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This Grilled Corn Salsa is the ultimate addition to your summer menu! Made with smoky grilled corn on the cob, crisp bell peppers, spicy jalapeños, and a sweet and tangy cilantro lime dressing, this corn salsa is light, fresh, and bursting with flavor.
While I love my Black Bean and Corn Salsa, and Cheesy Hot Corn Dip, this is the recipe I turn to when I want something simple that lets the flavor of sweet summer corn shine through.
Key Takeaways: Grilled Corn Salsa
- Serves: 6 as a side dish or generous appetizer
- Time Needed: 1 hour 25 minute total; 10 minute prep + 15 minute cook + 1 hour chill
- Note on Prep: Grill fresh corn on the cob on grill, grill plate, or roast frozen corn kernels to enjoy year-round.
- Dietary Note: Gluten-free and easy to make dairy-free & vegan-friendly.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve with tortilla chips or as a unique side dish or taco topping.
- Why This Recipe: With layers of flavor from the charred corn, sweet bell peppers, spicy jalapeño, salty feta, and tangy honey lime dressing, this corn salsa delivers incredible flavor with minimal effort.
Recipe Highlights
Kristen's Key Tips
Here are the tips that matter when it comes to make this simple corn salsa.
- Take the time to char the corn. The smoky, slightly charred flavor is what sets this salsa apart from a basic corn salad. Grill the corn until the kernels are lightly blackened and tender, not just warmed through.
- Zest the limes before juicing them. The recipe specifically notes this because once a lime is cut, zesting becomes difficult. The lime zest adds a lot of bright citrus flavor to the honey-lime dressing, so don't skip or forget this step.
- Plan ahead for chilling time. While you can eat the salsa immediately, refrigerating it for at least an hour allows the dressing, corn, peppers, and jalapeño to meld together. This resting time makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-Star REader REview
This was awesome! Better even than Chipotle's corn salsa! So good. Love that I can make this at home now! Perfect topping for tacos, taco salad, nachos...enchilada soup! YES! I need this in my life! 🙂 -Betsy
Ingredients Needed For Corn Salsa
- Corn: While fresh summer corn on the cob is best, you can opt to use defrosted corn kernels in place of the grilled corn.
- Peppers: Use a sweet bell pepper (any color) for fresh flavor and a jalapeño pepper for a bit of heat.
- Cilantro: Skip the cilantro if you are someone who has an aversion to cilantro.
- Cheese: Finishing the salsa with crumbled queso fresco or feta adds a salty, creamy bite but is an optional addition.
- Honey Lime Dressing: This dressing is made with honey, lime zest, fresh lime juice, kosher salt, and garlic. It is similar to the marinade I use to make Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas and is what makes this salsa so irresistibly good.
How to Make Corn Salsa
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Grill Corn. Brush husked corn with a bit of oil and grill on a grill plate or preheated grill until the corn kernels are slightly charred and tender.
No Fresh Corn?
Toss 3 cups of defrosted corn kernels with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and roast at 400℉ for 15 minutes until golden. Let cool slightly and prepare salsa.
- Prepare Honey Lime Dressing. While the corn is grilling, use that time to whisk together the honey lime dressing for the salsa, to maximize your prep time. Keep in mind that when working with fresh limes, it is best to zest the lime prior to juicing them. Once you cut the lime open, it is next to impossible
- Remove Corn from Cob. A great tip when slicing corn off the cob is to place the tip of the corn cob into the opening on a Bundt cake pan and then carefully slice off the kernels. All the corn will fall into the Bundt pan, leaving your kitchen counters free from random corn kernels.
- Toss Corn Salsa Together. Add the corn, along with the minced jalapeno, bell pepper, and cilantro to the honey lime dressing and stir it together to fully incorporate. While you can dig in right away, it is best to cover and refrigerate the salsa for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to marry together.
- Add Cheese and Serve. Right before serving this corn salsa, crumble the cheese over the salsa, give it a good stir, and then transfer it to a serving bowl.
Serving Suggestions
This corn salsa is extremely versatile. It can be served as an appetizer with tortilla chips, as a side dish for Tex-Mex dishes, as a topping for tacos, or as a light salad. Below are a few of my favorite suggestions, but use your imagination or taste buds to guide you.
- Use this corn salsa as a topping to add flavor to tacos, be it Beef Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Cauliflower Tacos, Lentil Tacos, or Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
- Elevate Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas, Vegetarian Fajitas, Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas, or Crockpot Steak Fajitas by finishing them with a scoop of corn salsa.
- Add corn salsa to Taco Pizza, Taco Salad, Southwestern Chicken Salad, or Tostadas for another layer of delicious flavor.
More Delicious Recipes Featuring Corn
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Southern Succotash
- Corn Casserole without Jiffy
- Potato Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Corn and Tomato Salad
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Corn Salsa
Video
Ingredients
- olive or canola oil, for greasing grill
- 4 ears corn on the cob, husked
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup minced red onion, optional
- ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, optional
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 large lime, juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic
Instructions
To Grill Corn
- Rub the grates of a grill or grill pan with oil. Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Once heated, add the 4 ears corn on the cob (husked) to the grill or grill pan and grill for 10-15 minutes until beginning to char, turning the corn frequently. Remove corn from grill and allow to cool until cool enough to be handled.
Prepare Salsa
- Remove the corn kernels from the cobs of corn using a sharp knife. A great way to do this is to place corn cobs in the center of a Bundt pan and cut off the kernels with a sharp knife, the kernels will fall directly into the cake pan instead of all over the kitchen.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic, and the zest and juice of 1 large lime.
- Add the corn to the dressing, along with 1 small jalapeno (minced), 1 large red bell pepper (diced), ¼ cup minced red onion, and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours for flavors to develop.
- Right before serving, add ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese and toss again before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or as a side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This salad is a flavor bomb. So fresh and light. Fresh corn on the cob isn't quite in season yet so I improvised. Thawed frozen sweet white corn, roasted in a skillet with just a touch of avocado oil. Let it get a nice char and it was delicious. Definitely going into my rotation for easy and delicious salads. Thanks.
Hi Belle! I love that you made improvisations using what you have on hand. I also love hearing you enjoyed the flavor. Thanks for sharing!
I made grilled chicken today and was trying to find the perfect side, and this was incredible! We ate it as we would a salad!! This was so good, so perfect for grilling season!
I love hearing you how you served this corn salsa as a side dish! I love it that way myself.
This was awesome! Better even than Chipotle's corn salsa! So good. Love that I can make this at home now! Perfect topping for tacos, taco salad, nachos...enchilada soup! YES! I need this in my life! 🙂
Oh I love the idea of topping enchilada soup with it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Yummy! My hubby and I love adding this to our tacos on taco nights! Such a refreshing and very tasty salsa!
Thanks for sharing Beth! I love hearing that you (and your husband) enjoyed this!