Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca}, also known as Fresh Salsa or Salsa Picada is a mildly spicy Mexican condiment.
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Mexican Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Picada}
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca} differs from a Basic Salsa in that Pico de Gallo is a Fresh and dry (non-liquid) Salsa. All ingredients are raw. Pico de Gallo translates to “beak of rooster.” It is served as an condiment with many Mexican dishes. Living in Los Angeles, I can surely attest to that fact!
One of my all time favorite Mexican recipes is my Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas {Mexican Pulled Pork}. You cannot eat Carnitas without Pico de Gallo!
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Picada}
This is a very simple recipe. Just chop, chop, chop!
Traditionally, white onion is used, making the colors Red, White and Green, which are the colors of the Mexican Flag.
Pico de Gallo is sometimes call Salsa Bandera, which means “Flag Sauce.”
Seed and Chop the Tomatoes and Jalapeño Pepper
I prefer Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca} to be very dry and mild. Removing the Mesocarp from the Tomatoes, along with the seeds will give you a nice and dry Tomato.
Make sure to use a very Sharp Knife, as a dull blade will slip right off the Tomato Skin. People cut themselves on dull knives.
When you cut open a Jalapeño Pepper, you will see a membrane/pith with seeds attached. The white part is the hot part. Remove that membrane, along with the seeds.
When I eat Pico de Gallo, I want to taste the Tomato first, with a follow up of Onion and then a bit of heat, the Jalapeño. Therefore I dice the Tomatoes a bit larger than the Onion and the Onion a bit larger than the Jalapeño.
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Picada}
Red Onions add such nice color to Pico de Gallo.
They are Purple in color, but called Red Onions. This recipe is for a mild Pico de Gallo.
If you want to up the heat, add a little more Onion and a little more Jalapeño.
Make my Air Fryer Carne Asada recipe and use this Pico de Gallo as one of the toppings!
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Picada}
Add some Kosher Salt to taste. For this recipe, I prefer Kosher Salt over Sea Salt.
Sea Salt is double as strong as Kosher Salt, so please keep that in mind in case you use Sea Salt instead.
I love Key Lime, so I have a tendency to use a little more than what is needed. 🙂
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Picada}
Serve with my Pressure Cooker Chicken Taco Burrito Bowls, my Pressure Cooker Drive Thru Tacos or even my Presure Cooker Vegetarian Frijoles.
Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo {Salsa Fresca} is also really good over Cuban Egg Tortilla. Enjoy!
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8-inch Chef’s Knife
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
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Here is the handy printable recipe:
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs/680g Fresh Roma Tomatoes (ripe/firm)(seeds removed/diced)
- 8 oz/225g Red Onion (diced)
- 2 oz/60g Jalapeño Pepper (seeds removed/diced)
- 1.5 tsp Kosher Salt (or more)
- 2 TBL Fresh Cilantro Leaves (chopped)
- 2 Key Limes
Instructions
- Cut Tomatoes in half and remove mesocarp (soft interior). Dice tomatoes and place on paper towel to remove excess moisture. Dice onions a bit smaller than tomatoes. Remove stem and seeds and finely dice Jalapeño Pepper.
- Add Tomatoes, Onions and Jalapeño to mixing bowl. Squeeze Limes over mixture and sprinkle on Kosher Salt. Add Cilantro and Mix through.
Notes
PIN this exican Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo!
Mexican Homemade Classic Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca)
Mexican limes are very similar to Key limes. Recipe itself looks good.