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Epicurious

Fresh Tomato Salsa

This recipe is commonly referred to as Pico de Gallo (rooster’s beak). I suppose it is because the ingredients are all chopped up as if they were broken up by a bird’s beak. It is one of my favorites since it is not only delicious but also low fuss. Don’t worry about chopping the vegetables into uniform sizes or shapes and certainly don’t feel compelled to measure any of the ingredients. This chunky sauce goes well with almost every Mexican dish and is the classic accompaniment to serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra sprig for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation

  1. Combine the Ingredients

    Step 1

    Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

  2. Adjust the Seasoning

    Step 2

    Allow the sauce to sit for about 5 minutes. The tomatoes will begin to let go of their juices and the salsa will become more liquid. Taste again for seasoning and adjust if needed.

  3. Serve or Store

    Step 3

    Transfer to a serving bowl if using right away and garnish with sprig of cilantro. To store, cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated.

  4. COOKING NOTES

    Step 4

    INGREDIENTS

  5. Step 5

    Tomatoes

    Step 6

    While round red tomatoes are the typical choice, feel free to experiment with different colors and sizes. This recipe works well when using a combination of tomatoes.

  6. Step 7

    ADVANCE PREPARATION

  7. Step 8

    This sauce is best made a half hour before you plan to serve it. It can be made a few hours before, but it will begin to get too watery if left to sit longer than a couple of hours.

  8. SERVING SUGGESTIONS

    Step 9

    For the classic chips and salsa, serve this sauce with tortilla chips.

Cover of the cookbook featuring the author shucking an ear of corn.
Reprinted with permission from Simply Mexican by Lourdes Castro, © April 2009 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book at Amazon or Bookshop.
TagsSauceSalsaCondimentDipMexicanLatin AmericanJalapeñoChileVegetableCilantroHerbs & SpicesTomatoNut FreeGluten FreeDairy FreeVegetarianVeganEasyMake AheadMeal PrepQuickWeeknight Meals5 Ingredients or FewerNo-CookFood ProcessorBlenderCookbooks
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