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    Home » Recipes » Dish Type » Dip Recipes

    Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe

    Published: Apr 21, 2019 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Feb 15, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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    pinterest pin with photo of fresh Pico de Gallo Salsa. garnished with 2 lime wedges, in a white bowl surrounded by nacho chips with white text on black bottom

    As soon as I tasted this Pico de Gallo Salsa, I knew I had to have it again!  It tasted so fresh and delicious, but it was the cilantro that stole my heart... I hadn't had a lot of exposure to cilantro at that point in my life and I was smitten.

    Pico de Gallo Salsa. garnished with 2 lime wedges, in a white bowl surrounded by nacho chips

    This salsa is not only fresh and delicious, it's Weight Watchers friendly! It's 0 WW point on my plan, but you can click HERE to find out how many it is on yours!

    Jump to:
    • 💭Why you love or hate cilantro?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 💭Ways to use Pico De Gallo
    • 💭PICO DE GALLO VS. SALSA
    • 💭 Top tip
    • 🔢WW Points
    • 👪 Serving Size
    • 🌡️Storage
    • ⭐ Reviews
    • 📋 Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe
    • 🍲More WW Recipes!
    •  

    People who hate cilantro say it tastes like soap or metal or something equally awful. To me it tasted like well, heaven... fresh morning rain and all the yumminess and freshness that exists in this strange and beautiful world! And for years I did not even know that cilantro haters existed. And when I found out they did, I could not, for the life of me,  even begin to understand how anyone could hate cilantro! Until one day when I actually caught a glimpse of what they were tasting...

    💭Why you love or hate cilantro?

    Apparently genetics are the reason some people love or hate cilantro. You can read more about cilantro love and hate here. But I have also read that you can learn to like it or at least not feel repulsion for it. Yet I never imagined the opposite; that you could grow to dislike it. After my experience, I was afraid that I'd done that to myself.

    I don’t even remember who gave me this glorious Fresh Salsa recipe, but it was served with nacho chips at a soccer wrap -up party I went to several years ago. I asked for the recipe but sadly, when I got home, I discovered that it was a barely legible scribbled list of ingredients, with no amounts (what do you expect at a party, right?) So, I did what any food obsessed person would do- I got to work trying on finding the perfect ratios for the perfect pico de gallo recipe! 

    🥘 Ingredients

    By the way, besides cilantro, 3 kinds of peppers are the secret to this delicious dip!

    You'll need:

    • jalapenos
    • limes
    • red onion
    • red pepper
    • green pepper
    • yellow pepper
    • salt
    • garlic
    • tomatoes- Roma tomatoes are best
    • cilantro

    💭Ways to use Pico De Gallo

    It doesn't take long to make your own and it's sooo worth it! I use this Homemade Pico de Gallo on anything I'd use regular salsa on. I put it on my eggs, fish tacos, chicken quesadillas , on nachos or for just dipping plain nachos chips. And it's ZERO Weight Watchers points on my plan (see WW points to check how much it is on your plan below). So why not treat yourself on weigh day (after you've weighed of course) and load up some nachos with it, with extra salsa for dipping! I load my nachos with light (low-fat) cheddar cheese, black olives, green onions, jalapenos and lots of this pico de gallo, served with sour cream and guacamole on the side!

    Pico de Gallo Salsa on plate of nachos (with the works) and a small white dipping bowl of salsa in the foreground

    💭PICO DE GALLO VS. SALSA

    Pico de gallo, also known as salsa fresca,  is actually a type of salsa, but it’s a fresh, uncooked mixture of chopped tomatoes and onions, cilantro, fresh chiles, lime juice, and salt. Although the ingredients for salsa and pico de gallo can be nearly identical, what sets them apart is their texture and whether the ingredients are cooked or uncooked.

    Salsa means "sauce" in Spanish and it refers to cooked or fresh sauce mixtures. Some salsa recipes use the diced ingredients, while others are more of a saucy/ purée consistency. And some salsas are cooked, which gives them a more savory tomato flavor that differs from the always-fresh pico de gallo. Although, there are many varieties, including fruit salsa, salsa verde and variations that include corn and beans.

    While traditional salsa has a thinner consistency with more liquid, pico de gallo has a chunky texture. Many salsas are cooked, emphasizing the tomato flavor that isn't present in pico de gallo. You can read even more about the differences HERE! Hence the reason I call this recipe Pico de Gallo Salsa!

    💭 Top tip

    If you have never chopped fresh jalapenos before, I recommend wearing food safe gloves. Either way, be very careful and don't touch your mouth,  nose or eyes (they will burn) during the preparation process (try not to touch the inside of the pepper). If your hands begin to sting, soak them in milk.

    Pico de Gallo Salsa. garnished with 2 lime wedges, in a white bowl surrounded by nacho chips

    I LOVE Cilantro!

    And I want to keep on loving it! What I have learned is that more is not always better- especially when it comes to cilantro. My son and husband like cilantro, but always said I went a little bit too crazy with it, to the point where it often overpowers my recipes. And I didn't understand how anyone would have a problem with that until one day I did...

    I have read articles that claim you can grow to like cilantro (although the one I linked to here doesn't support that notion.) But I've never read anywhere that you can grow to dislike cilantro. But I actually had a scare when I had too much of it and I got a shot of that "soapy" taste the haters were always referring too. And it was not good!

    I guess 'too much of  a good thing' is actually a saying for a reason. And since I'm not prepared to take any chances and don't want to ruin a good thing, I've been a lot more moderate with cilantro since that experience. How often is something this good for you so heavenly tasting? I prefer to keep it that way. I always want to love my beloved cilantro.

    Lesson learned.

    What about you? Do you LOVE or HATE cilantro?

    🔢WW Points

    It's 0 WW point on my plan, but you can click HERE to find out how many it is on yours!

    👪 Serving Size

    This recipe makes 8 servings of Pico de Gallo Salsa (about ¼ cup each). If you want to cut the recipe in half, double or triple it, simply click on the blue servings in the recipe card, select the number of servings you'd like and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.

    🌡️Storage

    Store this fresh salsa for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

    ⭐ Reviews

    Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    Pico de Gallo Salsa in a white bowl with a spoon, wedge of lime and tortilla chips on the side
    Food Meandering Logo

    📋 Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe

    This healthy Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe or Salsa Fresca is chock-full of fresh, chunky, diced tomatoes, red onions, peppers and cilantro, with just the right amount of spice! It's also Weight Watchers friendly!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: fresh, pico de gallo, salsa
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 16kcal
    Author: Terri Gilson
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ½ jalapeno, chopped
    • juice of 2 limes
    • ½ red onion, chopped
    • 4 tomatoes (roma), chopped
    • 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro finely chopped
    • 1 small red pepper, chopped * or ½ of a large pepper
    • 1 small yellow pepper, chopped * or ½ of a large pepper
    • 1 small green pepper, chopped * or ½ of a large pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

    Instructions

    • Mix  all ingredients together in bowl.

    Notes

    🔢WW POINTS
    It's 0 WW point on my plan, but you can click HERE to find out how many it is on yours!
    💭 Top tip
    *NOTE: if you have never chopped fresh jalapenos before, I recommend wearing food safe gloves. Either way, be very careful and don't touch your mouth,  nose or eyes (they will burn) during the preparation process (try not to touch the inside of the pepper). If your hands begin to sting, soak them in milk. 
    My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

     
    Nutrition Facts
    📋 Pico de Gallo Salsa Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 16
    % Daily Value*
    Sodium 148mg6%
    Potassium 132mg4%
    Carbohydrates 3g1%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Vitamin A 550IU11%
    Vitamin C 35.3mg43%
    Calcium 7mg1%
    Iron 0.2mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 16kcal (1%) | Carbohydrates: 3g (1%) | Sodium: 148mg (6%) | Potassium: 132mg (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 550IU (11%) | Vitamin C: 35.3mg (43%) | Calcium: 7mg (1%) | Iron: 0.2mg (1%)
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

    🍲More WW Recipes!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dawn

      April 22, 2019 at 7:25 am

      Love cilantro too! Though, that wasn't always the case! Now, I regularly have it on hand. This pico de gallo salsa looks so fresh and flavourful! And just in time for taco Tuesday tomorrow...though, I may not wait that long 😉

      Reply

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    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer, and a busy working mom who is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks, and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

    More about me →

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