Pico de Gallo (Vegan Tomato & Red Onion Salsa)

This simple pico de gallo recipe provides a fresh, vibrant, and delicious vegan condiment that'll bring your favourite Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes to life. Featuring just five main ingredients, it's also right at home as a dip with tortilla chips.

The great thing about a dish like this is that the recipe is a guideline only. Don't be afraid to have a taste and add more of any ingredients that take your fancy.

For similar vegan recipes, see this homemade hummus, cashew lime crema, and guacamole with chunky tomatoes.

I create new content every single week. Subscribe to keep in touch and get a free download of The Vegan Kitchen – My Top 10 Tips.

What is pico de gallo?

Pico de gallo, which is Spanish for 'rooster's beak', is a tomato-based salsa that often includes onion, chilli, coriander, lime juice, and salt.

Where did it originate?

This dish originated in Mexico, where it's apparently known as salsa bandera (flag sauce) since the colours resemble the Mexican flag. While this recipe uses red onion, you can still make out the flag colours if you squint your eyes enough...

Is it healthy?

The bulk of this recipe is just nice, fresh tomatoes. Not surprisingly, it's therefore a healthy dip that's very low in calories and virtually fat-free.

How to make pico de gallo

In a bowl, combine the finely chopped tomatoes, onion, chilli, and coriander and mix well. Start to mix in lime juice and salt, tasting regularly until you're happy with the combination of flavours.

I'd suggest starting with the juice of 1 lime, a pinch of salt, and working your way up from there. The salt will draw out the moisture in the tomatoes, so continue to mix well.

For the best results, make the pico de gallo slightly ahead of time and allow it to marinate on the side or in the fridge. Anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours is fine.

Stir it a few times while marinating, before serving with a slotted spoon to drain away some of the liquid.

Serving suggestions

You can enjoy this pico de gallo as a dip along with crisps or tortilla chips, or as an accompaniment to dishes such as:

• Easy Jackfruit Tacos
• Shredded Tofu Tacos
• Kidney Bean Tacos
• Cajun-Spiced Vegan Jambalaya
• Crispy Baked Falafel
• Vegan Haggis Quesadilla
• Spinach Couscous
• Smoky Jackfruit Chilli
• Easy Vegan Chilli
• Black Bean Soup
• Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips

• Quantities: Remember, this recipe provides just a basic guideline. Don't be afraid to have a taste and tweak the ingredients to suit your liking.
• Chopping: The smaller you chop the ingredients, the smoother and more balanced the final product will be.
• Lime juice: I add this in stages and keep tasting to decide when it's right. It'll all depend on the balance of the other ingredients and your own personal taste.
• Chilli: I remove the seeds as I find it's quite nice for the actual flavour of the fresh chilli to come through. However, feel free to include the seeds if you want more of a kick.

How to store pico de gallo

Refrigerate: You can store this in the fridge for anywhere from four days up to a week. Give it a good mix each time before serving.

Freeze: Technically you can freeze this, but the freezing and defrosting process will leave you with a mushy mix that's not as good to eat. I'd definitely recommend using it up while it's in the fridge.

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

• Guacamole with Chunky Tomatoes
• Vegan Hummus Recipe
• Four-Ingredient Vegan Parmesan
• Rainbow Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
• Courgette & Carrot Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Spinach Couscous with Lemon and Garlic
• Crispy Vegan Pancetta

You can also check out my full list of vegan dips and snacks.

Full recipe