Corn Salsa is the ultimate addition to your summer menu! Made with fresh sweet corn, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, and a sweet and spicy dressing, this corn salsa is light, fresh, and bursting with flavor.
Whether you serve Corn Salsa as a dip for tortilla chips, as a side dish for Beef Tacos, or as a topping on Honey Lime Fajitas, this simple salsa will will elevate any meal!
While Instant Pot Corn or grilled corn makes a delicious side dish for burgers and BBQ Chicken, Corn Salsa transforms fresh summer corn into a memorable appetizer that is suitable for any meal.
why you will love corn salsa
- Easy Recipe. This recipe for corn salsa only takes a few minutes of hands-on prep, yet delivers a dish with layers of flavor.
- Undeniably Delicious. Made with smokey, charred corn, sweet bell peppers, spicy jalapenos, and salty feta cheese, this corn salsa is incredibly fresh and flavorful. But the sweet and tangy dressing made with fresh lime and cilantro is what makes this recipe for corn salsa the best!
- Endless Uses. Corn Salsa is an obvious appetizer choice, but it also can be served on top of fajitas, burritos, and salads or as a side dish to any meal.
- Can be Made with Frozen Corn. While fresh corn is best, you can roast frozen corn kernels for a similar result.
- Unique Salsa Recipe. While everyone knows (and loves) Green Salsa Verde and Restaurant-Style Blender Salsa, this Corn Salsa is a unexpected, yet welcomed addition to any menu!
- Adaptable for Allergies/Food Sensitivities. Corn Salsa is already naturally gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. You can omit the cheese for a dairy-free dish.
Ingredients Needed For Corn Salsa
- Corn: For this salsa, you can use fresh corn on the cob or frozen corn kernels. Instead of grilling frozen corn kernels as you would for fresh corn on the cob, you would roast the kernels in the oven for similar results.
- Bell Pepper: I recommend using a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper for a sweet, fresh flavor.
- Jalapeno Pepper: I recommend removing the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno to keep this salsa from being overly spicy. And feel free to omit the jalapeno if you don't like spicy foods.
- 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 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 detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Corn. For homemade corn salsa, you can choose to grill corn on the cob, air fry corn on the cob, or cook on the stovetop using a grill pan. Any of these methods will help to develop the sweetness of the corn and help to char the corn kernels which adds a layer of flavor to the 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.
Recipe Modifications
- Speed it up. Grilling your corn will add a delicious layer of flavor to the corn salsa. However, there is absolutely no need to cook corn prior to eating it. You can simply cut the corn off the cob or even use defrosted corn kernels to make this corn salsa if desired.
- Use leftover corn. One of my favorite things to do with leftover corn is to use it to prepare this salsa. It give new life to boring leftovers!
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.
Storage Instructions
Corn Salsa is best served after being refrigerated for at least an hour before serving. However, it can be prepped up to 48 hours in advance for parties and leftovers will last in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
More Delicious Recipes Featuring Corn
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Succotash
- Hot Corn Dip
- Corn Casserole
- Potato Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Corn and Tomato Salad
Serve this Corn Salsa as an addictive chip dip or as a topping for any taco, salad, or fajita. And if you give it a try, please be sure to leave a comment and review below.
Corn Salsa
Made with fresh corn, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, and a sweet and spicy dressing, this corn salsa is light, fresh, and flavorful.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 44kcal
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 husked corn right 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 honey, hot sauce, lime juice, lime zest, salt, and garlic together.
- Add the corn to the dressing, along with the minced jalapeno, diced bell pepper, onion if using, and cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours for flavors to develop.
- Right before serving, add the crumbled cheese and toss again before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, corn chips, or as a side.
Notes
Dietary Modifications: To make this dairy-free, omit the cheese. To make this vegan, use agave in place of honey and omit the cheese.
Heat Level: Be sure to remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno to control the level of spice, or omit them altogether for sensitive palates.
Onion: The onion is completely optional but adds a nice sharp bite to the salsa.
Storage: Corn Salsa can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 107mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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Belle
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.
Kristen Chidsey
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!
Lily
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!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you how you served this corn salsa as a side dish! I love it that way myself.
Betsy
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! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Oh I love the idea of topping enchilada soup with it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Beth
Yummy! My hubby and I love adding this to our tacos on taco nights! Such a refreshing and very tasty salsa!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Beth! I love hearing that you (and your husband) enjoyed this!
Debbie
I love this salad so much! It's what's on the menu for Mother's day ❤
Renee Goerger
I've made this many times and will be making it again this weekend for the 4th of July! Thanks for the great recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoy this so much Renee!
Nellie Tracy
The list of what this goes well with is endless!!
Deborah Delacruz
I don't even know how I found this recipe all I do know that it is now a favorite of ours. I only has green peppers I used red onion and grilled my corn earlier in the day. It was truly wonderful and we'll make it again and again. I took a picture but it was almost gone before I remembered.
Kristen Chidsey
I love, love hearing how much you enjoy this Deborah! So glad you found it!
Kalyn
That really does look delicious! Thanks for the shout-out for my green bean and tomato summer salad!
Kristen Chidsey
You are welcome! We love your summer salad.