This Pickle de Gallo is a fresh, tangy, and delicious take on the classic pico de gallo recipe. It’s a great topping on tacos, grilled meat, pulled pork, tortilla chips, and more!
A while back I did a series of pickle-themed recipes (Dill Pickle Coleslaw, Dill Pickle Tartar Sauce). During that series, a dear friend a recipe with me called Pickle de Gallo that was going viral on TikTok. Now, I’m not exactly a big TikToker, but I have been known to waste a few minutes on the platform. So, of course, I had to check it out, and boy did it sound AMAZING to me!
So I got to work on my own version of Pickle de Gallo. The result is this fresh, tangy, pickley pico de gallo that adds in crunchy dill pickles! You have to give it a try! Actually, you have to give it 3 tries. Every person I share it with takes one bite and has that “hmmm….” look on their faces, but by bite the third bite they are always big fans. Trust me! Give it a good three-bite try! You’re going to love it!
Ideas for Serving Pickle de Gallo:
Pickle de Gallo is incredibly versatile! While it’s amazing as a dip with tortilla chips, you can also get creative with other serving ideas, such as:
- Tacos: Add a zesty, crunchy twist to your tacos by spooning it over beef, chicken, or fish tacos.
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Brighten up a pulled pork sandwich with the tangy flavor of Pickle de Gallo. It adds a refreshing contrast to the savory meat.
- Grilled Chicken: Use it as a topping for grilled chicken to give your dish a pop of acidity and texture.
- Hot Dogs or Bratwurst: Swap out traditional relish and/or sauerkraut for Pickle de Gallo on hot dogs for a bold, crunchy bite.
- Salads: Stir it into a simple salad or serve it on top to add crunch and pickle flavor.
Ingredient FYI & FAQs
- My ultimate tip for this Pickle de Gallo recipe is to dice up your ingredients into a similar size. This allows you to get all the flavors on one chip and not have any particular ingredient overpower the others.
- Which pickles are best? I tested this a few different ways and much preferred the fresher, refrigerated dill pickles for texture and flavor. If you can get those, do. If not, the regular, shelf-stable jarred ones will work, too.
- Why opt for red pepper over other colors? I opted for a red bell pepper because I wanted that sweeter flavor, but yellow, orange, or green will work, as well.
- About those jalapeños: For this version, I like using a fresh jalapeño. I don’t like too much heat, so I removed the seeds and the inner white membrane. For more heat, you can leave them in. For even more pickle flavor, and to save a step, you can swap the fresh jalapeño for a couple tablespoons of jarred pickled jalapeños.
- Pick any onion? Any onion will work, but I used a yellow onion.
- Unlike TikTok, I prefer tomatoes! There are a few pickle de gallo recipes out there and none of them, including the one on TikTok, called for tomatoes. I made it both ways and really prefer the tomato in this recipe, so I included it here. I just like to get all the seeds out before chopping it.
- Garlic is a must for me! However, you can leave it out. You’ll just want to finely mince it or put it through a garlic press to get it super fine.
- Don’t dump the pickle brine! We need a little liquid to pull this all together and to help spread that garlic flavor to the other ingredients. A few tablespoons of the brine from your pickle jar works perfectly.
Can I make ahead and store Pickle de Gallo?
Yes, you can! Store Pickle de Gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Any longer, and the ingredients may start to lose their crunch and become soggy. Freezing isn’t recommended for the same reason—once thawed, the veggies would likely become mushy. To enjoy it at its best, it’s a good idea to prepare it fresh or enjoy leftovers within a couple of days.
Recipe Card
Pickle de Gallo
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced refrigerated dill pickles
- 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1 jalapeño (seeds and membranes removed, diced )
- 1 medium tomato (seeded and diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons pickle brine
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Stir together all ingredients and season with a healthy pinch of salt. Allow to rest in refrigerator for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Toss again before serving. Keeps for about 1 week.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Cynthia L.
I am so glad to see a recipe for this Gallo. I saw some on sale at a grocery store, (on line ad) and it really piqued my interest. Will be buying the rest of the ingredients soon. Of Course I Have Pickles!
Hope you’ll enjoy it, Cynthia!
Maggielee
This sounds great! With a summer surplus of onions, tomatoes, etc. I’d like to can some using the water boil method. Do you know the procedures we should follow to can that way? Thanks.
I’m afraid that’s outside of my realm of expertise. And being that it’d have to be cooked, I’m not sure the result would be the same.
Patti Moss
Just saw your Pickle de Gallo recipe, Stacey, and it looks delicious to me! I’ll be trying it soon for sure!
Thanks so much, Patti! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Katiekat642
This was great! I made this to put on some brisket sandwiches. I did have to substitute a half of a green bell pepper, just because that’s what I had on hand. Will definitely make again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!