Salsa Fresca
Jump to RecipeThis delicious Salsa Fresca is also known as fresh salsa or pico de gallo. It’s fresh, flavorful, juicy, and easy to make, requiring only 10 minutes.
😋 Why this recipe works
This pico de gallo salsa is easy to make and requires fresh ingredients. Salt plays a crucial role in this salsa. It makes the salsa more flavorful and makes the tomatoes release their juices, making the mixture extra juicy. If you have the time, let the salsa marinate for 15 minutes in the fridge to develop more flavor, a refreshing snack with tortilla chips.
This salsa is versatile and can be used in various dishes, from topping chicken tacos to serving as a dip with tortilla chips. It also can be used as a condiment for a carne asada plate.
🍅 Ingredients
This fresh salsa requires 8 ingredients, but certain ingredients can be substituted depending on your taste or what you have.
Here are some of our recommendations/tips with the ingredients for the recipe:
- Use Roma Tomatoes or Campari. Authentic pico de gallo uses Roma tomatoes because they have a nice balance of sweet and bitter. But we also find that Campari tomatoes are just as flavorful and juicy. If all you have on hand are cherry tomatoes because your garden is thriving, our Cherry Tomato Pico De Gallo is the perfect salsa.
- Use Red Onion or White Onion. We prefer red onions because they are sweet and mild, but white onion is more traditional for salsa. Either one works!
- Use Fresh Lime Juice. To keep this salsa fresh, fresh lime juice is the way to go instead of that bottled stuff.
- Add a Jalapeno or Omit it. Sometimes we add a Jalapeno for a little spicy heat, but sometimes we skip it. It’s up to you if you want to add it or not.
See the recipe card for full ingredient information and quantities.
If you want something slightly different, check out our Mango Habanero Salsa or Strawbery Mango Salsa. Both are unique and delicious.
🥣 How to Make
This Salsa is easy to make and can be made in about 10 minutes or less!
Prepare the veggies.
Dice the red onion, jalapeno, and fresh tomatoes into small pieces.
The best way to dice each ingredient in small pieces is to use a vegetable chopper.
Mince the garlic and coarsely chop the cilantro.
Make the salsa.
Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice, and give everything a good toss.
Taste and see if you need more salt, pepper, or lime juice.
If you have the time, refrigerate the salsa for 15 minutes. The salt helps the tomatoes release their juices, and the salsa has a pronounced and complex flavor.
Serve and enjoy!
Give everything a good toss and serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or add it as a condiment to dinner.
📋 Recipe FAQs
It depends on how fresh the tomatoes are when you make salsa. Fresh salsa can last anywhere from 2-5 days in the fridge.
Pico De Gallo is also known as Salsa Fresca or Fresh Salsa. Both are made with raw, fresh ingredients, but some other salsa recipes could be made with cooked ingredients. Another difference in salsa is that the ingredients could be blended or smashed in a molcajete.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Use fresh lime juice rather than lime juice in a bottle. The flavor difference is worth it; plus, the bottle has preservatives.
- Season to taste. After following our recipe, we recommend tasting a small amount in a bowl by adding a pinch of salt. The same goes for the lime juice. You may prefer a little more salt or lime juice.
- Brunoise Dice the tomatoes. The easiest way to dice the tomatoes small is by using a vegetable chopper.
- Let the salsa marinate in the fridge for up to 15 minutes. This allows for more of a complex flavor as the salt will draw out the water and release the juice from the fresh tomatoes.
This Salsa Fresca is easy to make, fresh, juicy, and delicious. It pairs well with various recipes and can be enjoyed as a snack or appetizer. Enjoy! ♡
🗒️ Related Recipes
Looking for something similar to this recipe? Check out our other recipes before you go.
- Strawberry Mango Salsa
- Avocado Pico De Gallo
- Bell Pepper Salsa
- Mango Habanero Salsa
- Cherry Tomato Pico De Gallo
🗒️ Pairing Recipes
Looking to pair this recipe with something else? Check out our Mexican-inspired recipes before you go.
- Chicken Mexican Pizza
- Crispy Cauliflower Tacos
- Ancho Chicken Tacos
- Carne Asada Street Tacos, or Carne Asada Plate
- Adobo Chicken Tacos
Need a beverage to go with this appetizer? Classic Margaritas, Ginger Margaritas, and Anejo Old Fashioned are our go-to drinks.
We hope you all love our recipe. Enjoy! ♡
Did you try our Salsa Fresca recipe? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! ♡
Salsa Fresca
- 2 cup roma tomatoes , diced small
- ⅓ cup red onion or white onion , diced small
- 1-2 garlic clove , minced (2 tsp)
- 1 jalapeno , diced small, and seeds removed (optional)
- ⅓ cup cilantro , coarsely chopped
- 1-3 tbsp lime juice , plus more to taste
- pinch of salt , plus more to taste
- pinch of black pepper , plus more to taste
- Prepare the veggies.Dice the red onion, jalapeno, and fresh tomatoes into small pieces.Mince the garlic and coarsely chop the cilantro.
- Make the salsa.Season with salt, pepper, and lime juice, and give everything a good toss.Taste and see if you need more salt, pepper, or lime juice.
- Serve and enjoy!Serve with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or add it as a condiment to dinner and enjoy!
- Use fresh lime juice rather than lime juice in a bottle. The flavor difference is worth it; plus, the bottle has preservatives.
- Season to taste. After following our recipe, we recommend tasting a small amount in a bowl by adding a pinch of salt. The same goes for the lime juice. You may prefer a little more salt or lime juice.
- Brunoise Dice the tomatoes. The easiest way to dice the tomatoes small is by using a vegetable chopper.
- Marinate in the fridge for up to 15 minutes. This allows for more of a complex flavor as the salt will draw out the water and release the juice from the fresh tomatoes.
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