We’re just under a week shy of the autumnal equinox when fall officially begins, yet there are still vine ripe tomatoes to be had! I crave this pico de gallo recipe; it’s a recipe that we love when all the ingredients are at their peak, as this is when their flavors shine.
Rob wanted to share this recipe with y’all because this is one of his favorites. To have Rob in the kitchen is a rare event but he loves this recipe and takes pleasure in preparing it. In fact, he’s the one that introduced it to me many years ago. A friend of his passed the recipe on and he’s been making it ever since.
There’s nothing tricky about pico de gallo really, except for getting the veggies diced to a uniform size. Pulsing a food processor can accomplish this with ease. The exception to pulsing, however, is when the garlic and jalapeños go into the bowl; they require a fine dice to distribute their flavor more evenly throughout the pico. While a food processor makes all the chopping much more efficient, a knife can do the job just as well.
For this recipe we like to use vine ripe tomatoes because they are firm and hold up well to processing. White onions are our first choice in pico because they have a sharper flavor than yellow and balance the mellow flavor of tomatoes. For heat, jalapeños are a great choice to use in this recipe, however, serrano peppers can be used as well. We’ve used them both and go back and forth depending on which one is available.
The jalapeños vary in the amount of heat they contribute to pico de gallo. Leave the white ribs on for more heat, take them off if you like a more mellow pico. We’ve added pickled jalapeños before to really turn the heat up! The recipe is very flexible, so adjust to your taste!
The photos above show how the garlic and jalapeño is processed to small bits with a touch of tomato. Adding a bit of tomato to the processor while processing the garlic and jalapeño together gives the ingredients enough volume to actually get pushed around and chopped by the blades in the processor.
This recipe comes together quick and makes a tasty, healthy snack. It’s also a delicious accompaniment for your famous Mexican food recipe! Pico de gallo is a regular staple in our home but doesn’t last long once it’s made! I’m already requesting more…
So grab your food processor, a sharp knife, all the ingredients and your favorite cutting board and get going! You’ll love the results!
Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Large Vine Ripened Tomatoes about 2 1/2 or about 5 1/4 cups post processing
- 1 C Bell Pepper about 1 post processing
- 1 C White Onion about 1 post processing
- 3 Cloves of Garlic about 3/4 tsp minced
- 1 Jalapeño or 2 Serrano Peppers
- 1/4 Lime juiced
- 1/4 Lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 3 Tbs Fresh Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cut tomatoes in 1/2 and remove the white area around the stem. Cut each 1/2 into about 6 pieces and process in two or three batches in food processor, pulsing to obtain 1/4" pieces. Place all pulsed tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
- Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper. Cut into 5-6 pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until 1/4" pieces are obtained. Pour into mixing bowl with tomatoes.
- Cut both ends of a garlic clove, smash with flat side of knife and remove the skin. Rough chop the cloves then place them in the processor bowl. Remove the stem of the jalapeno and slice lengthwise. Remove the seeds of the jalapeno. For more heat retain the ribs, otherwise, remove the ribs. Slice the jalapeno into about 5 pieces and place in food processor. Add about 2 Tbs of tomatoes into the bowl of the food processor and process with the garlic and jalapeno. Process into a very fine dice. Pour into the large mixing bowl with the tomatoes, and bell pepper.
- Cut the onion in 1/2. Remove the stems and skin and cut each 1/2 into about 6 pieces. Place the onion in the food processor and pulse until 1/4" pieces are achieved. Pour the onions into the mixing bowl with the tomato mixture.
- Drain the pico de gallo in a fine mesh strainer for no more than 30 seconds as some liquid needs to be retained. Transfer back into mixing bowl.
- Add the lemon and lime juice, salt and cilantro. Stir well. Now is a good time to taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Cover and rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.
If you make this recipe, or any others on Vanilla And Bean, be sure to post it to Instagram, notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Also, if you like my content, please consider sharing it with three friends and/or family. Thank you!
Love your site! So glad I stumbled upon it. This pico de gallo looks so fresh and delicious. I will have to give it a try soon!
Hello! Rachel! Thanks so much! I’m glad you made it here too! Looking forward to checking out thedessertchornicals. I hope you enjoy the pico!
That is awesome that your husband made this salsa! I think mine has forgotten how to cook, haha! Salsa is one of my favorite things ever and I eat and I put it on everything! I don’t make homemade salsa nearly as much as I should, but this looks amazing and I want a big bowl of it right now!
Hi Izzy! LOL! You know, our men sound pretty spoiled. This is the only thing Rob makes in the kitchen! So really, he has ‘forgotten’ how to cook too! HA! But I am grateful that he makes this because it is so wonderful and he does such a great job. I want a big bowl of it right now too!
I love pico de galo! It is one of my favourite dips. I also love your tutorial photos. They make the instructions even easier to follow. Thanks for sharing ;-)
Hi Olivia! Thank you! It is one of my favorite dips too… on chips, celery, cucumbers.. and I hear raw cabbage is good too!
Traci!
I want to put this on everything! I love the freshness of pico de gallo, yet it’s something that I rarely make! Such a great recipe to use up the very last of the good tomatoes. There’s really no better time to make this! I always enjoy your step-by-step photos! So helpful!!!
YaY!! You’re back!! I hear you, Allison! I want to put pico on so many things, too. Tomatoes are plentiful and incredibly delicious right now. I wish pico could taste this good year round.
I LOVE dipping raw cabbage in pic de gallo!
Hi GiGi! Now that’s something I haven’t tried! I bet the sturdy cabbage makes an excellent vehicle for dipping! Thanks for stopping by!
traci, that looks simply wonderful ……. i would be remiss in not commenting on the ‘ready for tv’ hands of your food preparer.
and please count me among those anxiously awaiting the return of the “Rob Report”.
Hi Chuck! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. I agree about Rob’s infamous hands. I think he has a new job! The “Rob Report” has been retired… but his fans continue to ask about it! ;) .
I have never tried Pico de Gallo but it looks absolutely fantastic.. My hubs will love this… Can’t wait to try this.. :)
Thank you Arpita! Ohhh yes, do try it!
This looks so authentic! I love Pico de Gallo, but it’s something I rarely make. I adore your photography too, especially the photo here of the hands holding the bowl!
Hi Tash! Thank you for your kind comments. I hope this will inspire you to make pico. It is really worth the effort! Thanks for stopping by!
I have never heard/tried pico de gallo before.. you learn something new everyday! Looks delicious and definitely a perfect healthy snack, thanks for sharing the great recipe Traci!
Thank you, Thalia! It is usually served with spicy, Tex Mex, or Mexican food. It’s not as spicy as salsa or hot sauce. It just has a mellow, freshness to it!
This is a great tutorial! Sometimes the easy things are so hard to make – but your recipe breakdown shows exactly how to do it. Can’t wait to try. Rob makes a great hand model :) Thanks, Traci.
Hi Geraldine! :D Thank you! I tend to agree about Rob’s hands! I’ll have to let him know… who knows, perhaps he has a future in hand modeling!?
Yum! I love an excellent pico de gallo; it’s just so damn versatile. I’m making this for a vegan queso recipe I have coming up!
Versatile indeed! Where do I pre-order your vegan queso, please? I neeeeeed it posthaste!
My daughter loves pico-de-gallo, and she orders all the time at the restaurant. I’ve tried to make it a few times, but I think m,y ratio of tomato, onion, and peppers are off. I can’t wait to try this version.
Hi Jessica! I know what you mean about the ratio of ingredients. I’ve heard Rob talk about this very issue when he makes it. I hope you’ll find the right balance of ingredients with this recipe! Thank you for writing and stopping by!