Try as we might, we still cannot put our finger on one truly great store bought salsa. There are brands here and there that we sort of like, but nothing out of a tub truly hits the spot for our frequent salsa cravings.
This is precisely why I like to make my own salsa, specifically pico de gallo, at home. It doesn’t take more than a bunch of simple, fresh ingredients to make, and it tastes so delicious every time… especially with a handful of tortilla chips and frosty glass of Corona!
Pico de gallo, which in Spanish means “rooster’s beak”, also makes a great topping for some of my favorite Mexican dishes, like quesadillas and carne asada, and since we love a little kick in our food, those dishes frequent our dinner table. Luckily, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and avocado are never hard to come by in California, and as a native East-Coaster, I’ve learned not to take that for granted!
This scrumptious, healthy salsa is one you won’t be able to resist – It’s easy and quick to make, and it pleases the eye with vibrant colors, and the palate with a tangy taste.
Not to mention, it makes for a good excuse to sit outside with a bag of chips and your favorite ice-cold drink!
Avocado Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 ripe roma tomatoes, diced
- 2 ripe avocados, diced
- 1-2 fresh jalapeno pepper, s, finely chopped (adjust for your heat tolerance)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and set out at room temperature for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
- Serve cold or at room temperature with tortilla chips, or as a topping on your favorite Mexican dish.
- Can be refrigerated in a plastic container up to two days.
- Enjoy!
That looks sooooo good.
Your pico de gallo looks great. I just enjoyed some this weekend, courtesy of my sister. I agree that homemade is the best! :-)
This looks and sounds lovely. Really brilliant photos. I love it!
We love chips and salsa at my house…in fact, we like salsa on most everything. Tonight we scrambled eggs and poured a generous serving on top. Yum. Your pico de gallo recipe looks so fresh and flavorful. I would have a hard time not downing a whole bag of chips if this was in front of me
Looks deliciously fresh- much nicer than in a jar!
Nice! Store-bought salsa stinks, for the most part, I agree. I also like to have a littl salsa, av0-heavy, on soft scrambled eggs with the whole thing topped with crumbled tortilla chips. Saw this on the top 9 today, by the way! -Renate
Oh, salsa fresca, how I adore you! As a child, I hated salsa, especially the chunky parts. Eventually, out of hunger and maturity, I learned to somewhat enjoy dipping a tortilla chip into a jar of salsa only to soak up some of the tomato broth, but still… I was a child and it was Tostitos brand, I think. Then, one day, although I’m not sure which, I started to like real salsa, and I couldn’t be happier, because it is the sweet and tangy and crunchy and hot and biting all at once. Love it.
Some things I do with mine is mix up the tomatoes and onions for visual oh-la-la… I like to buy the tomato “softies” at the market and grab a few yellow imperfects to cut up alongside the standard red tomatoes. I also find that rinsing the chopped onion can make the salsa more palatable for younger tongues. And sometimes, you gotta throw in green or red onion for color, too!
Good work, as always!
– Lauren, Lauren’s Little Kitchen
This is scrumptious and healthy – all those fresh ingredients. Perfect any time of the year in So Calif.