Salsa Fresca Recipe (Pico De Gallo)

Last Updated on July 1, 2021 by Toya

Salsa fresca also called Pico de Gallo is a classic Mexican tomato dip that is used to add a boost of flavor in many Mexican meals. 

Pico de Gallo also referred to as salsa fresca, is an authentic Mexican salsa recipe made with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. This easy recipe is sure to become a go to for all your Mexican dishes! It is chunky, spicy and is the perfect appetizer guests will really enjoy.

What Is The Difference Between Salsa Fresca or Pico de Gallo And Salsa?

While both pico and salsa are made with most of the same ingredients, pico de gallo is made with fresh chopped ingredients while salsa is made mainly from puréed vegetables. Also, while salsa fresca or pico is made with fresh ingredients, salsa can sometimes be made with cooked ingredients. This means that the main difference between pico de gallo and salsa is in their preparation methods. 

Tips For Making Salsa Fresca

• You can choose to make this recipe as chunky or as smooth as you want. This recipe makes a chunky salsa fresca, however, you can make a less chunky version by chopping the ingredients very finely. 
• Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together, set the pico recipe aside for 30 minutes. The salt will draw the flavors from the onions and tomatoes and make this recipe amazingly flavorful!
• Use ripe, red tomatoes for this fresh salsa recipe. The riper and brighter the tomato, the better the pico will be! 
• Also to help prevent watery salsa fresca, lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and drain out the excess liquid before adding any of the other ingredients.

Ingredients to make salsa fresca

• 1 cup chopped red onions
• 2 cup chopped tomatoes
• ⅓ cup cilantro
• Salt and lime

How To Make Salsa Fresca

To start, gather your ingredients in one place.

Chop up the onions, tomatoes and cilantro, add everything to a bowl.

Then squeeze in the lime juice, add the salt and mix.

How to use Salsa Fresca (pico de gallo)

This delicious homemade condiment can be used in so many different ways. This includes:

• Tacos
• Nachos
• Quesadillas
• Burritos and burrito bowls
• As a dip for tortilla chips
• Spooned on top of salads, eggs, or chili

Swaps and Substitutions

If you want to swaps in this pico de gallo recipe, here are some suggestions below:

• Tomatoes –  Most people use Roma tomatoes for pico de gallo, but other tomatoes including cherry tomatoes and better boy tomatoes are okay too. If you have tomatoes that are more juicy simply cut them in half and squeeze out the seeds. 
• Onions – Red onions were use in this recipe, however you can use yellow onions or white onions if this is what you have on hand.
• Cilantro – Some people don’t like cilantro. If you don’t like it you can simply leave it out of the recipe. 
• Limes – If you do not have limes on hand, you can swap out the lime juice for some lemon juice.

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