Authentic Pico de Gallo Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in traditional pico de gallo? ›

Also called salsa fresca or salsa cruda, pico de gallo is a fresh Mexican salsa made of finely chopped ripe tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime. In English, its name literally means “rooster's beak,” though there's no definitive reason why we call it that.

Translated in Spanish, pico de gallo literally means “beak of rooster.” Some believe this is because it was originally eaten by pinching between the thumb and finger, making the shape of a rooster's beak. Pico de gallo, however, has nothing to do with roosters, or birds in general.

Pico de gallo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpiko ðe ˈɣaʝo], lit. 'rooster's beak'), also called salsa fresca ('fresh sauce'), salsa bandera ('flag sauce'), and salsa cruda ('raw sauce'), is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine.

Stir tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, lime juice, garlic, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Enjoy!

Dressed with oil and vinegar, this pico de gallo is made with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños, and spices for fresh flavor no matter how you use it.

With so many vegetables as its ingredients, it's not hard to believe pico de gallo is also full of health benefits. Armed with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, the onions and garlic in the sauce may prevent the hardening of your arteries, fight bacteria and protect against heart disease.

The most common type of pico de gallo, which literally means “beak of rooster,” is a Mexican salsa fresca (fresh salsa) or salsa crudo (raw salsa). (Salsa, of course, is Spanish for sauce, and in some regions, pico de gallo can refer to other types of fresh fruit or crunchy vegetable salads.)

If you're serving it with chips, these two sauces can be used interchangeably. It's all a matter of personal preference. If you're cooking with it, however, do keep in mind that salsa typically contains more liquid than pico de gallo, so you may need to adjust for the swap accordingly.

In any case, pico de gallo traces back to ancient Aztec cuisine and specifically from the Yucatan Peninsula, Sonora, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca regions of Mexico. It also goes by the name salsa bandera, which means flag salsa, because it depicts the green, white, and red colors of the Mexican national flag.

I bet Chipotle calls their pico de gallo “tomato salsa” since it's easier to say! You might also see it called salsa fresca (fresh sauce). Pico de gallo literally translates to “rooster's beak,” but no one's exactly sure why. Here's how to pronounce pico de gallo in unofficial Kate-style mark-up: PEE-koh day GUY-yoh.

What is the difference between picante and pico de gallo? ›

A rather smooth and puréed-like sauce is the Picante, the semi-chunky texture is the Salsa, and the uniformly chopped tomatoes that traditionally contains more peppers than salsa or picante sauce, is the Pico de gallo.

The Short Answer: Not Anymore. As of now, Taco Bell no longer offers pico de gallo as part of their menu. In a bid to streamline their offerings and focus on other popular ingredients, Taco Bell decided to remove pico de gallo from their selection.

Well, the first thing is to understand that tomatoes contain a lot of water, and anytime you add salt to a vegetable it draws water out of it due to osmosis. The way to avoid watery Pico de Gallo is to salt and drain the tomatoes before mixing them with all the other ingredients.

I love Pico de Gallo. It is similar to salsa, but in a drier, more relish-like form. Tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime are the building blocks and most folks add garlic, too.

Typically, homemade pico de gallo will retain its optimal taste and texture for about 3 to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. The longevity of pico de gallo is influenced by factors such as ingredient freshness, preparation methods, and storage conditions.

Unlike salsa, which can take on a lot of different variations, the ingredients in pico de gallo don't really vary from recipe to recipe, and are always fresh. While traditional salsa has a thinner consistency with more liquid, pico de gallo is chunky, with each chopped ingredient distinctly visible.

INGREDIENTS: roma tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, red onions, lime juice, cilantro.

Pico de Gallo is a traditional Latin American dish that comes from a rich cultural and culinary history in Mexico. It's believed that this amazing dish was derived from the ancient Aztec culture, and widely popularized in Mexican cuisine, especially in regions such as the Yucatan and Sonora.