Homemade Pico de Gallo

Hola amigos! I’m Carrie from Kenarry: Ideas for the Home where we share delicious recipes, easy crafts and DIY projects to help you make your home into a place you and your family love. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo so Ashlyn and I thought it would be really fun to trade Mexican recipes this month for our Ideas for the Kitchen exchange. Today I’m sharing an easy homemade pico de gallo recipe. With just a few ingredients, you can quickly prepare this fresh salsa to serve with tortilla chips for a tasty appetizer!

While I’m here with you, Ashlyn is at Kenarry: Ideas for the Home today sharing her recipe for Corn and Avocado Salsa. She’ll share it with you here in a few weeks, but if you need it for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta tomorrow swing by Kenarry: Ideas for the Home to grab it sooner.

One of my absolute favorite things about going to a Mexican restaurant for dinner is the complimentary tortilla chips and fresh salsa the servers bring to your table just after you sit down. You know you can’t help but dip those tortilla chips and munch away as you pore over the menu trying to decide between chicken enchiladas, shredded beef tacos or some other delicious Mexican dish. If you’re not careful you have the entire bowl of fresh salsa gone before you’ve even ordered.

Often salsa served at Mexican restaurants is called pico de gallo, which is a term used to describe a chunky salad-like appetizer or sauce made with chopped tomatoes and onions. Unlike the salsa you buy in a jar at the store, pico de gallo is uncooked and made with fresh ingredients.

Fresh salsa or pico de gallo recipes can be made a variety of ways. While they’re typically made with tomatoes and onions, many also include black beans, corn and avocado. I’ve also found some fruit based ones that use strawberries, mangos, peaches and pears. I’ve even seen one made with watermelon! (Check out this collection of fresh salsa recipes if you want to try some of those ideas.)

For this month’s homemade pico de gallo recipe though, I really wanted to stick to more traditional flavors and ingredients. In addition to diced onion and chopped tomatoes, my homemade pico de gallo recipe includes fresh cilantro, a dash of lime and a few basic spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. It’s really simple and easy.

You’ll also find chopped jalapeño, habanero or serrano peppers in many homemade pico de gallo recipes. I didn’t have any on hand, so I used ground cayenne red pepper in our homemade pico de gallo recipe to give it a little kick instead.

Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe

In addition to diced onion and chopped tomatoes, my homemade pico de gallo recipe includes fresh cilantro, a dash of lime and a few basic spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. It’s really simple and easy.

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 25kcal

Author: Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup diced onion
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lime juice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper

Instructions

• Place diced onions and chopped tomatoes in a small bowl.
• Add cilantro and lime juice.
• Sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, cumin and ground cayenne red pepper.
• Mix together and chill until you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe? Let me know!Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen or tag #BelleoftheKitchen

Homemade Pico de Gallo Recipe Suggestions

While we traditionally serve this homemade pico de gallo recipe with tortilla chips, you can also use it as a topping for almost any other Mexican recipe you make. Here are a few other serving suggestions for this homemade pico de gallo recipe:

• Use chopped jalapeño, habanero or serrano peppers instead of the ground cayenne red pepper if you would like your fresh salsa to be picante or hot.
• Add chunks of fresh avocado to your homemade pico de gallo to bring in some healthy fats and delicious flavor.
• Homemade pico de gallo makes a great topping for rice, scrambled eggs or salads. Just think – if you would put salsa from a jar on what you’re eating, then you can easily put fresh pico de gallo on it instead.
• You may want to double or triple the homemade pico de gallo recipe, if you’re serving it at a party. While this recipe made a good amount of pico de gallo, I must admit my husband and I polished off the entire bowl of fresh salsa at one meal. It’s that tasty!

What’s your favorite appetizer for Cinco de Mayo? Please comment below and share. Ashlyn and I are always looking for delicious new ideas for the kitchen.

If you enjoyed this homemade pico de gallo recipe, please share it with your friends or pin it for later:

You may also enjoy these delicious Cinco de Mayo recipes on Kenarry: Ideas for the Home:

Crazy Taco Faces

Southwest Sauteed Red Cabbage

About Carrie

Carrie is the chief writer, crafter and cook at Kenarry: Ideas for the Home where she and her husband create and curate ideas you’ll find useful for your home. She’s an optimist by nature and enjoys sharing recipes, trying new craft ideas, planning for parties and events as well as organizing and decorating. Carrie’s passion, though, is volunteerism and connecting people with opportunities to make a difference in their community. When she’s not blogging, preparing meals or picking up around the house, you’re bound to find her hidden away in a castle under the stairs reading to her two young boys. Whether you’re cooking, crafting or creating for your family, you’ll find inspiration by connecting with Carrie. Find her online at Kenarry, Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.