10 Minute Pico De Gallo Recipe

You can buy it at the store fresh or in a jar and even order it at your favorite restaurant, but now you can whip up a batch of amazing, spicy pico de gallo with no effort at all right in your very own kitchen. Recipe developer Maren Epstein of Eating Works has an incredible recipe for this delicious treat that stems from her childhood and continues to please her palate well into her adulthood. Everyone in her family enjoys it.

"My stepdad is from Guatemala, and we love Spanish flavors, so naturally, a pico de gallo recipe is always on the table at gatherings. It's fast fresh and flavorful, perfect for serving families," Epstein told Mashed.

Read on for how to make this vibrantly colored, super easy-to-fix mouthwatering dish, and prepare to snack on it with your favorite tortilla chips. It's perfect for any gathering or simply when you're feeling peckish.

Epstein's recipe can tap into the abundance of produce grown right in your own garden or bought at a farmer's market. She cautioned to use in-season tomatoes right out of the garden, for example, or else their flavor might be a bit off.

"Tomatoes grown out of season tend to have very little flavor. The best time to make pico de gallo is during the late summer or fall at the height of tomato season. Since I made this pico during the winter, I used cherry tomatoes because they tend to have more flavor during the off season. Generally, the smaller the tomato, the more flavorful it is," she explained. "I used to grow my own produce, but I had trouble keeping up with the maintenance, so I'm afraid that I'm at the mercy of produce markets. If you grow your own tomatoes, then this pico de gallo recipe would be a perfect way to show them off."

This recipe takes merely ten minutes to prep and zero minutes to cook — that's one of the best things about this recipe. Whip out your sharp cutting knife and a cutting board, then wash the half bunch of cilantro and dry it off with a paper towel.

Roughly chop the cilantro since it infuses flavor and color into this dish. Grab a big bowl and prepare to chop away. This recipe yields two cups of pico de gallo, or mild salsa. Epstein noted that the ingredients don't have to be organic if they aren't readily available.

"I do prefer organic produce. But I don't buy exclusively organic since I like to support local growers in my area. Not all farmers can afford to get the organic certification. So the organic label is not the end all be all standard when it comes to quality," she said.

Quarter 12 ounces of cherry tomatoes, then mince one-third of a cup of poblano pepper and half a cup of jalapeno pepper. Why poblano?

"I wanted to create a mild salsa with the tiniest kick. So I used poblano for a majority of the recipe with just a hint of jalapeño for the spice. If I used all jalapeño and no poblano, the pico would have been too spicy, for my tastebuds, at least," Epstein explained. "If you don't want any spice in your pico de gallo, you can use green bell peppers instead of poblano and jalapeño."

Combine the tomatoes, poblano, and cilantro. Add a quarter of a teaspoon of taco seasoning.

"Since taco seasoning is full of Spanish spices, it's perfect for this pico de gallo recipe. It really bumps up the flavor," she said.

Store-bought taco seasoning will suffice, but you can also make your own by mixing a variety of spices together. If you already have ingredients in your pantry to make taco seasoning, like paprika and cumin, then you can make your own instead of having to run to the store.

Mince one large onion to equal a quarter of a cup onion total, and mince three cloves of garlic. Any type of onion will do quite well, Epstein noted.

"You can really use any kind of onion for this recipe. Sweet, white, or Spanish onions would be perfect," she said.

Add in the other tasty produce, then sprinkle in a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt. Adjust the seasonings to fit your taste preferences, so it's hot enough or mild enough for your personal taste.

This pico de gallo recipe is perfect for noshing on with tortilla chips. But Epstein has actually used it as a garnish over a main dish, too.

"I actually served this over grilled salmon, and everyone loved it. But more classically, I would serve it with nachos and a cheesy sauce," she said. "This recipe is beyond healthy and tasty. It really is the perfect blend between flavor and clean eating. There are tons of live vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in the fresh produce, and there is absolutely nothing that is bad for you in it."