Corn Salsa

Why I Love This Corn Salsa Recipe

This easy corn salsa is a flavorful way to add texture and a bright pop of color to any Mexican dish. It’s vibrant, fresh as can be, and SO easy to make. It checks all the right boxes! And while I usually make this dish during the warmer summer months, it’s also quite the hit on game days as well. After all, there’s nothing better than an addictive dip while you’re watching the big game with friends. Whether you serve it as an appetizer or side dish, here’s why you’ll want to make it over and over again:

• Easy: It’s a one-bowl recipe and is fully ready in just 5 minutes! If you can chop and toss ingredients together, you can make this corn salsa recipe!
• Refreshing: This recipe is packed with fresh veggies, lime juice, and herby cilantro for a refreshing bite.
• Versatile: It makes a great appetizer served along side tortilla chips, or use it as a flavorful garnish on top of tacos, burrito bowls, salads and so much more!
• Crunchy: Corn, red onions, and jalapeños are all ultra crunchy veggies that give this salsa a great crisp texture.

Key Ingredients

Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for corn salsa. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Corn: Fresh corn will give you the best flavor, with frozen corn (thawed) being the second best choice. Canned corn (rinsed and drained) can be used, but the corn kernels will have a much softer texture.
• Red Onion: You can also use white onion, but it will have a stronger flavor.
• Jalapeños: Diced, seeds removed for a mild flavor. Leave the seeds for a spicy bite. Serranos or canned green chilis will work too.
• Cilantro: It needs to be fresh. Avoid cilantro with yellow leaves because it’ll taste bitter.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice will give you the most flavor. Lemon juice is a good substitute, although it will provide a slightly sweeter, less acidic flavor.
• Salt: Kosher salt is best.

How to Make Corn Salsa

The best salsas are 1-step recipes. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.

Chef’s Tips & Variations

• Cilantro: Fresh herbs can make salsas bitter when they start to wilt. If you’re not serving the salsa right away, don’t add the cilantro just yet. Wait until right before serving for the freshest flavor.
• More Veggies: Dice bell peppers and add them in for an extra crunch and flavor. Green bell peppers are the most pungent, yellow/orange/red bell peppers are sweeter and milder.
• Make It Fruity: Chop up mango, peaches, or pineapple and mix it into the salsa for a sweet-and-savory bite. Add it to taste, so anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 cup is great.
• Add Beans: Drain and rinse 1/2 cup black beans and add them into the mixture for some bone plant-based protein and fiber.
• Make It Creamy: Dice 1/2 medium avocado and stir it into the salsa for natural creaminess.
• Roasted: To make a roasted corn salsa, you will need to cook and blacken the ears of corn before adding it to the salsa. Follow my recipes for grilled corn or air fryer corn on the cob and then cut the corn off the cob with a sharp knife and use as directed.

How to Serve Corn Salsa

• Tacos: Try it on my carne asada tacos, crockpot chicken tacos or pork carnitas.
• Tortilla Chips: Serve it as an appetizer with my homemade tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips.
• Burritos: Add it as a topping or as part of the filling in my Taco Bell beefy melt burrito.
• Bowls: It would be delicious on top of these beef taco salad bowls or over burrito bowls with your choice of protein and some cilantro lime rice as the base.