This piquant Homemade Pico de Gallo is so easy to make and pairs well with a variety of appetizers and main dishes! Adjust the spiciness level to your tastebuds’ desire. Tips, tricks, and food pairings provided in the post! {Paleo + Vegan}
Spiriteds, summer just got a little spicier, like deliciously so. Because Homemade Pico de Gallo is in the howwwwwwse! And I cannot even. Also, I do not understand how to spell the drawn out version of “house.” We all have our problems. But, today’s pico isn’t one of them. Unlike Hot ‘n Spicy Pico de Gallo, which is made with bell peppers, today’s Homemade Pico de Gallo is a spicy blend of Roma tomatoes, cumin, white onion, cilantro, and jalapeños. So freaking amazing. Just in time for summer. Just the way my dad taught me.
When I was a child, Dad introduced me to this spicy topping/appetizer/sauce/dream come true. And in college, I tried to reinvent the recipe in my apartment. I’m not sure I got quite as close as memory served. I do remember it being A LOT more work than I thought it should be. But today’s Homemade Pico De Gallo is much easier to prepare and absolutely fits the bill. It’s how I remember Pico de Gallo tasting some thirty odd years ago when I played outside until dark and only came home for meals.
If you are ready to put this spiciness in your life, then grab a bowl and let’s get chopping! Just a handful of ingredients and you’ll be on your way to one incredible appetizer/dip/topping!
Homemade Pico de Gallo is
- Fresh (no cooking/baking needed!)
- Gluten-free and grain-free
- Paleo and vegan
- Spicy, piquant, and utterly amazing
- Ready for chips, salads, appetizer trays, and charcuterie boards
Homemade Pico de Gallo ingredients
- Roma tomatoes
- White onion
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Cumin
- Sea salt
I researched whether Homemade Pico de Gallo is actually a salsa. When I wrote about Hot ‘n Spicy Pico de Gallo, I said it was not salsa because pico ingredients are not cooked and the final product is not a liquid sauce. But a little internet research indicated I am so wrong. Pico is considered a type of salsa, in this case, salsa fresca. Ooh, and it also means “rooster’s beak,” possibly because of the similarly shaped Serrano chiles used in the recipe or because people used to eat the dish by pinching pico between their index finger and thumb.
So there you have it. Straight from Wikipedia. Only the best for this blog. But whether you consider it a salsa or not, today’s Homemade Pico de Gallo recipe can be enjoyed like one. Chips and pico for the win!
Tips for a delicious pico de gallo
- If you don’t want a watery pico, then chop the tomatoes the day before and drain the juice that collects at the bottom of the container.
- Add jalapeños carefully. I usually add one for this recipe. If you want a spicier pico, then add more.
- Use fresh cilantro. I like to buy mine a day ahead and then use the greens up within 24 hours.
- Taste test as you go. Add a little more salt or cumin, as desired. Same with the lime juice. This is a deliciously simple and flexible appetizer recipe.
How to pair this pico
Chips for sure. Especially blue corn ships. Holy cow is that a simply tasty combo? But also think seafood. Dip some shrimp into your pico and bite away. So absolutely delicious. It also serves well as a sauce or spread for burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and burgers. Basically, if you can bake it, fry it, sauté it, spear it, grill it, love it, then you can pico it, too. And lastly, I love to add it to salads. Nothing fancy, just a basic green lettuce salad and all the Homemade Pico de Gallo I can reasonably fit on the dish.
And if you want more pico inspo, then put your eyes on these tasty treats:
Friends, I’m glad you’re here! Take care of yourselves! ❤️
Homemade Pico de Gallo
This piquant Homemade Pico de Gallo is so easy to make and pairs well with a variety of appetizers and main dishes! Adjust the spiciness level to your tastebuds’ desire. Tips, tricks, and food pairings provided in the post! {Paleo + Vegan}
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizers and Snacks
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1–2 jalapeños
- 1 cup cilantro, minced
- 1–2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, lime juice, cumin, and sea salt. Stir evenly, and then add in cilantro.
- Refrigerate in a covered dish for up to a week.
Notes
- To manage the spiciness level, for each jalapeño, I start with 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. If the jalapeño flavor is too strong, I may even double the amount of lime juice, cumin, and sea salt. This is personal preference and will also be determined by the freshness of the vegetables and spiciness of the jalapeños.
- To reduce the wateriness of the pico de gallo, dice the tomatoes the day before and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. The next day, use a slotted spoon to transfer the diced tomatoes from the container to the mixing bowl and begin preparing the pico de gallo according to the recipe instructions.
Leave a Reply