Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo is a fresh Mexican salsa made from finely chopped tomato, onion, chilli, coriander and lime. It’s best served with tacos, grilled meats, eggs, rice bowls or simply with corn chips for dipping.

I make pico de gallo and put it on everything. Honestly, it’s such a great side dish. I put it on tacos, burritos, grilled meats and fish, with salads, on top of an egg on toast, in a rice bowl and just with some corn chips.

It’s the kind of recipe I’d make when we went camping: minimal ingredients, barely any prep, and it works as a side with almost anything. Five minutes from start to table.

Ingredient Notes

Roma tomatoes: Roma (plum) tomatoes are the best choice here as they have less water content and more flesh than regular tomatoes. Ripe but firm is what you want. Very soft or overripe tomatoes will make the salsa watery. If you can’t find Roma, any ripe tomato works but scoop out the seeds and excess juice before dicing. Dice them as finely as you can for the best texture.

jalapeño: The standard chilli for pico de gallo. Deseed it for a milder result, or leave the seeds in if you want more heat. Serrano chillies are a good substitute and slightly hotter than jalapeños. Long green chillies also work but are considerably milder, so you may want to use more to get the same level of heat.

Coriander: Fresh coriander is what gives pico de gallo its brightness. Use the leaves and the fine stems, which have plenty of flavour. Don’t use dried coriander as it tastes completely different. If you’re cooking for someone who dislikes coriander, flat-leaf parsley works as a substitute though the flavour will be noticeably different.

Equipment

• Medium bowl
• Sharp knife and chopping board