Name: Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned (drained & rinsed)); 15.5 ounces black beans (canned - drained & rinsed); ½ cup red onion (diced); ¼ cup cilantro (chopped); 1 jalapeno (seeded & minced); 1 tablespoon lime juice; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

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Load up your favorite bowl, or tortilla chips, with this fresh & tasty Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe! It's healthy, versatile & EASY to make in 10 minutes!

This vegan & gluten free black bean salsa is the perfect addition to a plant based taco bowl or vegan burrito bowl!

Black bean corn salsa in bowl with spoon, fresh cilantro on the side

Black bean and corn salsa is not a new concept, but this salsa has a little something extra that makes it so flavorful! So what is the secret? Cooking the corn in a skillet over high heat to give it a slight char and smoky flavor!

If you have access to a grill and can grill fresh corn on the cob, even better! The key to this salsa is charing the corn, whether on the stovetop or grill. It really brings out the sweet flavor of the corn kernels!

Once you've cooked the corn kernels, the rest of the ingredients get combined in a bowl for this easy 10 minute salsa recipe!

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How to make it
Recipe variations
Tips and tricks
Ways to serve it
More salsas & sauces to try
Recipe
Comments

How to make it

Char the corn kernels. Add corn kernels to a dry cast iron skillet on the stove over high heat. These can be fresh corn kernels, removed from the cob, frozen corn kernels or canned corn, drained and rinsed. Cook the corn kernels on the stove for 4-6 minutes or until they start to get a nice char on the outside.
- Quick Tip! If you have access to a grill and fresh corn, you can grill the corn on the cob. To do this, you'll want to remove the husks from the corn. Grill the corn over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning 2-3 times. After the corn is grilled, use a sharp knife to remove the corn kernels from the cobs and add them to the salsa. Depending on the size of the ear of corn, you'll want to grill 2-3 ears for this recipe.
Mix up the salsa. In a large bowl, combine black beans, drained and rinsed from a can, with the cooked corn kernels. Add diced red onion, fresh chopped cilantro and minced jalapenos. Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin. Stir to combine.
Serve immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Black bean corn salsa in bowl with spoon

Recipe variations

This salsa is delicious as-is, but if you want to mix it up, here are some fun additions to try!

Diced avocado - for a delicious, creamy addition, add avocados just before serving this delicious salsa dip!
Diced Tomatoes - I recommend using fresh tomatoes. Quartered cherry tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes are my personal preference. If using whole, large tomatoes, be sure to remove the seeds and membranes so they don't water down your salsa!
Bell Peppers - diced bell peppers add a nice crunch to this salsa!
Sweet Mini Peppers - for a sweet pepper crunch, add diced sweet mini peppers!
Roasted Poblano - if you're using a grill to char the corn, I highly recommend tossing a poblano pepper on the grill with it! Once the poblano is black and bubbling on all sides, remove it from the grill and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. Peel the skin from the poblano, then remove the stems and seeds. Dice the pepper and add it to the salsa for an extra kick of smoky heat!
Serrano Peppers - if you want to kick up the spice in this salsa, add minced serrano peppers, in addition to the jalapeno peppers.
Diced Green Chilies - toss in a 4 oz can of diced green chilies for extra spice and flavor!
Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco - a crumble of salty cheese on top of this salsa is never a bad idea!
Cucumbers - add diced cucumbers for a fresh, juicy, crunch in this salsa!
Mango - mango salsa is one of my favorite things in the world! Adding mango to any salsa, including this black bean and corn salsa, is a win in my book!

Overhead image of black bean corn salsa in bowl with spoon

Tips and tricks

Use peppers to adjust the level of spice. As is, this salsa is mild, but adding extra jalapenos, serrano peppers or poblano peppers will give the spice level a boost. Continue adding peppers until you reach your desired spice level.
Making this salsa ahead of time is a great idea! After sitting in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, all the flavors soak together and it's even better than after it's just made!
This salsa can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. If you're adding ingredients like avocado, cotija cheese or mango, this salsa will only last in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Ways to serve it

This black bean salsa is delicious dipped up with tortilla chips, but it also makes a wonderful addition to a variety of recipes! Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Taco Bowls - this salsa is naturally gluten free and vegan, making it the perfect addition to this Chipotle Cauliflower Vegan Taco Bowl or this Gluten Free Ground Turkey Taco Salad. It's also a welcome addition to this Chipotle Taco Bowl with Tofu Taco Crumbles!
Burrito Bowls - it's also delicious on these Sweet Potato Vegan Burrito Bowls!
Fajita Bowls - make your own Chipotle-style bowls at home with this Veggie Fajita Salad recipe or this Low Carb Vegan Fajita Bowl!
Nachos - use this salsa to top healthy nacho recipes, like Cauliflower Nachos or Low Carb Nachos!

Black bean corn salsa in bowl with spoon and fresh cilantro

More salsas & sauces to try

Vegan Avocado Ranch Dressing
Vegan Cashew Chipotle Sauce
Chunky Avocado Salsa
Harissa Tahini Sauce

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5 from 3 votes