Black Bean Corn Salad

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad is a flavorful mix of black beans, corn, bell pepper, and creamy avocados, all tossed in a delicious chili-lime dressing.

author’s note

No-Leftovers Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad!

Once the sun comes out, I reach for fresh, fast dishes that keep the oven off. My Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad checks every box. It is crisp, bright, and ready in minutes with a tangy lime dressing.

I took a big bowl to a neighborhood BBQ last week, and it disappeared before the burgers left the grill. Friends scooped it straight, piled it on chips, and even spooned it over their plates.

This salad works as a side, a dip, or a hearty topper for grilled chicken, fish, or steak when I want more. Make it once, and watch everyone chase the last bite.

Ingredients

5 simple ingredients plus a dressing to get the very best black bean corn avocado salad!

• Black Beans: Rinse and dry well to avoid making the salad soggy.
• Corn: Read more about this in the next section.
• Red Bell Pepper: Dice small to the same size as your other ingredients.
• Avocado: Adds creaminess. Add just before serving to prevent browning.
• Cilantro: Chop finely, if you’re not a fan of cilantro you can leave it out or add parsley or basil instead.
• Chili Lime Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a mason jar, shake well, and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake again before dressing the salad.

Preparing The Corn

For Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad, I like using raw corn straight off the cob. It’s sweet, crunchy, and safe to eat. Just make sure it’s fresh.

• Prefer it cooked? Grill it outside or use an indoor grill pan until lightly charred.

If fresh corn isn’t in season or you don’t have access to it, I’d recommend one of the following options:

• Buy pre-roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store) and use two cans, drained.
• Buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop.
• Or, use frozen corn. Char it in a skillet until thawed and lightly roasted.

Let corn fully cool before adding to this Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad.

How To Make Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad

1. Make Dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar, shake well, and refrigerate.
2. Prep Salad: In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, red pepper, and cilantro. Add avocado last to avoid browning.
3. Dress Salad: Drizzle with dressing, toss gently, and adjust seasoning. Serve right away with chips if you like.

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad Serving Suggestions

• As a side salad or appetizer
• With tortilla chips as a dip
• As a salad, spooned over romaine lettuce
• Serve in lettuce wraps
• Layer over cilantro–lime rice for a vegetarian option
• Add in 1 to 1-1/2 cups cooked diced chicken or shrimp for additional protein.

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad Tips

• Pick ripe avocados for creaminess. Press near the stem; a slight give means they’re ready.
• Dice veggies small so they blend with the beans and stay chip friendly.
• Taste before serving and add salt and pepper until the flavors pop.
• Adjust the heat with jalapeño or extra cayenne for spice, or use sweet paprika and skip cayenne for mild.

Switch Things Up!

• Replace the diced red pepper with diced tomatoes
• Use lemons in place of the limes in the dressing
• Add chicken: dice up some grilled chicken or a hot rotisserie chicken and toss in this salad
• Add in 1/3-1/2 cup diced red onion
• Sprinkle on some cheese: you can add some queso fresco or cotija cheese 

More Tasty Salad Recipes

Salads With Meat

Chipotle Chicken Salad

Salads

Thai Quinoa Salad

Salads

Caprese Quinoa Salad

Green Salads

Mango Salad

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5 from 7 votes

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad combines black beans, corn, bell pepper, and creamy avocado, all tossed in a zesty chili-lime dressing. It’s a perfect dish for potlucks or a quick lunch!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Wide-mouth Mason Jar or other sealable container

Ingredients

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USMetric

Dressing

• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 to 3 large limes
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• ▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 2 teaspoons honey
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper optional
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Salad

• ▢ 2 (15.25-ounce) cans black beans
• ▢ 2 cups fresh corn or frozen corn, 3 ears
• ▢ 1 heaping cup diced red bell pepper 1 pepper
• ▢ 2 cups avocado diced, 2 large Hass avocados
• ▢ 1/3 cup lightly packed, finely chopped cilantro 1/2 bunch
• ▢ Chips for dipping, optional

Instructions 

• Zest and juice limes to get 3/4 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice. Combine lime zest and juice with all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth mason jar. Season to taste (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Shake vigorously to mix, using a spoon if needed to mix in the honey. Pop in fridge until ready to use, shaking again before dressing the salad.
• Thoroughly drain and rinse black beans, then dry with paper towel or salad spinner. Add to a large bowl with corn (see note 1), diced red pepper, diced avocado, and cilantro. Toss gently and drizzle with dressing (only add to what you will eat immediately). Toss again, taste, and adjust salt/pepper as needed. Serve with chips if desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: There are several ways to prepare the corn for this salad. If using fresh, sweet corn, you can enjoy it raw—cut right off the cob for a crunchy, sweet flavor. Alternatively, you can grill it. For grilling, peel back husks, remove silk, then rub corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill at 400–450°F, rotating every 3–4 minutes until lightly charred, about 12 minutes.

If fresh corn isn’t available, consider these options:

• Use two cans of pre-roasted corn, drained and dried.
• Char frozen corn in a skillet until thawed and lightly roasted (see this recipe for more details).

Let the corn cool fully before adding it to the salad.

Storage: This salad is best enjoyed within 3–4 hours to prevent avocado browning and dressing breakdown. Without avocado and dressing, it lasts 2–3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Add dressing only to the portions you’ll eat immediately, and store leftovers, avocado, and dressing separately. Alternatively, leave out the avocado.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.6g | Protein: 17.5g | Fat: 26.3g | Sodium: 853mg | Fiber: 22.1g | Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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