If you’ve ever had leftover pico de gallo, you know that it’s a very real thing.
And while it may seem like an issue to be solved with a good old-fashioned fridge cleanout, there are actually plenty of ways to use up leftover pico de gallo.
You don’t have to let that tomato-based goodness go to waste—instead, put it towards something even better! So get creative and make something new with your leftover pico de gallo.
How to store leftover pico de gallo
Pico de gallo is best stored in an airtight container, so that none of the fresh ingredients can get oxidized (think cut apples turning brown).
If you’re using a plastic baggie, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing it.
Keep some distance from raw meat.
The acidity of pico de gallo’s tomatoes will interact with protein molecules and cause them to break down faster than they normally would—so if you have cooked chicken or steak planned for later that day, put your leftover pico on the bottom shelf of the fridge instead of next to it.
It might take longer for your pico de gallo to go bad this way, since there won’t be any direct contact between its highly acidic ingredients and other food items that could spoil faster due to their own pH levels (i.
e.
, raw poultry).
Keep it safe for up to three days before eating again! In general, salsa stays fresh longer than guacamole because there’s no avocado involved in its preparation—but if you’re worried about bacterial growth anyway, freeze what’s left over after three days (or just make more tomorrow!).
7 ideas for leftover pico de gallo
Stir it into scrambled eggs
Add it to scrambled eggs.
These pico de gallo eggs are a quick, easy and healthy breakfast that you can make for yourself or for a crowd in the morning.
Add it to fried eggs.
If you’re more of an egg-white type of person, try adding some chopped up pico de gallo over your scrambled eggs after they’ve been flipped over.
The acidity from the lime juice will help bring out the flavor of your yolk too!
Add it to omelettes! Try mixing up your standard Mexican-style omelette with some fresh veggies from your garden (or grocery store), like tomatoes and avocado slices; then fill them with copious amounts of pico de gallo.
So they don’t get lonely at the bottom of your plate while you eat all those other tasty ingredients up first before they run away without eating their veggies too!
It’s okay though because these vegetables won’t mind sharing space with each other since they’re good friends now after spending all night chatting about how delicious everything was last night at dinner together.”
Make a batch of guacamole and top it with pico de gallo
A delicious way to use up pico de gallo is to make a batch of guacamole.
Mix together avocado, onion, cilantro and lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
If you like your guacamole extra chunky add more pico de gallo than you would normally use.
To make the guacamole creamier (and even tastier) add more lime juice until it reaches the consistency that you want!
If you want to get really fancy, add some cumin and jalapeno peppers to the mix.
You can also add fresh corn if you want this guacamole to be a little bit sweet! If you’re serving your homemade guacamole with tortilla chips, make sure that they are warm so that they don’t cool down the dip too quickly.
Use it in a Mexican-inspired stir fry
Stir fry is the perfect way to use leftover pico de gallo.
Just add the ingredients to your wok, and it’s all ready in minutes.
Stir fry recipes are great because they’re so versatile—you can make them with just about any kind of meat, vegetable or fruit.
When you have leftover pico and want to make a stir fry recipe, here’s what you do:
- Add chicken, beef or shrimp (or a combination) along with other veggies such as bell peppers and onions.
- Add some spices like garlic powder or cayenne pepper for extra flavor if you want it spicy! This gives the dish more depth too!
Add it to tacos or fajitas or enchiladas
You can add it to tacos, fajitas, or enchiladas.
Just mix a bit of leftover pico de gallo with some shredded beef or chicken and some fresh corn tortillas and you’ve got yourself a delicious taco.
Or you could try making a fajita bowl with the same ingredients as above but using rice instead of tortillas.
Perhaps you’re feeling like having an enchilada night? If so, just pour leftover pico de gallo over your enchiladas (preferably homemade ones) and enjoy!
If you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and try making your own salsa verde.
It’s super easy to do and tastes so much better than the store-bought kind! Just combine some tomatillos with green chiles, garlic, cilantro, onion, lime juice and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Then pour it into a container and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors come together.
Enjoy it with some queso blanco, quesadillas, or huevos rancheros
You can also use it as a condiment on tacos or enchiladas.
It’s also good in quesadillas, or you can add it to your breakfast egg dish for some extra zest.
It even works well as a topping for a taco pizza!
Pico de gallo is quite versatile, so don’t hesitate to experiment with this recipe.
Have fun with it and let us know how your meal turns out!
This recipe is super easy to make and it’s a great way to use up your garden-fresh tomatoes.
It only takes about fifteen minutes from start to finish, so it’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time but still want something tasty.
Use this pico de gallo recipe to make a great summertime salsa.
It’s delicious on tacos or any Mexican dish you can think of!
Spoon it over a taco pizza for some extra zing
Pico de gallo is a wonderful topping for tacos, or as a dip for chips.
But what if you only have enough left over pico de gallo to make one extra-special taco? Turn it into a taco pizza!
Making a taco pizza with your kids is an excellent way to use up leftover pico de gallo, and it’s fun too! They can help assemble the toppings on top of the tortilla crust.
Once they’re done with that part, let them take turns using their imaginations (and their mouths) to create some pictures of animals or people on the surface of their pizza.
This works best when you have some basic guidelines: no licking fingers before placing them down on top of your creation; try not to use too many colors at once; don’t put any pieces so close together that they overlap each other; don’t eat all of someone else’s pieces without letting them know first.
And finally, make sure that there are at least a few spaces left on the tortilla crust so that it doesn’t get too soggy from all the toppings.
Twist it up into your beef burritos tonight
Think outside the box.
When you’ve got extra pico de gallo, and you’re not sure what to do with it, think beyond just adding it to tacos and burritos! Pico de gallo is also delicious in other Mexican dishes like beef enchiladas, beef fajitas, or even mixed with queso dip.
It’s a quick way to kick up any Mexican dish you’re making at home.
Besides, who doesn’t love food that’s easy to make and tastes good? Pico de gallo is the perfect combination of both.
It only takes a few minutes to chop up all of the ingredients, mix them together, and then let them sit for about 20 minutes so they can soak up all of those delicious flavors.
Once they’re ready, you’ll have a delicious topping to add to your tacos or burritos.
As we mentioned before, pico de gallo is also great on its own as a dip or spread.
If you’re looking for something new to make with your Mexican food this week, try chopping up some pico de gallo and serving it alongside some tortilla chips!
Conclusion
When all is said and done, pico de gallo is a great way to add some zest to any dish.
Just make sure that you don’t use too much because it can easily overpower other flavors.
The best thing about this salsa is that it stores well in the fridge for up to one week so there will always be something left over!
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