Corn Salsa

This fresh and fast corn salsa is the perfect appetizer or side dish for so many occasions. It has really simple ingredients and only takes 15 minutes to make. Serve it with tortilla chips for a delicious appetizer, or add it to your favorite Mexican food dishes for a pop of fresh flavors.

Colorful, flavorful, and ready in about 15 minutes – this corn salsa is the perfect snack or appetizer to make when you’re craving something light and delicious. It goes especially well with a cold wine spritzer or citrus margarita along with some guacamole. Boom – at home happy hour complete.

15-Minute Corn Salsa Recipe

This is my American take on a Mexican corn salsa that is fresh, fast, and delicious. It reminds me of the salsa you can get at Chipotle.

It’s simple and can easily be dressed up with other ingredients so you can make it to your tastes. It makes a decent-sized batch and keeps well in the fridge for several days. So fun!

I love this recipe because you serve it as an appetizer, side dish, or salad. It’s also great for summer potlucks and BBQs because you can make it ahead and it can sit out for a while with no worries.

Ingredients

• Thawed frozen sweet corn kernels
• Diced jalapeno
• Diced red onion
• Diced red bell pepper
• Lime juice
• Kosher salt
• Chopped cilantro

For an all-year-round salsa, I like to use frozen corn. During the summer, when corn on the cob is in season, feel free to swap the frozen for fresh. You can eat really fresh corn without cooking it, but you can also blanch, sauté, or grill it first before using it in the salsa. Wondering about canned corn? Hmm, I think I’d skip it.

For dicing tips, check out my pico de gallo recipe – I have some photos in that post that might help if you’re not too sure about all the dicing.

How to Make It – Mix and Chill

Once you’ve prepped the veggies, just place everything in a large bowl and mix. Once it’s well combined, cover the bowl and chill the salsa before serving.

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20 to 30 minutes of chilling time is good, but several hours is better. The flavors develop and mix and mingle the longer it sits. It will keep well in the fridge for up to five days.

Other Add-Ins

This is a basic, simple salsa, but you can easily customize it with all kinds of things. So, experiment and come up with your favorite version – here are some ideas:

• Swap frozen corn for grilled corn or roasted corn.
• Mix in some black beans.
• Add some diced avocado.
• Add some diced poblano peppers or chopped roasted poblanos. Green chiles would be great, too!
• Switch out the red bell pepper for orange, yellow, or green bell peppers.
• Add some diced tomatoes
• Add a teaspoon or so of chili powder and cumin for some extra flavor.

Different Ways to Use It

Use it like you would any other salsa – there are many ways…

• Serve it with burrito bowls and taco bowls.
• Spoon it over some salsa verde eggs for breakfast.
• Use it as a topping for chipotle tacos, beef tacos, or breakfast tacos.
• Keep it simple and serve it with tortilla chips as an appetizer.
• Use it as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.
• Serve it with some fajitas.
• Top some enchiladas with a spoonful or two!
• You can also toss it with lettuce to make a corn salad.
• Use it to make some quesadillas.

Make a batch of corn salsa and you’ll find all kinds of ways to use it, including just scooping it straight from the bowl with chips! The combination of fresh flavors is great for all the summer get-togethers, taco nights, BBQs, potlucks, and patio happy hours.

Happy salsa making!

More Easy Appetizers

• Easy Cheese Dip
• Salsa Verde
• Quick Guacamole Recipe
• Jalapeno Popper Spread

📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.

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The nutrition information in this recipe is an estimate only and was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.