An easy, bright and fresh Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe that takes only 15 minutes to make! It’s the perfect appetizer for that upcoming party and makes a great side dish.
Give me a bowl of salsa and I am one happy gal! My latest obsession has been this Black Bean and Corn Salsa.
It can be eaten as a side dish with grilled meats and seafood, or as a dip with crunchy tortilla chips.
To keep the prep time to a minimum, this recipe uses canned corn and canned black beans. But don’t worry – it doesn’t taste bland or canned at all!
To keep this salsa tasting fresh and bright, everything is mixed with a simple and flavorful dressing made from cilantro, olive oil, honey, lime juice, cumin, salt and black pepper.
The dressing really helps the canned corn and black beans pop while providing some lightly sweet and acidic notes that makes this salsa the best!
Plus, I absolutely love how colorful it is.
How to make Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Are you ready for the easiest recipe ever?
Just add the corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, honey, ground cumin, salt and black pepper to a large mixing bowl. Mix together and serve.
I’ve been eating it as a side dish for lunch this past week, but it’s also a great snack and appetizer for parties and potlucks since it makes a big batch.
Tips for Making the Best Salsa
If you have time, I recommend letting the salsa sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two to help the flavors and juices really meld together and soak into the corn and beans. It makes such a difference!
If it’s summertime and you want to take advantage of using fresh corn, feel free to do that as well! You’ll need about 2 cups of freshly cooked corn, which is about 6-8 ears of fresh corn.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for some more ideas on how to eat this salsa?
- with homemade tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips
- as a topping on burrito bowls, tacos, and salads
- as a side dish for grilled meats like carne asada and cilantro lime chicken
Storage
This salsa should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Any longer than that and the ingredients start to get a little mushy.
More Salsa Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, diced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix together and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Isabel’s Tips:
- Makes about 5 cups total.
- If you have time, I recommend letting the salsa sit in the fridge for an hour or two to help the flavors and juices really meld together and soak into the corn and beans.
- If it’s summertime and you want to take advantage of using fresh corn, feel free to do that as well! You’ll need about 2 cups of freshly cooked corn, which is about 6-8 ears of fresh corn.
Nutrition Information
Hi! Please tell me what brand Kosher Salt you use for your recipes. There is one that chefs use, Diamond Crystal. This is supposedly half as salty as Morton Kosher Salt, which I have at home. I usually halve the amount just to be sure and not over salt. It makes a big difference when measuring for salt in cooking and baking. Thank you! Love your recipes!
Hi Jac! We typically use Morton kosher salt. Thanks! 🙂
Hi! Sounds like a perfect side for a “make your own taco salad in tortilla bowls” gathering I’m having. How far in advance can I make this and are there any ingredients I should wait to add the day of? I was thinking maybe the tomatoes so it doesn’t get watery? Thanks and will be checking out more of your recipes!
Hi Renee! Yes I would recommend putting everything together 1-2 days beforehand and then adding in the tomatoes the day of.
Could I double this recipe?
Yes you can!
Can’t wait to try this! Could I use canned diced Roma tomatoes instead of fresh? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amanda, yes you definitely can!
Great salsa family like a little to sweet forme
I made this last pm and put over chicken tacos and also just ate it with a spoon. My husband was a little hesitant but then he tried it on his second taco and he loved it!. Tonight I am using the leftovers to make chicken nachos with this salsa. I will be making this on repeat. I loved the honey addition… don’t skip it. you will not taste a sweet salsa. We live in Texas and adore Mexican food.
Hi Heather! That sounds delicious, thanks for sharing!
Crazy good. Add diced avocados!
That’s a great tip! Thanks, Victoria!
Love it!!!
Isabel, I am wondering if this recipe could be preserved in canning jars. It would make a nice gift.
Hi Valerie! Yes, this would store well in an airtight container!
Oh my gosh I feel so silly. I just read your instant pot beans recipe and saw you can simply use beans and water to prep beans! Nevermind! Thank u
Hi! I feel a little silly asking this, but how do you “make” the equivalent of canned beans? As in, if I only have dry / uncooked black beans, how would I prep them for any of your recipes that calls for canned beans, such as this one and the brownies? And I have an instant pot! But I saw your instant pot recipe was seasoned.
I’ve been enjoying your website! I made a soup and hope to make more of these recipes 🙂 Thank u!
I can’t stop making this salsa. So good on tacos, nachos or just straight out of the bowl.
I’m so happy you like it, Jeannette! 🙂 I pretty much ate the entire batch myself when I made it. My husband only got to eat a little bit of it, haha.
I love making homemade salsa! I think this would be great for me to make the next time I make tacos so we can use it as a topper! This is great, thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Alexandria. It would be fabulous on tacos. And no joke, I eat this stuff by the spoonful. It’s that good!