This Black Bean and Corn Salsa is a deliciously healthy dip you’ll want at all your parties. Black beans, corn, and red pepper tossed in a garlicky lime vinaigrette you can make in minutes.
We love this black bean salsa as part of an appetizer spread. Pair it with something else from our Appetizer Recipes Archive, and invite the gang over!
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Why Make This Recipe
- This healthy dip is packed with fiber, protein, and fresh veggies. Plus, it’s a great option for vegan eaters.
- Cilantro and lime in the vinaigrette take this to the next level with great flavor
- Takes 15 minutes to make, and can be made hours in advance
🥗 Ingredients
- Black Beans: Choose low-sodium beans so that you can adjust the salt content as you like it.
- Corn: We use canned corn in this recipe. Our favorite is Summer Crisp corn from Del Monte (not sponsored), but choose what you like. You can also use defrosted frozen corn. And in the height of summer, please replace with lightly steamed fresh corn cut off the cob!
- Red Bell Pepper: Use whatever color of sweet bell pepper you like.
- Red Onion: If you prefer, you can replace this with sliced scallions or minced shallots.
- Jalapeño Pepper: Bring the heat with a jalapeño! If you like more spice, don’t remove the seeds and membrane before chopping. Or dial it up with a Serrano pepper.
- Garlic Powder: Feel free to replace with minced fresh garlic cloves.
- Lime Juice: We always recommend fresh squeezed lime juice. Two limes should be enough for this recipe. As an alternative, try using red wine vinegar.
- Cilantro: We love the combination of cilantro and lime in this recipe, but you could replace the cilantro with parsley or leave it out entirely if you are not Team Cilantro.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Drain and rinse 1 can black beans and 1 can corn in a colander.
Remove stem and seeds from a red bell pepper, then chop red pepper flesh into small pieces. Peel half of a red onion and finely chop.
Cut off stem of a jalapeño pepper and cut in half lengthwise. Use your knife to remove the seeds and most of the white membrane. Finely chop remaining jalapeño flesh.
Add black beans and corn to a large mixing bowl, then stir in chopped red pepper, red onion, jalapeño, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
Let rest for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Black Bean Corn Salsa
Yes! This recipe is great for make-ahead. Once you make the salsa, keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It’s best within 24 hours of making it, but it will stay good for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Yes, and yes! This salsa is fantastic as a party appetizer, because it works for all kinds of dietary restrictions. Just note that if you are serving it to gluten-free eaters, make sure to serve it with gluten-free chips or similar.
You could freeze this salsa, but the texture would suffer. In addition, the cilantro would turn brown. Overall, we wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
If you are wondering the best way to serve this black bean salsa, you can’t go wrong with a big bowl of tortilla chips. If you are gluten-free, make sure to choose tortilla chips that are labeled gluten-free (some are and some aren’t, even though they are traditionally made from corn tortillas).
But there are so many other uses too. Use this salsa to dollop on top of grilled chicken or fish. Add to the filling of a quesadilla, or as a taco topping. Toss it with chopped romaine lettuce and add some Honey Lime Vinaigrette to turn it into a big salad—adding grilled shrimp or chicken on top makes it a main course.
This recipe makes a fairly big batch, and we admit to eating leftovers straight out of the bowl as a snack the next day.
Love recipes with corn and black beans? Same here! They’re a classic pairing. Why not try this Black Bean and Corn Salad or this Orzo Pasta Salad with Black Beans? And, if you want to get fresh corn taste all year long, why not make a batch of Freezer Corn to use in these recipes?
If salsa is your one true love, try this fruit-based take with our Spicy Fresh Cherry Salsa or this tropical Mango Pineapple Salsa.
Looking for another delicious appetizer for your game day party? You can't go wrong with these baked Garlic Parmesan Wings, better than any restaurant version!
Other Delicious Appetizer Recipes
We love serving this on a spread with other appetizers. You can find lots of them in our Appetizer recipe archive, but here are a few favorites:
If you try this Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe, we would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to us.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter. We’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
More Recipes to Try
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Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans
- 11-ounce can corn
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ red onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Drain and rinse black beans and corn in a colander.
- Remove stem and seeds from red pepper, then chop red pepper flesh into small pieces.
- Peel red onion half and finely chop.
- Cut off stem of jalapeño pepper and cut in half lengthwise. Use your knife to remove the seeds and most of the white membrane. Finely chop remaining jalapeño flesh.
- Add black beans and corn to a large mixing bowl, then stir in chopped red pepper, red onion, jalapeño, garlic powder, kosher salt, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro.
- Let rest for 30-60 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
Once you make the salsa, keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It’s best within 24 hours of making it, but it will stay good for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Expert Tips: - Use fresh steamed corn cut off the cob in the summer! - Add more heat by including the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño pepper, or switch to a serrano pepper - Serve with tortilla chips, or use as a topping for quesadillas or tacos. Also delicious on top of grilled chicken or fish.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this corn and bean salsa recipe, tag us @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because we’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Jessica says
Made this for New Year's Eve and it was spectacular with lime chips!
Molly Pisula says
Oooh, love that idea!
Dottoe says
My son made this to have with mexican shredded chicken tacos. It was fantastic, so fresh and paired beautifully with the tacos. There are people in the family that don't like tomatoes so this was perfect. If you wanted to you can add them, this to other person that commented.
Molly Pisula says
So glad to hear that! Thanks so much for your comment--I really appreciate it!
Mary says
I think salsa requires tomatoes.
JC says
We have made this several times and it always turns out so good.
Molly Pisula says
Thanks so much for commenting! I really appreciate it, and I'm so glad you like this recipe.
Kathleen Bailey says
Fantastic flavor! Quick and easy- thank you!!!!
Molly Pisula says
Thanks so much! I love this one too!
Mimi Rippee says
I know why you call this a salsa, but at hour house it’s a salad! My husband could eat variations of this every day!