Pico De Gallo (Fresh Salsa) - Simply Recipes

Why Make This

• Tomatoes, chiles, lime, and cilantro come together for fresh salsa in minutes.
• You can remove the seeds and use fewer chiles if you prefer a milder salsa.
• It’s delicious on tacos and quesadillas, or served with chips as a crowd-pleasing side.

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What is one sign of a good taqueria? The salsa, of course!

Or I should use the plural and say "salsas?" Who doesn’t love having a variety of salsas to choose from, whether dining at a taco truck or a full-on restaurant? Often there’s tomatillo salsa verde, red chile salsa, and my favorite, a fresh tomato salsa otherwise known as pico de gallo or salsa fresca.

Best Tomatoes for Pico de Gallo

Fresh tomato salsa is ideally made with firm, fleshy tomatoes. You can of course, make the salsa with any kind of tomato, but the firm ones like Romas or hothouse tomatoes will hold up the best.

How To Pick and Handle Hot Peppers

When using fresh chile peppers always taste first before adding! Some peppers are hotter than others, and you really can't tell unless you taste them. Just take a very small taste. You'll be able to gauge the heat of the pepper and will be better able to judge how much you need.

Be very careful while handling the chile peppers. If you can, avoid touching the cut peppers with your hands. (I often use disposable gloves or hold the peppers with a plastic sandwich bag.) Rub your hands with a little olive oil before handling (to protect your skin), wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling, and avoid touching your eyes for several hours.

If you like a salsa with less heat, remove the ribs and seeds from the peppers. But you can always set aside some of the seeds—if the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for more heat.

How To Make and Store Fresh Salsa

This homemade salsa recipe is easy to make. You just need chopped up fresh tomatoes, chiles, onions, cilantro, some lime juice, and seasonings.

Note that because this particular salsa recipe is made with fresh ingredients, it will last as long as you would expect cut fresh tomatoes to last. It's best eaten right after you make it. Chilled, the salsa should last about 5 days or so.

How To Serve Pico de Gallo

Use this homemade salsa fresca as a dip for tortilla chips or serve it with tostadas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, pinto beans, or black beans.