Dill pickles replace fresh tomato in this briny twist on a traditional Pico de Gallo. Dill Pickle Pico de Gallo, or Pickle de Gallo for short, is perfect served with tortilla chips for snacking or used as a relish for topping bratwursts and hamburgers.
This is one of those recipe ideas I wish I could take credit for - a fresh dill pickle salsa. How brilliant is that!? I first stumbled upon this pickle salsa being advertised by Grillo's Pickles online. I haven't seen it consistently in stores near me, so I decided to make my own. Naturally.
Pickle de Gallo is a briny, dill-forward condiment (a pickle salsa) that is well balanced with the addition of sweet red bell pepper and the bite of yellow onion. The combination makes a wonderful fresh pickle salsa that can be applied to dishes like a traditional pico de gallo atop tacos, like these Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos, or treated like a relish to top grilled BBQ favorites like burgers and hot dogs. Or try including this pickle salsa with Doritos Walking Tacos for a fun twist.
Jump to:
- You'll Love This Dill Pickle Salsa Recipe Because
- Pickle Recommendations for Dill Pickle Salsa
- Ingredients
- Pickle Salsa Substitutions & Additions
- Spicy Variations
- How to make Pickle Salsa - Directions
- Top Tips for the BEST Dill Pickle Salsa
- Recipe FAQs
- If you like this pickle salsa recipe, try these
- Pickle de Gallo (Pickle Salsa) Recipe
You'll Love This Dill Pickle Salsa Recipe Because
- Minimal ingredients - This pickle condiment is a 4-ingredient force to be reckoned with. Super easy, crazy super delicious, only requiring dill pickles, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and garlic powder.
- It's fun to eat - I love pico de gallo and have experimented with different variations like this Cucumber Pico de Gallo. But the pickle de gallo variation is just so much fun to eat and fun to introduce fellow pickle lovers to.
- It's unique - I think you'll either love pickle salsa or hate it. But there's no denying that this is a unique pico de gallo variation, one that is guaranteed to liven up any backyard BBQ. If you like unique recipes, you'll be happy you checked out these Elote-Style Pickle Spears.
Pickle Recommendations for Dill Pickle Salsa
What pickles should you use to make pickle salsa? I recommend that you choose a refrigerated pickle, like Claussen, Grillo's, or Nathan's. They taste less salty than other brands you might find on shelves and are reliably crisp (which is also why I recommend them for making Minnesota sushi (pickle roll-ups). I think that's an important consideration because you want the resulting salsa to taste fresh and not be a salt bomb. And you want it to be crisp and texturally pleasing to eat, and definitely not soggy.
If you want to give it a go with a non-refrigerated pickle, I would recommend adding half the amount of pickles called for in this recipe, then tasting and adjusting.
Ingredients
To make this fantastic and fresh pickle salsa recipe you will need the following ingredients.
- Dill pickles - I used Claussen pickle halves for this pickle salsa. Claussen are my favorite; they are the perfect dill flavor and are reliably crisp, making them ideal for this recipe.
- Yellow onion (or red onion) - For aesthetic reasons and for their slight sweetness, I like yellow onion here, though red onion is classic to pico de gallo and can easily be used here.
- Red bell pepper - I think the pickles benefit from the additional sweetness of the red bell pepper here, but you can also use green bell pepper.
- Garlic powder - I opted for garlic powder because I reasoned it would disperse better than minced fresh garlic. I wanted uniform bites absent sharp bites of raw garlic.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Pickle Salsa Substitutions & Additions
Here are a few subs you can make to this Pickle de Gallo recipe.
- Garlic powder - I like to use powder to cover more surface area, but you can also swap in a fresh clove of garlic.
- Red Bell Pepper - Use any color bell pepper you wish! Or use those mini sweet peppers, plus you'll get a fun mix of colors in the resulting pickle salsa.
- Yellow Onion - Yellow onions can be aggressive in flavor. Feel free to swap in a red onion if you prefer. OR, did you know you can give onions a quick soak in cold water to help lessen the pungency? Cut down on the intensity of your onion by soaking diced onion pieces in cold water for 15 minutes.
Here are a few quick additions you can try to make this pickle salsa a little extra in the flavor and texture department.
- 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro or parsley adds an instant boost of freshness
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill (or dried) punches up the pickle-i-ness
- ¾ cup - 1 cup of fresh diced cucumber
- ¾ cup - 1 cup of freshly diced tomatoes
Spicy Variations
If you want your pickle salsa to bring the heat, here are a few additions you can make to spice things up!
- Add chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chili powder
- Dice up a fresh jalapeno and it to the mix
- Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
- Or use spicy pickles - Claussen makes a Hot & Spicy variation, or try Wickles
How to make Pickle Salsa - Directions
- Step 1: Add diced dill pickles, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper to a large bowl. Aim for a uniform dice across all ingredients.
- Step 2: Sprinkle the garlic powder evenly over the top of the diced ingredients.
- Step 3: Stir until well combined. Taste and add salt, if desired, to taste.
- Step 4: For best results, refrigerate for 4 hours before serving so the flavors have time to mingle. Strain off excess moisture before serving.
Serve as a salsa with tortilla chips, treat it like relish on bratwurst, or use it as a hamburger topper. This pickle salsa recipe is also fantastic paired with fried chicken or this grilled ranch-seasoned chicken. Store in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Top Tips for the BEST Dill Pickle Salsa
Tip 1. Get the texture right. I absolutely insist you select a crispy dill pickle for this recipe. I'm a fan of Claussen as they are reliably crisp (and delicious). I also insist you do a fine dice on your pickles, onion, and bell pepper that's similar in size across ingredients. This will improve the odds that each bite contains a little of each ingredient and make it easier to scoop with a chip.
In a pinch, you could also add all ingredients to a food processor and do a few controlled pulses to get a quick, semi-uniform dice. I recommend starting with 5-7 quickish (2-second) pulses, then checking on the ingredients in the food processor - you don't want to take it too far since this is destined to be a chunky pickle pico. Unless you want to take it a step further and make it a sort of pickle relish. Either way, you may want to consider giving the pico/ relish a quick strain to remove excess moisture afterwards.
To best preserve the crispy texture of this salsa, strain off the excess moisture released daily. Save it and see Tip 4.
Tip 2. Achieve the perfect flavor balance. Results may vary depending on the type of pickle you choose for this recipe. Let's say you wound up with a pico that's too salty. Add a raw cucumber to help absorb some of that salt. Try also adding a squeeze of lemon for tartness to combat the salt. If you wanted to opt for something different, like a bread and butter pickle, you might find that you need to combat the sweetness. Try adding a jalapeno for a sweet heat and a little salt to bring the flavor balance back on track.
Tip 3. So many uses! Get creative and add this pickle de gallo to dips, chicken or egg salads, pasta salads, and more! Use it as a topping for tacos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches. Why not add it to rice bowls or scrambled eggs or avocado toast or grilled cheese or literally pair it with grilled anything like flank steak or chicken thighs or bratwurst.
Tip 4. Strain and reserve excess pickle de gallo moisture for use in a marinade. Pickle juice makes a great tenderizing marinade. A quick 30-minute marinade in the excess moisture that accumulates over time from this pickle salsa will result in delicious, tenderized chicken.
Recipe FAQs
According to Grillo's, Pickle de Gallo is perfect for dipping, spreading or topping your favorite chips, sandwiches or hot dogs. YES, can confirm, dill pickle salsa works very well in all of those delicious applications.
I enjoy snacking on pickle de gallo with main dishes like these Mini Naan Pizzas or this Shoestring Potato Tuna Salad. Both are meals that benefit from being paired with the tart freshness of this pickle salsa. It's also fantastic served with Air Fryer Nachos and Crispy Air Fryer Tacos, especially if you use ground beef!
Absolutely! I personally think this pickle salsa hits its peak after a 4-hour chill because it gives the flavors time to meld together. I recommend making up to 24 hours in advance before serving for maximum freshness and flavor. Strain off excess moisture before serving.
If you like this pickle salsa recipe, try these
You might also like these dill pickle-forward recipes.
If you tried this Pickle de Gallo recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Pickle de Gallo (Pickle Salsa) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups dill pickles, finely diced (~4 large Claussen pickle halves )
- 1 cup yellow or red onion, finely diced (~1 small medium-sized onion)
- 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (~1 red bell pepper)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Add diced dill pickles, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper to a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic powder evenly over the top of the diced ingredients.2 cups dill pickles, finely diced, 1 cup yellow or red onion, finely diced, 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced , 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Stir until well combined.
- Taste and add salt, if desired, to taste.salt
- For best results, refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving so the flavors have time to mingle. Strain off excess moisture before serving.
- Serve as a salsa with tortilla chips, treat it like relish on bratwurst, or use it as a hamburger topper. Also, fantastic paired with fried chicken.
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