Pickle de Gallo is an exciting new spin on classic pico de gallo. It's a zesty pickle salsa with a crunchy texture and bold flavor. Scoop it like salsa with tortilla chips or tacos, or spread it like relish on hamburgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and more!
Enjoy this recipe with Corn Dog Nuggets as an appetizer and with Quick Cheeseburger Pie or Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls for the main course.
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves Pickle de Gallo
This is a unique salsa with a garlic "zestiness" you can easily customize.
Pickle de Gallo, like my recipe for Refrigerator Pickles, is crisp, fresh and super easy to make! It's a great summer picnic or BBQ appetizer.
No cooking required! It's delicious with tortilla chips, potato chips, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, or perhaps best of all with homemade salmon patties!
Note: Some of the links in this recipe post are Amazon affiliate links, which means I make a small commission from Amazon if you link to and purchase the item. The affiliate process never affects your cost and I only link to products that I use and highly recommend.
🥒 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Dill Pickles: These are the stars of Pickle de Gallo! Use your favorite variety of dill pickles, the brand or variety with the best zest, tang and with a juice that brims with flavor you love. The juice from the jar of pickles is a key ingredient. I'm a big fan of (affiliate link) Trader Joe's Dill Pickle Spears.
Cucumber: English cucumbers are best because they have a more delicate peel that tastes less bitter than the peel from regular cucumbers. They also have fewer seeds and are generally less watery.
Garlic: Use 1-3 cloves of fresh garlic. This is the ingredient that adds the distinctive "bite" to Pickle de Gallo and the flavor becomes stronger as the salsa chills.
Rice Vinegar: This balances the white vinegar acidity and adds just a touch of sweetness. If you don't have rice vinegar on hand, you could substitute it with the same amount of apple cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon of sugar.
Sweet Onion: The sweet onion also adds a hint of sweetness to a very robust and tangy recipe, but you could also use red or white onion instead.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🥗 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: If using a food processor, dice the pickles, cucumbers, onions and red pepper into 1" portions. If you don't own a food processor, scroll down to the Pro Tip for another option.
Step 2: Place the ingredients, along with the garlic cloves, in the bowl of the food processor.
Step 3: Pulse the ingredients on low until the pickles, cucumber, onion, red pepper and garlic are evenly chopped.
Step 4: Check the consistency after every few pulses; be careful not to overdo it. We want to have a crisp and crunchy texture, not mushy.
Step 5: If the texture seems about right but there are still a few large chunks of pickle or cucumber, feel free to pick those big pieces out and toss them.
Step 6: Place all of the blended ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and add the vinegars and dill pickle juice.
Step 7: Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is even better. This gives the flavors a chance to mingle!
Step 8: Use a slotted spoon or strainer to drain the liquid and place the Pickle de Gallo in a serving bowl. Enjoy with tortilla chips or spoon it onto hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.
⭐ Pro Tip
No food processor? No problem. Instead of dicing the ingredients into 1" chunks, use a sharp knife to carefully slice and dice the pickles, cucumbers, red pepper, sweet onions and garlic. Use a "fine dice," which means to chop everything into very small, uniform cubes.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Pickle de Gallo is best with dill pickles. The zest and tang, plus the dill pickle juice, help create the unique flavor found in this recipe.
Grillo's Mild Pickle de Gallo was the inspiration as I developed the recipe. In a side-by-side taste test, my family said that my version (this recipe) is more zesty and a little more tangy than Grillo's, but if you are curious, I highly recommend you give their version a try. (Affiliate link) Grillo's is delicious.
The "kick" from this pickle salsa comes from the garlic and onion. If you include all three cloves of garlic, there will be a garlic zestiness that some folks might describe as spicy.
For sure! The flavors get even better after it chills in the refrigerator for a few hours or ideally, overnight.
🍔 What to Serve with Pickle de Gallo
Serve as a Dip: This is a unique, crunchy and delicious fresh pickle recipe to serve with tortilla chips, pretzels, crackers, sturdy potato chips or fresh vegetables. Serve it in place of anything you'd normally serve with salsa!
Enjoy as a Condiment: Use Pickle de Gallo in place of relish on your favorite sandwich, burger, grilled meats or serve it as a condiment with homemade tartar sauce alongside seafood recipes like Ivar's Copycat Fried Cod and Skillet Glazed Salmon.
Accompany the Main Dish: Pickle salsa, aka Pickle de Gallo, goes well with many main dish recipes. Try it with Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Oven-Baked Burritos, No-Ketchup Meatloaf or French Tacos.
Add to a Charcuterie Board: The tangy flavors and crunchy texture in this dill pickle salsa are delicious with an assortment of cheese and crisp crackers.
🥣 Leftovers and Storage
Store Pickle de Gallo in a covered, airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best flavor and freshness, enjoy it within 5-6 days. I don't recommend freezing it.
⭐Pro Tip
Fresh garlic is the ingredient that boosts the zestiness in Pickle de Gallo. If your family prefers a milder, less "garlicky" bite, I recommend using just one clove of garlic.
🍽 Other Tasty Dips and Sauces
Pickle de Gallo is a unique twist on a traditional pico de gallo recipe and I'd love to hear what you think of it! Here are more dips, sauces and condiments that I think you'll enjoy.
If you make Pickle de Gallo, I'd love to hear how it turned out and if you enjoyed it. Please leave a 🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
(This is Melinda!) My family LOVES this recipe, it's so fun to have a new spin on serving salsa. I can't wait to hear what you think too.