Fruit pico de gallo in a cup or vasos de fruta is a refreshing snack with vibrant seasonal fruit, hot sauce, a sprinkle of chile powder, and a squeeze of fresh lime for a tasty tropical twist. It’s easy to throw together and perfect for gatherings or a quick treat for sunny days!
What is Fruit Pico De Gallo?
Many people know pico de gallo as a classic Mexican salsa—think pineapple corn salsa or my mango pico de gallo recipe. Unlike traditional pico de gallo (or salsa Mexicana) made with ripe tomatoes, white onion, and fresh cilantro, pico de gallo de frutas is a fruit medley tossed with lime juice, hot sauce, and sprinkled with Tajín or your favorite chile powder.
The popular snack is everywhere in Mexico—shops, farmer’s markets, flea markets, and gas stations—but especially outdoor areas where fruit vendors serve the sweet and spicy snack in plastic cups and single-serve bags. Ripe mangoes, pineapple, crisp jicama, and cucumber are always a good choice—fresh, summer staples perfect for beating the heat.
Try a Different Type of Salsa:
Key Ingredients
The best thing about these easy Mexican fruit cups is that you don’t need a recipe, just a few simple ingredients. Chop up your favorite fruit and veggies, add a splash of hot sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, and a sprinkle of chili powder—and you’re all set!
- Fruit and Veggies: I use ripe watermelon, fresh mangoes, papaya, crisp cucumber, and jicama for this recipe, but feel free to mix it up. I swap out the fresh fruit and veggies based on what’s in season and who I’m serving—it’s all about finding that perfect combo!
- Hot Sauce: The heat from the chili powder and hot sauce balances the natural sweetness of the fruit. I use around one tablespoon of Valentina hot sauce per cup, but use what you like.
- Lime Juice: Tie the flavors together with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Spices: Use a little kosher salt (as needed) to enhance the fruit’s sweetness, and ground chili powder to bring some heat. And no, I’m not talking about the dark chili powder used in chili recipes—reach for cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, ancho chile powder, or Tajín (chile lime seasoning made with chile powder, dehydrated lime, and salt). Trader Joe’s also carries a similar chili lime seasoning blend. I recommend adding ½ teaspoon per fruit cup.
What fruit and vegetables should I use?
Use whatever you have on hand to make this fruit pico de gallo recipe. Watermelon, sweet mango cheeks, jicama, fresh pineapple, cucumber, cantaloupe, and honeydew are classic choices. But don’t stop there!
Shake it up with papaya, guava, coconut chunks, oranges, kiwi, different types of bell peppers, strawberries, grapes, blueberries—even crisp green apples. Go with what’s fresh, in season, or on sale—they’re easy to customize and always delicious.
Additions and Substitutions
You’ll love the versatility of fruit pico de gallo—just mix and match your favorite fruits and veggies for a fresh, easy snack anytime of the day.
- Swap hot sauce for Chamoy. A splash of Chamoy can instantly elevate your fruit cups! This savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce—made from pickled fruit, chiles, and brine—pairs beautifully with fresh fruit. Start with a little and adjust to taste, or serve it on the side for dipping. You’ll find it at most Mexican or Asian grocery stores, or buy it online.
- Play with toppings. Try crumbled cotija cheese or chopped herbs like fresh cilantro, basil, or mint.
- Add a touch of sweetness. If you’re craving sweet and spicy, adding a little honey or agave syrup before sprinkling the chile powder is the best way to sweeten the treat.
How to Make Fruit Pico De Gallo
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Prepare the Fruit and Veggies
Use a sharp knife to cut the fruit and vegetables into spears or chunks, depending on your preference.
Step 1: Pour hot sauce into the bottom of the cups (one tablespoon). Serve the fruit in the cups Baha-style by standing them upright and alternating between each type.
Tip
Start with sturdy fruits and veggies that hold their shape and stand up in the cups. Then arrange the softer fruits around them for the best presentation.
Step 2: Squeeze lime juice over the top and finish with chile powder and salt (as needed). Serve the cups with a wedge of lime, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Prioritize fresh ingredients. Using fresh, seasonal fruit and veggies is the most important thing to remember when making the fruit cups. Everything else is extra.
- Prepare the fruit and veggies. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin from the fruit and cucumber. Scoop out the papaya and cucumber seeds, and remove the mango pit. Place the halves onto a cutting board and slice them into spears.
- Uniformly cut the fruit and veggies. I usually cut the fruit into long spears so they’re easy to grab and eat, but chunks with a fork also work. Want to save time? Grab pre-cut fruit from the grocery store!
- Hold the salt. If using plain chile powder (like ancho chile powder), go ahead and add a little salt. But if using Tajín or a similar spice blend, skip it since the seasoning already has plenty of salt.
If you enjoy fruit pico de gallo cups, try more appetizer recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Fruit pico de gallo is an easy recipe for any occasion—serve it as a quick snack or appetizer for parties, picnics, barbecues, or Cinco de Mayo celebrations. The Mexican fruit cups are made with fresh fruit cubed or cut into spears and stacked into clear plastic cups with all the fixings.
Serve the fresh fruit medley like street vendors in Mexico, or pair the spicy fruit salad with grilled chicken drumsticks, baked shrimp skewers, pulled chicken or pork, halloumi, or blackened Mahi-Mahi with plenty of fresh limes on the side.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: The fresh salsa salad is best served at room temperature, but store any leftovers in an airtight container. Depending on the fruit, they’ll stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Repurpose. Dice the leftover fruit pico de gallo into small pieces and mix it in a large bowl with fresh tomatoes, red onion, and serrano peppers or jalapeño peppers for a more traditional salsa. Use it as a topping for fish tacos, burrito bowls, burgers, salads, yogurt, and cottage cheese. You can even scoop it up with corn chips or tortilla chips.
More Fruit Recipes:
Fruit Pico De Gallo
- 6 Small Cups
- ¼ medium (4 cups) watermelon peeled and cut into spears
- 2 medium (2 cups) mangos peeled and cut into spears
- 2 medium (2 cups) papayas, peeled, scooped, and cut into spears
- 2 medium English cucumbers, peeled, scooped, and cut into spears
- 1 large (2 cups) jicama, peeled and cut into spears
- 6 tablespoons hot sauce, one per fruit cup
- lime juice, 2-3 limes, plus lime wedges to serve
- 3 teaspoons chile powder, ½ teaspoon per cup
- kosher salt, as needed
- Use a sharp knife to cut the fruit and vegetables into spears or chunks, depending on your preference.
- Pour hot sauce into the bottom of the cups (one tablespoon). Serve the fruit in the cups Baha-style by standing them upright and alternating between each type.Tip: Start with sturdy fruits and veggies that hold their shape and stand up in the cups. Then arrange the softer fruits around them for the best presentation.
- Squeeze lime juice over the top and finish with chile powder and salt (as needed). Serve the cups with a wedge of lime, and enjoy!
- Prioritize fresh ingredients. Using fresh, seasonal fruit and veggies is the most important thing to remember when making the fruit cups. Everything else is extra.
- Prepare the fruit and veggies. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin from the fruit and cucumber. Scoop out the papaya and cucumber seeds, and remove the mango pit. Place the halves onto a cutting board and slice them into spears.
- Uniformly cut the fruit and veggies. I usually cut the fruit into long spears so they’re easy to grab and eat, but chunks with a fork also work. Want to save time? Grab pre-cut fruit from the grocery store!
- Hold the salt. If using plain chile powder (like ancho chile powder), go ahead and add a little salt. But if using Tajín or a similar spice blend, skip it since the seasoning already has plenty of salt.