Quinoa Corn Salad is a fresh, flavor-packed mix of quinoa, corn, avocado, black beans, and cilantro with a delicious chipotle-lime dressing.
author’s note
Fresh, Filling, and Full of Flavor!
I was seriously craving Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, but I wanted something with more protein, so I made this! Quinoa to the rescue. It’s one of my favorite ways to add plant-based protein, and I use it in so many salads because it’s filling, tasty, and goes with just about everything.
I loaded it up with all the street corn-inspired flavors I love: sweet corn, black beans, fresh lime, green onions, and a big handful of chopped cilantro.
But the real star of the show? That chipotle dressing. It’s spicy, tangy, smoky, and honestly so good you’ll want to drizzle it on everything (or just drink it straight, I won’t judge!).
Quinoa Corn Salad Ingredients
- Quinoa: Here’s an entire guide on how to cook quinoa. Be sure to chill it after cooking for best salad texture.
- Corn: Fresh, raw, grilled, or charred adds flavor. Canned works, just drain well.
- Black beans: Want extra flavor? Try making them from scratch!
- Lime: Fresh juice makes everything pop. Roll before cutting to get more juice.
- Cilantro: Chop right before using for the best flavor. Skip if you don’t like it.
- Green onions: Use both white and green parts for more flavor.
- Avocado: Add last to keep it from browning. Toss with lime juice to help keep the color.
Chipotle Dressing
This smoky, tangy dressing takes Quinoa Corn Salad to the next level!
- Chipotle Pepper: Adds spice, flavor, and depth. Start with less and adjust from there.
- Gets Spicier: Note that the heat intensifies over time as this dressing sits.
- Too Spicy? Add more honey to tone it down.
Quick Tip
Freeze Leftover Chipotles
- Place peppers with sauce on a lined pan, spaced apart.
- Freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Store up to 6 months.
- Thaw at room temp for 15–20 minutes.
Quinoa Tips
We eat a lot of quinoa salads, and my top tip? Cook it ahead of time! Chilled quinoa makes preparing this Quinoa Corn Salad fast and easy.
Need to cool it quickly? Spread fluffed quinoa on a sheet pan and chill in the fridge or freezer for 10–15 minutes.
More Quinoa Tips:
- Rinse first to remove bitterness. If you buy pre-rinsed, skip this step.
- Let it steam for 10 minutes after cooking for the best texture.
- Too much liquid? Drain it to prevent mushy quinoa.
- Too dry? If it hasn’t popped but the water is gone, add a bit more liquid.
Preparing The Corn
Fresh is best, but frozen (thawed and charred) or canned (drained) work too!
- Raw Corn: Simply cut from the cob and toss it in.
- Charred Corn:
- Canned or Frozen: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a hot pan. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Season with salt and pepper, then let cool.
- Grilled: Brush husked corn with oil, season lightly, and grill at 400°F, turning every 3 minutes until browned (about 12 minutes). Let cool, then cut off the cob.
Storage
Quinoa Corn Salad Storage
Store salad, dressing, and avocado separately for best freshness.
- Salad (without dressing/avocado): lasts up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Avocado Storage: Use half at a time, store the rest with lime juice in an airtight bag. Slice off any browned parts before using.
- Meal prep: Divide salad into 4 containers, keep dressing in separate small containers. Add avocado and dressing right before eating. Toss and enjoy!
More Salad Recipes:
Quinoa Corn Salad
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 ears corn on the cob or 1-3/4 cups frozen/canned
- 3 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions 3 full onions
- 1 large ripe avocado diced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large chipotle pepper with surrounding sauce, see note 1
- 1 large lime
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa according to the directions in this post. Cool to room temperature or spread on a sheet pan and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes if in a hurry. You can prepare this in advance.
- Prepare Corn One Of These Ways:Raw: Cut kernels off the cob—no cooking needed.Charred (Canned or Frozen): Melt 2 tbsp butter in a hot pan. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Let fully cool.Grilled: Brush husked corn with oil, season lightly, and grill at 400°F, turning every 3 minutes until browned (about 12 minutes). Let fully cool, then cut off the cob.
- Zest the lime (1/2 teaspoon) and juice it (1 tablespoon). Blend all dressing ingredients until completely smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Chop spinach, cilantro, and green onions. Drain and rinse black beans. Dice avocado. In a large bowl, toss everything together with cooled quinoa and corn.
- For the best texture, add the dressing just before serving (see note 2). Shake well, pour about 3/4ths of the dressing (or to taste) over the salad, and toss. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Quinoa Corn Salad Variations
- Add Meat: This salad is filling on its own, but grilled chicken makes a great addition. Try chili-lime chicken for extra flavor!
- Swap the Herbs: Not a cilantro fan? Use more green onions or swap in parsley.
- More Toppings: Try roasted pumpkin seeds, tortilla strips, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or roasted red peppers for extra crunch and flavor.
I’m curious how this recipe has 19 grams of saturated fat
Thanks for catching that mistake! I’ve updated it!
Just wow! I made this recipe to try for my son who is “nearly” vegetarian. He loves quinoa but I am not a big fan. This recipe is to die for! and that dressing!!!?? I put that **** on everything! :)Thanks! I have even passed along the recipe to coworkers and other children. Just Wow.
Haha, thank you so much for your sweet comment Melody! I’m so happy to hear how much you guys enjoyed this dish! 🙂
this is amazing! I’m making it for the second time for my weekly lunch meal prep. the dressing is super flavorful and complements the salad well.
Ahh i’m so glad to hear this! Thanks so much Rachael! 🙂
Are the macros the same even though it says 6 servings, when I want to make 4 meal prep servings? Kinda confused.
No they would be different. The nutrition label is if the entire meal was split evenly for 6 plates (like if you served this as a side salad to a meal for 6 people). So if you are meal prepping into 4 containers it will be different (Multiply calories by 6 and divide by 4).
Wow. This looks SO good. Thanks for the tips about meal prepping. I need to do that more. ??♀️
Thank you! 🙂
hey girl- this looks oh so yummy!
Thank you Shawnna! 🙂
Looks delish! Loving the salads this year, I’m adding it to menu for next week since I’ve already done my meal prep for this week. I made the Avocado Orange Quinoa one last week – amazing!
So happy to hear that, thank you! 🙂 I hope you love this one too 🙂