Corn Salsa Recipe

Bright, crisp, and fresh Corn Salsa Recipe with fresh corn on the cob, herbs, onions, adds in a bit of kick from jalapeños. Serve this salsa with chips for the ultimate summer appetizer!

If you’re not serving chips, pair this salsa with one of these chicken dinners: honey lime chicken, pineapple chicken, or cilantro lime chicken.

The Best Corn Salsa Recipe

Welp, it must be the week of corn recipes, because I started the week sharing creamy corn salad, I’m sharing this grilled Corn Salsa Recipe today, and later this week I’ll be sharing an avocado chicken salad (updated to add the link) with — you guessed it — corn! 

But if you’re not a fan of corn on the cob, don’t worry; I have a few more summer recipes coming up and in the meantime, enjoy a teriyaki burger or the best taco lettuce wraps I’ve ever had! 

Ingredients

• Fresh Ears of Corn: They are the main ingredient, providing a sweet and crunchy base.
• Red Onion: Adds a sharp, slightly sweet flavor and crunchy texture.
• Fresh Cilantro: Brings a fresh, herby flavor that complements the other ingredients.
• Jalapeños: Provide heat. Using one or two adjusts the spiciness to taste.
• Green Onions: Offer a mild onion flavor and add color.
• Limes: Brings tanginess and acidity, balancing the sweetness of the corn.
• White Wine Vinegar: Enhances the acidity in this corn salsa recipe.
• Seasonings (Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Paprika, White Sugar): These spices provide warmth, smokiness, and a slight sweetness, enhancing the overall flavor profile.

QUICK TIP

To pick the best corn on the cob for this corn salsa recipe, look for green husks, damp silks, and a moist, green stem. Avoid corn with dry, brown husks, and check for plump, juicy kernels without indentations, as indentations indicate drying and age.

How To Make Corn Salsa

1. Grill Corn: Shuck, oil, and season corn. Grill until charred, then cut off kernels.
2. Mix Ingredients: In a bowl, combine corn kernels, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, diced jalapeños, and sliced green onions.
3. Dressing: Shake together lime zest and juice, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over corn mixture.
4. Marinate: Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes and serve your corn salsa recipe.

More Salsa Recipes

• Mango Salsa
• Salsa
• Cuban Mojo Chicken with a citrus-avocado salsa
• Pineapple Salsa
• Avocado Salsa

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Corn Salsa Recipe

5 from 10 votes

- Review this recipe

Bright, crisp, and fresh Corn Salsa Recipe with fresh corn on the cob, herbs, onions, adds in a bit of kick from jalapeños. Serve this salsa with chips for the ultimate summer appetizer!

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Corn Salsa Recipe

5 from 10 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Bright, crisp, and fresh Corn Salsa Recipe with fresh corn on the cob, herbs, onions, adds in a bit of kick from jalapeños. Serve this salsa with chips for the ultimate summer appetizer!

Course Salad, Side Dish, Snack, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Keyword corn salsa recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 57 minutes minutes

Servings 4 -6 as an appetizer

Chelsea Lords

Calories 12kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $3.38

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 fresh ears of corn (~ 3 cups)
• ▢ 1/2 medium red onion diced (~ 3/4 cup)
• ▢ 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro finely chopped (~ 1/2 cup, loosely measured after chopping)
• ▢ 1 to 2 medium jalapeños finely diced (use 1 for mild-to-medium salsa or 2 for more spicy salsa; ~1/4 cup for mild)
• ▢ 3 green onions thinly sliced
• ▢ 2 juicy large limes (1 teaspoon zest, 1/4 cup juice)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon EACH: chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, white sugar
• ▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ Optional additions: add in a diced avocado, 1 cup rinsed/drained black beans, diced red pepper -- whatever you'd like that's around 1 cup!

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• OPTIONAL GRILL: Preheat grill to medium heat (400 degrees F). Shuck corn and discard silks. Drizzle corn (option: also grill the green onions and jalapeños -- See Note 1) with olive oil and then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the corn. Prepare the grill by cleaning and then generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates). Add the corn to the heated grill over direct heat. Grill corn about 10-12 minutes total, rotating every 3-4 minutes until bright yellow and lightly charred. (Alternatively, cut raw kernels off the cob and use in salsa) Let grilled corn cool completely before cutting it off the cob.
• CHOP: Add kernels to a large bowl (if you grilled them, allow to cool completely). Add in the finely diced red onion (See Note 2), finely chopped cilantro, finely diced jalapeños, and thinly sliced green onions. Toss gently to combine.
• DRESSING: Combine the lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, paprika, white sugar, and salt & pepper (to taste; I add about 1/2 teaspoon of each; DON'T add salt to the dressing if you salted the corn) in a Mason jar. Shake to combine. Pour over ingredients and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate to marinate (allow flavors to intensify and meld) for 15-20 minutes. Stir and then serve!
• STORAGE: Store in a bowl, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days. We like this salsa best the same day its made. Gently stir before serving any leftovers.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Drizzle jalapeños and green onions with olive oil and then lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the veggies. Grill green onions 1 minute, flip, and grill another minute or until lightly charred. Grill jalapeños 1-2 minutes, flip and grill another 1-2 minutes or until lightly charred. Remove veggies from grill and onto a plate to cool to room temperature.

Note 2: To take away the "bite" of red onions, chop and submerge them in a bowl or cup of ice-cold water. Let the onions sit for at least ten minutes (stir 1-2 times) and then thoroughly drain and add to the recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 12kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 286IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Adapted from Food Network and my Loaded Sweet Potatoes