Vegetarian
20130621-pico-de-gallo-13.jpg

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Note: Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. In the off-season, this generally means smaller plum, Roma, or cherry tomatoes.

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Makes about 1 quart
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Special equipment: Fine mesh strainer, large bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups, see note above)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 large white onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño chilies, finely diced (seeds and membranes removed for a milder salsa)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice from 1 lime

Procedures

  1. Season tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and toss to combine. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer or colander set in a bowl and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Discard liquid.

  2. Combine drained tomatoes with onion, chilies, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt. Pico de gallo can be stored for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.