Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 300 g roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- 50 g red onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
Aromatics and Seasoning
- 10 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 g sea salt, fine
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 11 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbohydrates
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 148 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 114 mg
- Calcium
- 7 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 12 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 12 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Halve the Roma tomatoes and scoop out the watery core and seeds using a spoon. Finely dice the remaining tomato flesh and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Finely dice the red onion and jalapeño pepper. Chop the cilantro. Add all of these to the mixing bowl with the tomatoes.
Pour the freshly squeezed lime juice over the vegetable mixture and sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Gently stir everything together until well combined.
Let the salsa rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. This allows the salt to extract juices from the tomatoes and the flavors to marry.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of your salsa is entirely dependent on the quality of your tomatoes. In the off-season, cherry or grape tomatoes often yield better flavor than pale, hothouse-grown larger varieties.
- For a deeper flavor profile, let the diced red onion macerate in the lime juice and salt for 10 minutes while you chop the remaining ingredients. The acid lightly pickles the onion, reducing its harsh raw bite.
- Keep the cuts uniform. A finely diced pico de gallo ensures every bite has a balanced ratio of tomato, onion, chili, and cilantro, preventing any single ingredient from dominating.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Best consumed within 24 hours. Tomatoes will gradually release water and soften over time.
Troubleshooting
Salsa is too watery and dilute
Cause: Tomatoes were not properly seeded, or they were overly ripe with high water content.
Fix: Drain the salsa gently through a fine-mesh strainer or slotted spoon before serving.
Prevention: Always core and seed the tomatoes before dicing. Choose meaty tomato varieties like Roma.
Onion flavor is too sharp or overpowering
Cause: The red onion is particularly pungent.
Fix: Add a small pinch of sugar to balance the allium sharpness, or mix in more diced tomatoes.
Prevention: Soak the diced red onion in the lime juice for 10 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients to mellow its bite.
Cultural Context
Pico de Gallo, translating to rooster's beak, is a quintessential raw salsa in Mexican cuisine. It is also commonly referred to as Salsa Bandera (flag salsa) because its vibrant red, white, and green ingredients mirror the colors of the Mexican flag. Unlike blended salsas, its chunky texture serves equally well as a condiment, a side dish, or a crisp counterpoint to rich, heavy meats.
