The undisputed heavyweight champion of fresh salsas. This isn't some watery grocery store impostor—it's the real deal with perfectly diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños dancing together in lime juice and cilantro.←Back to Taco Topping Recipes
3 cups Roma tomatoes, diced
0.5 cup white onion, finely diced
2 whole jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
Dice your Roma tomatoes into uniform ¼-inch cubes—this isn't abstract art, consistency matters here.
Toss the diced tomatoes with half the salt and let them drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Your future self will thank you.
Meanwhile, dice the onion finely and mince those jalapeños (seeds out unless you're feeling dangerous).
In a mixing bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Add lime juice and remaining salt, then fold everything together gently—you're not making guacamole, so easy does it.
Let it sit for 10 minutes to let the flavors get acquainted, then taste and adjust salt or lime as needed.
Chef's Notes
The name translates to "rooster's beak," which supposedly refers to the original method of eating it by pinching pieces between your fingers like a beak. Whether that's true or a story someone made up after too much mezcal, we may never know. Roma tomatoes are the correct choice: they're meaty with less juice and fewer seeds than beefsteaks, so your pico stays chunky rather than becoming tomato soup. Salt your diced tomatoes and let them drain in a colander for 15 minutes. This draws out excess water and seasons the tomato from inside rather than just coating the surface. It's the single most important technique in pico-making, passed down through generations of taco sages. Use white onion, which is sharper and crisper than yellow; if you find the raw bite too intense, soak the diced onion in cold water for five minutes, then drain thoroughly. A sharp chef's knife makes all the difference for achieving that consistent quarter-inch dice; dull knives crush tomatoes into sadness. For the 10-15% of humans whose genetics make cilantro taste like soap, substitute flat-leaf parsley with a tiny bit of lime zest. We see you, and we don't judge. Fresh lime juice only; bottled lime juice tastes like regret in liquid form.
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