This Pico de Gallo recipe is SO easy and delicious that even those who don’t like raw tomatoes (me) gobble it up like candy! You have to try it to believe it!
Why do they call it pico de gallo?
Pico de gallo or “peek-o-day-guy-o” translates to peck or beak of the rooster. According to the never-fail source of information, Wikipedia, the etymology behind the name is threefold:
- The small minced pieces in pico de gallo resemble bird food. “She eats like a little bird,” is what my husband said as I ate the whole bowl.
- People originally ate pico de gallo by pinching pieces between the thumb and smart fingers (2nd and 3rd fingers, or pointer and tall man – cantstopwontstopbeinganOT) which apparently is reminiscent of a bird’s beak.
- Serrano peppers look like a bird’s beak. I don’t use peppers in my recipe so this one is n/a but still fun to consider.
What is the difference between salsa and pico de gallo?
Pico de gallo is basically fresh salsa – no canning or cooking required -which is exactly why I make it. It’s EASY. No skill besides chopping is required… I should add that patience and persistence are required because this recipe is best when all the ingredients are chopped finely and that can take a while, but it is so SO worth it!
What is in pico de gallo?
Pico de gallo has some key ingredients and then you can add what you want to personalize it.
Most pico de gallo recipes include Serrano, jalapeno or habanero peppers but I don’t add them to my recipe because I prefer the limey salty taste to spicey heat taste. You can also add shrimp or avocado if you like. I add a healthy amount of ground coriander. I’m not sure if it’s the coriander or lack of peppers, but for some reason, I truly prefer my homemade pico de gallo recipe over any that I have tried in Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston or any store-bought varieties. Yes, I am tooting my own horn.
Is pico de gallo healthy for you?
Pico de gallo has no oil and the small amount of sugar I use is optional which makes it Whole 30 and Keto compliant and zero points if you speak Weight Watchers. Instead of eating it with chips, you could add it to any Tex-Mex recipe or I personally LOVE it with scrambled eggs. Sometimes I even scramble an egg, put it on lettuce and top it with pico de gallo (and then expect to lose 5lbs instantly for my healthy choice).
I can verify that it’s not just me that finds this pico de gallo recipe delicious. My friend Marsha came over last night so I put out the bowl (with the little bit I managed to resist eating when I made it) and she too loved it and, like me, she doesn’t really like tomatoes. In fact, I only buy tomatoes for this recipe because other than pico de gallo, I don’t eat raw tomatoes. If that isn’t testimony to how good this recipe is, I don’t know what is. But don’t take my word for it: make it, try it and let me know what you think!
xoxox Nicole
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Easy Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo is basically fresh salsa! This recipe is easy to prepare and addictive EVEN for non-tomato eaters such as myself!
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped - I use white onion because they're sweeter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes or a bag of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves - takes at least one bunch
- 2 limes, juiced
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
Instructions
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Finely chop onion and garlic then place in bowl with a little salt.
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Finely chop tomatoes and add to bowl. Remove seeds if using larger tomatoes. This is not an exact recipe - you can add more tomatoes if you like.
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Finely chop cilantro leaves and add to bowl. I use an actual measuring cup here because I always think I've got more than I really do while I'm chopping.
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Add lime juice, salt, coriander, and sugar to bowl and mix well.
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You *can* let this sit for a bit to let the flavours blend but be warned. If you taste it with a chip, you'll probably just keep right on tasting till it's gone. Or maybe that's just me.
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