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Xoconostle Pico de Gallo - Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Salsa

Name: Xoconostle Pico de Gallo - Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Salsa
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Serrano chilli; 0.5 bunch Coriander; to taste Salt; 0.5 White onion; 1 Lime; 6 Xoconostle (tart prickly pear)

15 min (15 prep + 0 cook) Easy 4 servings Centro / San Luis Potosí

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026

Pico de gallo with xoconostle (tart prickly pear cactus fruit) from central Mexico, with fruity acidity and a unique pink colour.

About this recipe

Xoconostle pico de gallo is a variation of the classic salsa that replaces tomato with xoconostle - the tart prickly pear of the cardón cactus - providing a completely different fruity acidity and a distinctive reddish-pink colour. It is a salsa of central Mexico, especially from the high plateau of San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo, where xoconostle grows wild and is used as a natural condiment.

History & Origin

The xoconostle (from the Nahuatl xocotl, tart fruit, and nochtli, prickly pear) is the tart fruit of the cardón cactus (Opuntia xoconostle) that grows in the arid zones of the central Mexican high plateau. Unlike the sweet prickly pear, the xoconostle is small, has very little sweet pulp and an intense acidity that makes it more useful as a condiment than as a fruit for direct consumption. The indigenous communities of the high plateau have used it since pre-Hispanic times to add acidity to stews, salsas and drinks, fulfilling a role similar to lime or sour orange. Pico de gallo is essentially a pre-Hispanic preparation - the combination of chopped fruits and vegetables with chilli and salt predates by centuries the arrival of the tomato in modern pico de gallo. The xoconostle version maintains that older tradition and is a reminder that Mexican gastronomy is far more diverse and inventive than the outside world usually knows. Today xoconostle is also consumed in moles, beef broth, agua fresca and artisan sweets.

Estimated cost

£3.00

Total cost

£0.75

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

50mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Peel the xoconostles with a vegetable peeler. Cut them in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Dice the flesh into small 5 mm cubes.
💡 Xoconostle has less flesh than sweet prickly pear - you will need more pieces than you might expect.
2
Finely dice the white onion, serrano chilli and coriander.
3
Mix the diced xoconostle with the onion, serrano chilli, coriander and lime juice. Season with salt. Mix gently.
💡 The xoconostle already provides plenty of acidity - use the lime juice with restraint.
4
Leave to rest for 10 minutes for the flavours to meld. Serve as a table salsa, an accompaniment for grilled meat tacos or with seafood.