Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)

Servings: servings (3 cups total)

Calories: 39cal

Chop tomatoes and slice scallions, then place in a large bowl.
3 cups Roma tomatoes, 4 Tablespoons sliced green onion
Trim leaves from cilantro and mince.
2 Tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
Mince the garlic. Add cilantro and garlic to the bowl.
2 cloves garlic
Add remaining ingredients and stir.
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 pinch red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.

5 from 8 votes

When choosing fresh tomatoes they should be ripe yet firm. If they are too soft, they’ll break down in the salsa, appearing mushy. Look for nice red tomatoes and give them a gentle squeeze. They should be firm to the touch but have just a little give. You don’t want hard tomatoes.
I use my Vidalia Chop Wizard to cut my tomatoes. You get uniform pieces and it’s a lot easier than using a knife.
Rinse your fresh cilantro under the tap then pat it dry with some paper towels. Remove the leaves from the stems. You don’t want to include the stems in your salsa. I use herb scissors to cut my cilantro, they are one of the best kitchen tools I have!
I only use scallions in my salsa fresca. I have used yellow, white and red onions before and green onions are just my favorite for this recipe. Cut the end of the bulb off and slice the scallion thin all the way up to about halfway through the green ends.
I use just a pinch of red pepper flakes and I don’t use Serrano pepper. This seems to be the most pleasing to a variety of people. The amount of heat is completely up to you. Simply taste test and adjust to your liking. If you prefer to use Serrano, leave out the flakes and start with a teaspoon of minced Serrano, adding more to your taste.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15