Fresh Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)
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Get ready for this Better-Than-Chipotle Corn Salsa! Our Fresh Corn Salsa recipe is even better than the kind you get at restaurants. Serve as a dip with chips or add to burrito bowls, tacos, salads, and more!
🎶 Summertime and the Tex-Mex is easy! 🎶
Living in the desert, we’re Tex Mex Time Is All The Time kind of people, but summer makes it easier and even more delicious than usual.
This season basically BEGS for Tex-Mex! With tomatoes in season, it’s the perfect time to whip up some pico de gallo. With avocado in season, we’re all about some seriously fully-loaded guacamole, and with sweet corn in season, it’s the perfect time to make our Better-Than-Chipotle Fresh Corn Salsa.
This Chipotle copycat salsa recipe is unbelievably good and fabulous whether you’re simply serving it with chips at a summer BBQ, or loading up a burrito bowl on taco night.
It’s SUPER easy to make Chipotle’s Corn Salsa at home, and the best part is: you just need a few simple ingredients to get the best flavor…
Gather Your Ingredients
What is corn salsa made of? A delightfully simple list of fresh ingredients! To make this easy recipe, you just need:
- Fresh Sweet Corn. You can actually use raw sweet corn, blanched corn, or grilled corn. I usually use blanched or boiled corn.
- Cilantro. Plenty of fresh cilantro adds a lovely pop of green and flavor in every bite.
- Red Onion. I don’t like onion to overwhelm my corn salsa, so 1/3 of a cup of minced red onions does the job! You’ll get plenty of flavor without it taking over.
- Jalapeño Peppers. As little or as much jalapeño as you like for a little spicy kick!
- Fresh Lime Juice. A splash of lime juice is the key to the best corn salsa, in my opinion. It highlights the fresh flavors and helps give this mixture a more true salsa texture.
- Salt + Cumin + Chili Powder. Simple seasonings like kosher salt, ground cumin, and chili powder add just the right amount of smokiness and depth to our Chipotle copycat salsa. (This blend is what makes ours better than Chipotle’s!)
Tips For Prepping Your Ingredients
- How to Blanch Corn – My favorite way of cooking corn. I like quickly boiling corn because it brightens the color and wakes up the flavors without making the corn overcooked.
- How to Cut Corn Off The Cob – It’s really easy with this method! I usually just use a large bowl instead of a cutting board, but otherwise, I follow all the same steps.
- How to Grill Corn – Grilling the corn is another option that can add depth and smokiness. It’s fun if you’ve already got the grill going!
- How to Seed a Jalapeño – This can take some of the heat and bite out the jalapeño (my preference). Don’t forget gloves!
How To Make Chipotle-Style Corn Salsa, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Combine. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, cilantro, red onion, 1-2 Tbsp. jalapeño, the lime juice, salt, cumin, and chili powder.
- Taste & Adjust. Stir to combine and taste the salsa. Add additional salt, or more lime juice or jalapeño, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away in a serving bowl with chips, or spooned onto tacos, burrito bowls, grilled chicken and more. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days.
Serving Idea: Build An Epic Burrito Bowl
You can certainly serve this copycat Chipotle corn salsa with tortilla chips, steak, veggie, or chicken tacos, or nachos, but my favorite way to use this fresh corn salsa recipe is in burrito bowls! Build an epic burrito bowl with goodies like…
- Cilantro Lime Rice or Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
- Black Beans or Charro Beans (Seasoned Pinto Beans)
- Honey Lime Grilled Chicken, Beef Barbacoa, Sweet & Spicy Pork, or Beef Carnitas (or leave it veggie!)
- Chipotle Roasted Sweet Potatoes (A great vegan/vegetarian option!)
- Fajita Veggies (grilled or charred peppers & onions)
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Chipotle Salsa, Pico de Gallo, or Salsa Verde
Play With The Flavors! (Variations To Try)
We almost always make this easy corn salsa recipe exactly as written, but when you’re craving a change of pace, these are our favorite variations:
- Add More Heat. If you like spicy corn salsa, turn up the heat by adding more jalapeño to the recipe. Leave the ribs and seeds in for even more heat. You can also try adding a pinch of chipotle chili powder to the salsa!
- Turn Up The Lime! If you like your salsa on the lime-y side, add a bit of the lime zest to the salsa along with the juice. The zest holds the lime oils which have even more concentrated lime flavor.
- Try It With Avocado. For a creamy twist, add a diced avocado or two to the corn salsa. It’s fabulous!!!
- Add Color With Red Bell Pepper. For a pop of color, add a diced red bell pepper to the corn salsa along with the other fresh mix-ins. It’s so pretty!
- Grill Your Corn! For a smoky vibe and a bit of color, try grilling your corn before adding it to the salsa!
- Add Cheese! For a street corn vibe, you can even add a tiny sprinkle of cotija cheese!
FAQ + Tips For The BEST Corn Salsa
Can You Make Corn Salsa With Frozen Corn? In a pinch, yes! I especially like the charred frozen corn from Trader Joe’s. It adds a smoky flavor. (As a general rule, fresh corn will have a better texture than frozen corn.)
Do You Use White Corn Or Yellow Corn For Corn Salsa? Either kind of corn works well for corn salsa! Just aim for fresh corn when you can.
Can You Freeze Corn Salsa? I’ve never frozen mine, but I think the texture would be best when it’s used fresh rather than after freezing.
Recipe Card
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Leave a star rating below when you try our Fresh Corn Salsa recipe! We can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Better-Than-Chipotle Fresh Corn Salsa
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups salsa 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our Fresh Corn Salsa recipe is even better than the kind you get at restaurants. Serve with chips or add to burrito bowls, tacos, salads, and more!
Ingredients
- 3 cups blanched, raw, or grilled corn kernels (from 4–5 cobs corn)*
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup finely minced red onion
- 1–3 Tablespoons finely minced jalapeño (more or less, to taste**)
- 2–3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Combine. In a large bowl, combine corn, cilantro, red onion, 1-2 Tbsp. jalapeño, the lime juice, salt, cumin, and chili powder.
- Taste & Adjust. Stir to combine and taste the salsa. Add more lime juice or jalapeño, to taste.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy right away with chips, or spooned onto tacos, burrito bowls, grilled chicken and more. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days.
Notes
- *To blanch corn, heat a pot of water until boiling. Add corn and cook just 30 seconds in the hot water. Transfer to an ice bath, or let cool on a cooling rack before cutting the corn off the cob.
- **Control the heat. You can always add more jalapeño, so I recommend starting small here. If your jalapeño is mild or you like more heat, feel free to add more, to taste. I usually use about 2 Tbsp. (Remove the seeds and white ribs to make the jalapeño more mild!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex