If you're looking to take your Mexican-inspired dishes up a notch, you gotta try this avocado pico de gallo recipe! It's got all the good stuff like creamy avocados, juicy tomatoes, and a good hit of lime to really make those flavors pop. Trust me, once you make this chunky pico de gallo, it'll be a regular feature on your summertime table.
Y'all know we moved to a small town in in the Virginia countryside from South Florida...so you know that there is not 'ner a single good Mexican restaurant nearby!
Like not at all! There's a generic hispanic restaurant that has overpriced empanadas and very bland chimichangas but the closest real-deal is a few towns over.
I miss Bien Chido with their pork tacos covered in taquera salsa!
All this to say that I have been having to create (and try to perfect) my own takes on Mexican cuisine. And when all my favorite fresh ingredients come back into season, homemade pico is on the menu!
It's literally salsa fresca, just simple ingredients that make a great topping on just about anything. My avocado pico de gallo is a must have side dish on your table and in your face all season long.
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Equipment
A sharp chef knife and cutting board - the best way to make a chunky salsa is by hand with a sharp knife!
What is Pico de Gallo?
Pico de Gallo (pronounced pee-coh-deh-guy-yo; translates to 'rooster's beak') is a mixture of ripe tomatoes, diced onions, and other fresh veggies. It's a classic Mexican salsa that adds great texture to all your classic faves like nachos, tacos, and burritos.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Red Onion - classic pico is made with white onion, but I love the bite from red onions!
Ripe Avocado - You want to get ripe Hass avocados for this recipe. When buying fresh avocados at the grocery store, look for very dark, black-ish skin and a stem that easily pops off. Look in the little hole the stem left behind, if the flesh is bright green it's ripe!
Fresh Cilantro - if you're #teamsoapgenes, you can swap them out for parsley or omit it all together.
Jalapeno Pepper - keep the seeds and membrane to make the pico de gallo nice and spicy. Otherwise remove them!
Fresh Tomatoes - roma tomatoes are the best for this, in my opinion. It has less seeds to scoop out and more firm flesh.
Fresh Lime Juice and Zest - lemon juice can be substituted.
How to Make Pico de Gallo with Avocado
Step 1 | Dice the onions, tomatoes, and jalapeños into small cubes. Zest and juice the limes and finely chop the cilantro.
Step 2 | Gently mix all of the ingredients except the avocado together in a mixing bowl. Let sit together for 15-30 minutes for the best flavor, then chop the avocados into small chunks and gently stir them in. Give a taste and season as needed. Then serve your fresh pico de gallo!
Variations and Substitutions
Add fresh sweet corn for a variation on corn salsa!
Try mixing in fruits. Strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, and blackberries all add sweetness that go so well in this.
Mash up the avocado and mix everything together to make guacamole with the pico de gallo!
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this fresh salsa on my favorite Mexican dishes! I love serving it with a handful of tortilla chips, or spooning it over my favorite tacos for an extra kick of freshness.
- Try on carne asada tacos, carnitas tacos, brisket tacos, or salmon tacos. It's great on fajitas as well!
- Eat it on top of steak and eggs for a delicious breakfast.
- It's an absolutely fabulous and delicious topping for birria ramen.
- Serve with black beans, cilantro lime rice, grilled mexican chicken, and fajita veggies for your own Mexican burrito rice bowls.
Pro Tips
- Quarter the ripe tomatoes and scoop out the seeds before dicing. They don't add any flavor!
- Wear gloves while handling chilies. The last thing you want is to rub your eye with even a whisper of jalapeño juice on your hands.
- Add other seasonings you love. A little touch of cumin or a shake of garlic powder is never gonna hurt!
- Serve your avocado pico de gallo at room temperature. It just doesn't taste as developed cold.
Make Ahead and Storage
The pico de gallo can be made ahead of time, up to three days ahead. Just do not add the avocado until you're ready to serve.
Store the pico de gallo without the avocado up to three days in an airtight container. The avocado is best eaten the day of.
FAQs
Salsas are more liquid, either blended up or chopped very finely, and sometimes cooked.
Pico de Gallo is less like a dip or sauce and more like a salad, chopped vegetables that are dressed in acid, but can be served as a side dish or a topping.
Pico de gallo is very healthy! It's only made with fresh veggies and lime juice!
No. Removing the membranes and seeds from the chiles keeps the flavor but takes away most of the spice.
More Dips and Salsa Recipes
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Avocado Pico de Gallo
Ingredients
- 4 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 cup cilantro leaves, finely minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded, deveined
- Juice of 2 limes
- Zest of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Hass avocados, pitted and diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients except the avocados into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, gently stir in the avocados. Taste and add additional lime juice, salt, and pepper, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage
Pico de gallo with Avocado is best consumed the same day it is made. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.Pro Tips
- Quarter the ripe tomatoes and scoop out the seeds before dicing. They don't add any flavor!
- Wear gloves while handling chilies. The last thing you want is to rub your eye with even a whisper of jalapeño juice on your hands.
- Add other seasonings you love. A little touch of cumin or a shake of garlic powder is never gonna hurt!
- Serve your avocado pico de gallo at room temperature. It just doesn't taste as developed cold.
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