Food Recipes Easy Homemade Mild Salsa Recipe 3.0 (600) 3 Reviews This fresh salsa is so flavorful and simple to prep, you'll want to keep a batch in your fridge at all times. By Melissa Clark Melissa Clark Melissa Clark is a James Beard Award-winning food writer, cookbook author, and New York Times columnist with over two decades in the culinary media. Highlights: *In 2007, she began her weekly ""A Good Appetite"" column at The New York Times. She started as a full-time staff writer there in 2012. She appears in a weekly cooking series for the New York Times *Has written over three dozen cookbooks *Latest cookbook Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals: A Cookbook comes out in September 2022 Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 09, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Photo: Cara Cormack Hands On Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Servings: 10 Jump to Nutrition Facts Once you've made this fresh, homemade salsa (also known as pico de gallo), you might never go back to store-bought. For this easy salsa recipe, start with juicy plum tomatoes—known for their crisp texture—then mix in onion, cilantro, lime, garlic, and jalapeño. It's easy to customize everything according to your own tastes. For example, if you're not excited about spiciness, leave out the ribs from the jalapeño since that's where much of the chile's heat is found. Serve this easy salsa recipe with tortilla chips, over tacos, or to brighten up your morning scrambled eggs. Cara Cormack What is Pico de Gallo? Pico de gallo is a traditional fresh—meaning, not cooked—salsa with origins in Mexican cooking. The ingredients include tomatoes, onion, chiles, and cilantro. Pico de gallo is made by hand using a knife, not a food processor or blender, although this recipe includes the option of blending half of the salsa in a food processor to vary the texture. Pico de gallo is also called salsa fresca (fresh salsa) or salsa cruda (raw salsa). The Key to Homemade Salsa Success Like with many dishes, the key to this salsa's deliciousness is a balance of flavors. Onion brings bite, cilantro freshness, jalapeño heat, lime juice acid, and salt saltiness (obviously). Once you've mixed up the salsa, have a taste and consider if it needs any more of one element. If it tastes a bit too mild, add more onion or jalapeño. If it tastes kind of flat, add another squeeze of lime and/or sprinkle of salt. Don't be shy about tasting and adjusting as many times as necessary until you end up with a salsa you find delicious. 25 Easy Mexican Dishes That Are Bursting With Flavor Ingredients 4 large plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), diced (to yield 2 cups) ¼ cup chopped white onion 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lime juice ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste) 1 small garlic clove, minced Directions Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. If you want your homemade salsa to have a smoother texture—more like jarred—pulse half the salsa in a food processor, then combine it with the remaining chunky half. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Cara Cormack Homemade Salsa Ingredient Substitutions Plum tomatoes - Almost any tomato will work here, including beefsteak or even quartered cherry or grape tomatoes. If tomatoes are in season, grab some colorful ones from the farmer's market (or your garden!) and use those.White onion - Onions add a welcome bite to salsa. While white is traditional, you could also use red or even scallions.Cilantro - If you ran out (or think the herb tastes like soap), just skip it altogether. Jalapeño pepper - You're in charge of this salsa, and if you don't like heat you have our permission to omit the pepper. Or, for more spice, swap in a serrano chile.Lime juice - Adding citrus to salsa gives the mixture a hit of acid that balances out all the flavors. While it's hard to imagine salsa without lime, you could use white or apple cider vinegar in a pinch. Homemade Salsa Variations This homemade salsa recipe is an excellent template for almost any fruit salsa. Try swapping out the tomatoes and using an equal amount of one of these instead: AppleAvocado BlueberryKiwiMangoMelonPapayaPineapplePeach or nectarine Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 11 Calories 2g Carbs Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 11 % Daily Value * Sodium 175mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 2g 1% Calcium 6mg 0% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.