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Hearty black beans and sweet corn are combined with a zesty lime dressing, sweet bell peppers, and fresh tomatoes to create a knockout black bean corn salsa! Serve with chips, use it as a topping for tacos, or serve as a stand alone side dish.
Reasons to Love Black Bean Corn Salsa
Similar to my recipe for Corn Salsa, this black bean corn salsa recipe adds in black beans and tomatoes for added flavor, texture, and protein. It is light, bright, and loved for so many reasons!
- Big Flavor. Grilling the corn enhances it's natural sweetness and adds a subtle smoky undertone to the salsa.
- Easy Recipe. Even with the added step of grilling the corn, this salsa comes together with minimal effort.
- Fresh and Vibrant. Packed with sweet peppers, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a zesty lime dressing for tons of flavor and texture.
- Versatile. Perfect with chips, tacos, salads, grain bowls, wraps, or as a topping for grilled meats. In fact, I can make a meal out of it!
- Enjoy Year Round. While incredibly delicious with summer sweet corn, this recipe can be made with frozen corn kernels or canned corn--and still taste delicious.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Corn: While I love preparing this salsa with fresh corn on the cob, I have provided recipe modifications for using defrosted corn kernels and canned corn.
- Tomatoes: Use any variety of ripe tomatoes you like. Vine-ripened, heirloom, and roma tomatoes all should be deseeded and chopped before adding
- Jalapeño: Remove the ribs and seeds to keep the this salsa on the mild side or increase or decrease the amount of jalapeñ o to control the spice level.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice is key to this salsa. It brightens and marries the flavors together.
- Cilantro: If you hate cilantro, simply omit it from the recipe. This black bean salsa has enough flavor without it.
- Optional Additions: Diced pineapple, diced mango, or diced avocado are delicious options and pair well with the flavors of both the corn and black beans.
How to Make Black Bean and 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 the corn with a bit of olive oil and then grill on a grill plate or preheated grill until the kernels are tender and slightly charred.
- Cut Corn off Cob. The best way to cut corn off the cob is to place the cob in the center of a bundt pan. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the corn kernels from the cob. They will fall right into the bundt pan, preventing a mess in the kitchen.
- Prepare Dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, zest and juice of a lime, garlic, honey, cumin, and salt and pepper.
- Combine Salsa. To the dressing, add the grilled corn kernels, drained black beans, diced tomatoes, jalapeño, red bell pepper, onions, and fresh cilantro. Gently stir the ingredients together to combine.
- Chill. While you can enjoy this corn and black bean salsa immediately, it is even better if you let it chill for 15-30 minutes prior to serving. This will give time for the flavors to meld together.
Recipe Variations
- Use Frozen Corn Kernels: Toss 2 cups of defrosted corn kernels with 1 teaspoon olive oil and roast at 400℉ for 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool before adding to the salsa.
- Use Canned Corn: Rinse and drain one 15-ounce can of yellow corn kernels and then add to salsa as directed.
- Start with Leftovers: If you happen to have leftover Instant Pot corn on the cob, air fryer corn on the cob, or grilled corn on the cob, simply cut it off the cob and add it to the salsa. A simple way to add new life to leftovers.
- Swap the Dressing: In place of the smoky lime dressing, you add a couple of tablespoons of zesty Italian dressing.
Serving Suggestions
The obvious option for serving Black Bean Corn Salsa is to grab some tortilla chips and dig in. And while that is delicious, just like Texas caviar, this dish works as more than just an appetizer.
- As a Topping: Top grilled chicken, beef, pork or fish with a generous scoop of black bean and corn salsa for a simple, flavorful entree.
- Add to Tacos or Burritos: Finish off beef tacos, shredded chicken tacos, refried bean burritos, or a burrito bowl with this salsa for added flavor and texture.
- Use to Make a Veggie Tacos: I have been known to serve this salsa in tortillas or taco shells topped with lettuce and guacamole made with tomatoes for a quick and wholesome veggie taco the whole family loves.
- As a Side: Serve this salsa as a salad/side dish alongside Tex-Mex dishes like chicken enchilada casserole or Mexican lasagna.
More Flavorful Salsa Recipes
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!
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Hearty black beans and sweet corn are combined with a zesty lime dressing, sweet bell peppers, and fresh tomatoes to create a knockout salsa! Serve with chips, use it as a topping for tacos, or serve as a stand alone side dish.
Video
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob, husked (~2 cups of sweet corn kernels)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, + more for brushing corn
- 2 large limes, zest and juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, + more to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. While the grill is heating, husk the corn and lightly brush the corn with olive oil.
- Once heated, add ears of corn to the grill or grill pan and grill for 8-10 minutes, turning often until slightly golden. Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool for a few minutes.
- While the corn is cooling, whisk together 1 tablespoon of olive oil with zest and juice of 2 limes, minced garlic, honey, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Once the corn is cool enough to handle, cut off the kernels off the cobs 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, letting the kernels fall directly into the cake pan.
- Add the corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro to the mixing bowl with the dressing. Mix to combine.
- Cover and chill for 15-30 minutes before serving as desired.
Notes
Note on Total Time: Prep the remaining veggies while the corn is grilling. This cuts down on the overall time involved.
Storage: Store any leftover salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Using Frozen Corn Kernels: Toss 2 cups of defrosted corn kernels with 1 teaspoon olive oil and roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool before adding to the salsa.
Nutrition
Calories: 79kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.004gSodium: 305mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 731IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very good recipe. Versatile, and easy to put together. I don't have access to a grill but I still wanted the smoky flavor of corn so I used a can of corn, drained, and I charred it in my cast iron skillet. I just melted a bit of butter to prevent sticking and cooked the corn for about 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so. The lime dressing is perfect! I had leftover quinoa so I mixed it with some of the salsa, it went really well with it.
Hi Ann! I love that you used the cast iron skillet to make this recipe work for you! And appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.