• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Oven Light
  • Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • About Us
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Make Ahead
  • Gluten Free
  • Healthy
  • Appetizers
  • Drinks
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • About Us
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Make Ahead
  • Gluten Free
  • Healthy
  • Appetizers
  • Drinks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • About Us
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • Make Ahead
    • Gluten Free
    • Healthy
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • 10 Easy Healthy Summer Meal Recipes
    • Soft and sweet with a delicate crumb, these Sugar Cookie Bars are made with a simple replacement gluten free flour. Topped with a not-too-sweet frosting and decorated with sprinkles. Kids and adults will love it! #sugarcookie #cookiebars #kidfriendly
      Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Bars
    • Creamy Orange Cinnamon Sandwiches — 5 ingredients & 5 minutes
    • Sausage Gnocchi Skillet Meal | Quick, Healthy and Simple
    • Close up of pumpkin muffin with crumb topping.
      Easy Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Syrup
    • Olive and Artichoke Chicken | Make Ahead Weeknight Meal
    • Stuffed French Toast
      Make Ahead Stuffed French Toast with Creamy Orange Pecan Filling
    • Mediterranean Vegetable Pie - perfect recipe for vegetarians - so full of flavor and make ahead friendly!
      Mediterranean Vegetable Pie | Make Ahead Recipe
    • Easiest Overnight Sticky Buns | Just 5 Ingredients
    • Old Fashioned Blueberry Muffins
    • Cinnamon Apricot Brie Appetizer
    • Lots of toffee cookies up close.
      Toffee Log Butter Cookies | Gluten Free Option
    Home / Appetizers

    Pico de Gallo | With a Secret Ingredient

    By Leave a Comment

    When you make salsa, do you fall into a rut? Tomatoes. Check. Garlic. Check. Cilantro, lime, onion. Check check check. I'm here to offer you a way to climb out of the rut and jump into a can of pickled serrano peppers (I could probably swim in these for real). Sweet, spicy, vinegar-y and a totally easy way to amp up your pico de gallo.

    Jump to Recipe
    The BEST Pico de Gallo recipe made with all the classic ingredients with the most amazing secret ingredient—pickled serrano peppers.
    Pin me!
    Simple Pico de Gallo recipe made with one amazing secret ingredient. Add the perfect touch of sweet, savory, spice to this fresh salsa. #salsa #picodegallo #Mexican

    Simple, fresh ingredients

    Fresh, simple ingredients make this amazing salsa the perfect appetizer, the perfect dip, the perfect accent for any meal or afternoon snack.

    Tomatoes on the vine—I love using these tomatoes, as they tend to be fresher, redder and firmer than their lonely counterparts.

    Jalapeño—seeds in a jalepeño are the easiest way to add spice. I like it completely de-seeded, but keep some or all to kick it up.

    Fresh lime juice—always fresh. Firmly roll dark green limes under your palm to release the juice, slice in half and squeeze. Lime juice packs an amazing flavor punch, so its important its fresh.

    Cilantro—my absolute favorite smell is freshly chopped cilantro. If it's yours too, I'm sure we'd be bosom buddies.

    Yellow or sweet onion—also important to be fresh. I like sweet onion, but go for your favorite, whatever it may be.

    The BEST Pico de Gallo recipe made with all the classic ingredients with the most amazing secret ingredient—pickled serrano peppers.

    To make this Pico de Gallo, simply...

    FIRST, place onion, jalapeño, Serrano pepper, cilantro and garlic in a food processor. PULSE until finely chopped (about 10 times).

    NEXT, DICE the tomatoes, removing pulp and seeds. Rachel likes to add the tomato to the food processor to make it more like restaurant pico, but I (Amy) like the tomatoes a little bigger to add variance to the texture.

    STIR in the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

    DONE! This pico can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but its freshest for 3 days. Now that was easy!

    The BEST Pico de Gallo recipe made with all the classic ingredients with the most amazing secret ingredient—pickled serrano peppers.

    Love this recipe? Try these other simple make ahead Mexican recipes full of spice & flavor.

    • Jalapeno Garlic Pinto Beans - Amazing side dish for any Mexican meal
      Jalapeño Garlic Pinto Beans
    • Chicken and Rice Bake with Salsa Verde | Super simple and healthy weeknight dinner, ready in a flash. Brown rice, salsa verde, cream cheese, chicken and black beans.
      Easy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Bake
    The BEST Pico de Gallo recipe made with all the classic ingredients with the most amazing secret ingredient—pickled serrano peppers.

    Pico de Gallo

    Amazing recipe full of fresh flavor and a secret ingredient.
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 red tomatoes on the vine chopped fine or quartered
    • 1 jalapeño fresh or jarred
    • 1 pickled Serrano pepper these are found in the Latin American food section in a can
    • 2 tablespoon lime juice
    • ⅓ C cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon garlic heaping
    • 1 small onion or half a large
    • salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • In a food processor, add jalapeño, Serrano pepper, cilantro, garlic, and onion. Pulse until fine (about 10 pulses).
    • Add lime, salt, and pepper. Pulse 2 times.
    • Add quartered tomato. Pulse until chopped. Or chop by hand to add texture.
    • Add more salt and pepper if needed

    Notes

    *I personally like a juicier pico so I quarter the tomatoes and put them in the food processor (plus its less work). However if you prefer it chunkier with less juice you will want to dice the tomatoes by hand to your preferred size and stir them in after you have processed all other ingredients.
    **Do not de-seed the jalapeño or Serrano pepper, this gives the salsa the perfect kick and flavor. But if making for small children or adults who are afraid of spice, then de-seed.
    Simple Pico de Gallo recipe made with one amazing secret ingredient. Add the perfect touch of sweet, savory, spice to this fresh salsa. #salsa #picodegallo #Mexican

    More Appetizer Recipes

    • Super Greens Pesto
      Super Greens Pesto | Kale, Spinach and Basil
    • Cheese Grape Clusters
      Creamy Cheese Grape Clusters Appetizer
    • Up close Potato Soup with cheese, bacon and chives on top.
      Gluten Free Potato Soup
    • Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Dip

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hello!
    I'm Amy

    I’m excited to share with you my favorite recipes and time-saving tips—it's something I truly enjoy! Every recipe you discover here is one I personally prepare for my family, and each comes with my heartfelt guarantee.

    LEARN MORE

    Trending Recipes

    • Yellow Cake Mix Coffee Cake
      Yellow Cake Mix Coffee Cake
    • Berry Oat Bars with No Refined Sugar. Simple recipe, ready in less than 30 minutes. Raspberry preserves tucked inside layers of crumbly oat mixture. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
      Berry Oat Bars | Healthy One Bowl Recipe
    • Pizza Dough
      Pizza Dough - Ready in Minutes with No Rise Time
    • Overhead view of four Korean BBQ tacos laying on a white plate.
      Korean BBQ Tacos with Quick Kimchi

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 The Oven Light

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.