Now that summer is just about here…we hope…it’s time to think about those snacks we’d like to have out on the deck on a balmy evening. Chips and Salsa, I’m thinking. And one of my favorite summer recipes is a Salsa Fresca, a classic Pico de Gallo. Particularly Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa. Maybe even with a cold, slushy Margarita. But that will have to be another post.
Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa
This recipe for Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa has actually lived on my blog for ages, as a part of my post Tastes Like Chicken Chipotles Chicken and I thought it needed a “home” of its own. And Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa needed better pics. It’s the same wonderful taste, though, and so very close to Chipotle’s Salsa. (By the way, that Chipotle Chicken Post will be upgraded, soon, too, and it really needs it!)
About Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa:
I’m calling this salsa “classic” because it just is. Fresh tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, lime & lemon (I didn’t see that lemon coming until I looked at Chipotle’s Mexican Grill’s Ingredient Statement and so I had to update my recipe!) cilantro, and salt. Chipotles calls this Pico de Gallo “Tomato Salsa.” It makes me wonder why they think the American public can handle words like “Barbacoa” and “Carnitas” but not Pico de Gallo?
At any rate, serve your Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo just like Chipotle’s does, in burritos or bowls or with chips. Or serve it any other way you’d like. You’re going to love it on or with just about anything Mexican, Tex Mex or Southwestern.
Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa
Making Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo:
If you aren’t familiar with Chipotle’s Mexican Grill, they’re a fast-casual restaurant that came out of Denver. You get in line and pick out what you want from an assortment of items. You tell them what kind of rice, what kind of beans, which protein, etc. all the way down the line. They do a good job with quality and try to be transparent in their ingredients. You gotta admire that.
The only real tips I can think of when making this salsa: Use a very sharp knife when cutting the ingredients; s serrated knife works great. Cut all the ingredients finely and if the tomatoes you use are very juicy, put them in a strainer for a minute or two, just to get some of the moisture out. Not that there’s anything wrong with having a little extra juice from the tomato, but because we don’t want to water down the taste of the citrus, the lemon, and lime. Then let all those flavors get happy together for a little while, maybe an hour, if you can wait that long!
This salsa keeps very well for a day, then starts to show it’s age a little bit. It will still taste great, maybe even better, and it will be perfectly fine to eat. But the tomatoes might wrinkle a bit and onions will lose a little of its crunch. So if you’re wanting to make the salsa ahead for a party or any event, when you want it to be gorgeously pristine, don’t make it more than a day ahead.
Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa
Saving Money on Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo:
Aldi, if you have one nearby, is one of the best places to buy basic veggies like the tomatoes, red onions and jalapenos as well as the citrus. Be prepared, though, because the red onions come in bags of four or five and the jalapenos are usually packaged in a dozen.
If I don’t have a use for all the extra red onion, I think about making pickled reds onion and/or red onion marmalade. Both will buy you a little time on your red onion. Both are fantastic! I also have to give a big shout out to my Red Onion Vinaigrette, too. You might think it would be too “sharp” with the red onion, but it’s not. It’s just lovely and one of my favorite dressings of all time.
As far as the jalapenos, it’s nothing to roast them in the oven. I have specific directions on this post on my Best Instant Pot Chili. Once I have them roasted up, I freeze them and then bag the, two or three together in a Ziploc. Then I always have some on hand when I want a roasted salsa or jalapenos for other recipes. Now that I think about it, maybe the roasted Jalapenos need their own post, too. Other options to use up jalapenos are my Cowboy Candy or Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos. There is no actual canning involved in either of those recipes. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the links to the items mentioned here.
Cilantro can always be a little iffy on the timing if you’re a gardener. It seems that at the first sign hot weather, the cilantro wants to “bolt” which basically means it’s going to shoot up and go to seed. For me, that’s when I notice the soapy taste that some people talk about, and otherwise, I enjoy it in small quantities. If you are buying your Cilantro, take a leaf and give it a nibble as a little check. If it’s not all you’ve hoped for, you can always substitute green onion or parsley or just leave out the cilantro in the recipe.
If you like this post on Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo, be sure to check out my other Chipotle Copycat Recipes in the links, below.
Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa
Chipoltes Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa
A classic pico de gallo based on Chipotle’s Mexican Grill’s ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes, seeds removed, finely diced
- 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 the volume of the tomatoes)
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- juice of 1/2 lime, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Chopped cilantro, to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
Gently mix ingredients together. Best if it has a bit of time to blend, but begins to deteriorate after a day or so.
Notes
Not fond of cilantro? Try a little green onion or parsley or leave it out altogether.
I’ll be posting Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa recipe on Fiesta Friday, an ongoing link party, hosted this week by Diann @ Of Goats and Greens. Some of the best bloggers bring their latest recipes to Fiesta Friday, so stop by and take a peek.
If you like Chipotles Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa, you might also like:
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