How to Make "Pico de Gallo"?

The concept of Ají can be very confusing for the people who weren’t born in Latinamerica, and we get it! It can mean either a fruit (the spiciest ever), an indicator of spiciness or a fresh sauce! Well, today we will be talking about one of the most traditional spicy toppings of street Latin American food: The "Pico de Gallo".

The "Pico de Gallo”, is a fresh homemade traditional Latin American sauce, and if you are looking for the perfect topping or addition for your foods, maybe this ají can be quite the thing you need.

For starters, the Pico de Gallo (that literally translates to “Rooster’s peak”) is a fresh sauce that can also be denominated as a salad, since is made entirely of tomato, onions, lemon and the ingredient that adds the spicy flavour: Ají. So, now that it is understood that the main ingredient of this “Pico de Gallo” is the ají, you may understand why this sauce is also called “Ají” by itself.

In Colombia, you cannot eat an Empanada without adding it Pico de Gallo, it’s kind of a sin! Empanada is a popular snack in Colombia and it is served by most Colombian restaurants and Latin American Restaurants in New Zealand. Many countries in Latin America have different versions of the 'Empanada'. Although you can find a recipe for empanadas in our blog How to Make Colombian Empanadas, you can also find frozen empanadas ready to fry in our e-shop:

Frozen Empanadas X10 Units (3 available flavours)

Buy Now

This topping is also used in all sorts of Mexican dishes like tacos, totopos, burritos, fajitas and everything made with tortillas! You can even add it to the meat and it will be the perfect addition for your barbecues.

You can find all kind of tortillas for your recipes on our Tortillas Collection

Anyways! Leaving all the conceptual statements behind, let’s get down to business and learn how to make a good Pico de Gallo for your gatherings, reunions, barbecues, or for any meal/event you’d want to pour this delicacy on.

Ingredients

For this amazing topping, you will need:

• 1 big tomato

• 1 small onion

• Coriander

• The juice of 1 lemon

• Ají of your preference

Take a look to all of our ajís and dried chilis on the Spicy Collection

Preparation

One thing’s for sure: Making Pico de Gallo is a piece of piss, mate! And you only have to follow 2 easy steps:

1. Chopping

Chop the onion into squares and put it in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and finely chopped coriander. Add salt and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Chop the tomato into small cubes and add to the bowl.

2. Ají

For adding the ají (or chilli) of your preference, you’ll have to ground it until you have a watery texture, then add it to the bowl.

And that’s it! You have your Pico de Gallo for any dish you want! Remember to keep it cool in the fridge and consume it ASAP, since it has tomato and it can go bad in a couple of days.

Let us know if you try this recipe at home and send us your photos to our Instagram @latinofoods

Check out our pre-made Pico de Gallo that you can also add to your preparation!

Pico de Gallo Sauce - 450ml

Buy Now

Thanks for reading! :D

Latino Foods Team