Looking for a healthy and fresh salad with a yummy Mexican flare?! Look no further than this Homemade Pico De Gallo packed with juicy tomatoes, spicy jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and a little bit of lime juice. This simple salad is the perfect addition to tacos, burrito bowls, or even spread on top of fish.
Something pretty awesome happened to me last night! I had the opportunity to host my blogging friend, Stephanie and her husband, Dan, for a Mexican-themed dinner. Why is this so epic? Mainly because Stephanie lives all the way in California, and until last night, I’d never actually met her in person. Yes, you heard me right. Before yesterday, I’d only Skyped with Stephanie and a few other ladies that are in our Mastermind group.
Stephanie had mentioned to me a couple months back that she and her husband would be vacationing out our way during the month of July. Of course, I was super excited and told her she had to visit me at the lake when she came. Fast forward a few months later and we totally made it work. Here’s to us for sticking to our commitment!
With Patrick and I just getting back from our own little getaway on Wednesday morning, I knew I needed to stick with something simple in terms of the dinner menu for the evening. I tend to go with either Italian or Mexican when I’m looking for an easy meal that can feed a crowd. Because Patrick and I are trying to stay focused on our fitness and diet program, I felt Mexican food would be just a teeny bit healthier.
Here’s the menu I settled on
- Appetizer: My Easy 7 Layer Dip with salsa and tortilla chips
- Main Dishes: Steak and chicken tacos with all the fixings including my Homemade Pico De Gallo
- Side Dishes: Yellow rice and black beans
- Dessert: Chocolate Tres Leches cake I found at Publix and HAD to try!
I had no clue before last night that Stephanie comes from a Mexican background! Had I known that, I probably would’ve felt intimidated to make Mexican food for her because I know my dishes are far from authentic. Nonetheless, the food was delicious and I’m pleased with the way everything turned out. With that being said, I’m sure she can give me some pointers for the future.
Like always, I made a ton of food and had plenty of leftovers. It worked out perfectly because I was able to pack Patrick a chicken salad for lunch and a steak salad for dinner since he’s working the late shift tonight. I made sure to sprinkle some of the Homemade Pico De Gallo on top of the salads to add that special touch and fresh flavor.
The additional Pico De Gallo leftovers will probably end up on burrito bowls later this weekend. I’ve also been dying to try this recipe I found on Pinterest where you spoon Homemade Pico De Gallo on top of chicken breasts, sprinkle them with cheese and then bake them off in the oven! Yummy!
So what do I need to make this Homemade Pico De Gallo?
5 Roma tomatoes (diced), 1 large yellow onion (diced), 1 – 2 jalapenos, 1 cup of cilantro, 1 lime and salt
Start by dicing up your Roma tomatoes. I like to slice my tomatoes in half and then scoop out the seeds from the center. This is personal preference, but I find the salad stays fresher longer if I remove the seeds. When I leave the seeds, I feel like the tomatoes become mushy and something about the texture grosses me out.
Next, dice up your onion.
Once the tomatoes and onions were diced, I measured out how much of each I had. The reason behind this is you want an equal ratio of tomatoes to onions in your pico de gallo. I used 4 cups each of tomatoes and onions.
Dump the tomatoes and onions in a big bowl.
Next up are the jalapenos. How many jalapenos you use is completely up to you. If you’re making this for your family, you know how much spice they can handle. If you are making this for a party, I recommend sticking with just one jalapeno so everyone can enjoy it. I removed the seeds and membranes and finely diced mine up before adding them to the bowl.
Next, add a cup of cilantro to the bowl.
Give everything a good stir!
In a small bowl, add the juice of one lime and sprinkle in some salt.
Pour the lime mixture into the bowl with all the vegetables and give everything one final stir. Make sure to taste it too so you can determine if you need to add a little more salt to the mixture.
Eat immediately or cover and place in your refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
This Homemade Pico De Gallo is a cinch to whip together and a must when you are cooking up anything Mexican. The little bit of freshness really goes a long way. It truly was the perfect addition to the perfect dinner party!
- 5 Roma tomatoes (diced)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 1 - 2 jalapenos
- 1 cup of cilantro
- 1 lime
- salt
- Start by dicing up your Roma tomatoes. I like to slice my tomatoes in half and then scoop out the seeds from the center. This is personal preference, but I find the salad stays fresher longer if I remove the seeds.
- Next, dice up your onion.
- Once the tomatoes and onions were diced, I measured out how much of each I had. The reason behind this is you want an equal ratio of tomatoes to onions in your pico de gallo. I used 4 cups each of tomatoes and onions.
- Dump the tomatoes and onions in a big bowl.
- Next up are the jalapenos. How many jalapenos you use is completely up to you. If you’re making this for your family, you know how much spice they can handle. If you are making this for a party, I recommend sticking with just one jalapeno so everyone can enjoy it. I removed the seeds and membranes and finely diced mine up.
- Add the finely diced jalapeno to the bowl with the tomatoes and onions.
- Next, add a cup of cilantro to the bowl.
- Give everything a good stir!
- In a small bowl, add the juice of one lime.
- With the juice in the bowl, sprinkle in some salt.
- Pour the lime mixture into the bowl with all the vegetables and give everything one final stir. Make sure to taste it too so you can determine if you need to add a little more salt to the mixture.
- Eat immediately or cover and place in your refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
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