goes in.
- 4 largeripe tomatoes
- 1/2 mediumwhite onion
- 2-3jalapeño peppers
- 1/2 cupfresh cilantro leaves
- 2-3limes, juiced
- 1 tspkosher salt
Remove tomato seeds and gel
Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and scoop out the seed chambers with a spoon. This prevents watery pico that pools at the bottom of your bowl.
The method.
Prep the tomatoes
Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Scoop out seeds and gel with a spoon. Dice the flesh into 1/4-inch pieces.
Dice the onion
Cut onion into 1/4-inch dice, about the same size as your tomato pieces. Rinse under cold water and pat dry to mellow the bite.
Handle the jalapeños
Remove stems and slice lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and white ribs with a spoon for mild heat, leave them for more fire. Dice fine.
Chop the cilantro
Pick leaves from thick stems. Bunch leaves together and chop roughly. Don't worry about perfect pieces — torn cilantro tastes better than minced.
Mix and season
Combine everything in a bowl. Add lime juice and salt. Stir gently and let sit 15 minutes for flavors to marry. Taste and adjust salt and lime.
Other turns to take.
Pico with Avocado
Fold in 1 diced avocado just before serving to prevent browning
Smoky Pico
Replace 1 jalapeño with 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
Tropical Pico
Add 1/2 cup diced pineapple and use red onion instead of white
When it doesn't go to plan.
Salt draws out water, so add it right before serving for crispest texture
Roma tomatoes work well if you can't find perfectly ripe slicers
Taste your jalapeños first — heat varies wildly even within the same pepper
The ones that keep coming up.
How long does pico de gallo last?
Best eaten within 4 hours. After that, the vegetables release too much water and the texture turns mushy. It's safe for 2 days refrigerated but won't taste as bright.
Can I make it less spicy?
Remove all seeds and ribs from jalapeños, or substitute with mild Anaheim peppers. You can also add more tomato to dilute the heat.
Why is my pico watery?
You didn't remove enough tomato seeds, or you salted it too early. Try draining the liquid and adding fresh lime juice to brighten it back up.