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For a truly authentic Mexican Pico de Gallo, hunt down dried Mexican oregano. It’s the secret ingredient you taste, but can’t identify, at restaurants and resorts south of the border. Along with fresh tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, lime juice, and cilantro, you can easily recreate this classic recipe at home.
Meggan’s notes
My husband is a born-and-bred Mexican, and he has strong opinions on Pico de Gallo. This is the recipe that everyone makes in his small, rural town in Aguascalientes, and it has one surprising ingredient that makes it special.
Mexican oregano has a lemony flavor similar to marjoram, rather than Italian oregano which is sweet and grassy. It’s used in many Mexican recipes including this authentic pico.
Everything else is what you might expect: tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime juice. My husband is wondering, in case anyone knows: why do we call them red onions when they are so obviously purple? I don’t have an answer for him.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Tomatoes: This salsa tastes best when made with fresh, ripe tomatoes. Do not substitute canned tomatoes.
- Cilantro: If you hate cilantro, leave it out.
- Jalapeños: For a spicier salsa, substitute serrano chiles. For the mildest salsa, substitute green bell peppers.
- Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano has a lemony-citrus flavor, while Mediterranean oregano (Italian, Greek, or Turkish) can be sweet, bitter, or peppery depending on the variety. They cannot be used interchangeably here, so if you can’t find Mexican oregano, just omit it.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice (if using), and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: The recipe makes about 3 cups of salsa, enough for 6 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Salsa de Birria: For a classy smooth and spicy salsa, try this salsa with tomatoes, tomatillos, serranos, and chiles de arbol. In Aguascalientes, this is the salsa you serve with Birria (not to be confused with Jalisco-style Birria, the brothy-based version made popular on social media).
Frequently Asked Questions
Mexican oregano has a lemony-citrus flavor, while Mediterranean oregano (Italian, Greek, or Turkish) can be sweet, bitter, or peppery depending on the variety. Italian oregano can be an appropriate substitute in some recipes, but not in Pico de Gallo. The closest herb flavor-wise is dried marjoram.
Not all jalapeños are spicy. Some have a more grassy taste depending on the time of year, the climate in which they are grown, and other factors. Use sweet green bell peppers instead of the jalapeños if you are worried about heat.
Substitute serrano chiles for the jalapeños.
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Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 1 pound tomatoes seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped (see note 2)
- 3 jalapeño peppers seeded, stemmed, and minced (see note 3)
- lime juice optional, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (see note 4)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice (if using), and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Tomatoes: This salsa tastes best when made with fresh, ripe tomatoes. Do not substitute canned tomatoes.
- Cilantro: If you hate cilantro, leave it out.
- Jalapeños: For a spicier salsa, substitute serrano chiles. For the mildest salsa, substitute green bell peppers.
- Mexican oregano: Italian oregano is not a substitute here, so if you can’t find Mexican oregano, just omit it.
- Yield: The recipes makes about 3 cups of salsa, enough for 6 servings, ½ cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.