This Salsa Is a Summer Staple at Our House

If you’re a Chipotle lover like I am, then maybe you’ve had and loved their fresh corn salsa! It adds a nice pop of texture and freshness to any burrito or bowl.

When sweet corn is at its peak freshness and flavor, this is the perfect recipe to throw together. You only need 6 ingredients and 5 minutes and you’ve got a fresh and delicious corn salsa that’s perfect on anything from tacos to burritos to quesadillas, and more.

And yes, you can eat raw corn! The corn marinates for 15 minutes to really soak up the lime juice and olive oil and the texture is perfect. You could always grill the corn for a bit of a smoky flavor as well, but I love the sweet juiciness of in-season raw corn.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Fresh sweet corn. Buy your corn fresh and plan to use it right away! Look for ears with plump kernels without discoloration. In a pinch, you can use frozen corn that’s been defrosted and drained but fresh corn will always be better.
• Red onion. I love the flavor red onion adds to this salsa, but you could really use any onion here.
• Jalapeño. What’s salsa without a little spice? If you want to keep the salsa mild, leave out the seeds and pith from the pepper. You could also swap in spicier peppers like fresno or habañero.
• Cilantro. Fresh cilantro is a must here! Only use the leaves and tender stems.
• Lime juice and zest. The key to getting a zippy fresh flavor in the salsa is to use lime zest and juice! Always use fresh lime juice, never bottled.
• Olive oil. I think that the olive oil adds a bit of needed fat and flavor and makes the salsa extra flavorful. Use whatever variety you like!

How to Make Corn Salsa with Fresh Corn

1. Shuck the corn and remove its silky strands. This is the “hardest” part of the entire recipe, simply because it can take a while to remove all those silk strands. I recommend rinsing the corn under cold water afterwards to make sure it’s squeaky clean before cutting off the kernels.
2. Cut the corn kernels off the cob. My trick? I always lay the corn cob on its side and slice strips of kernels off lengthwise. I used to cut the kernels off the cob while it was standing upright, but that just made them fly everywhere!
3. Make the salsa. Chop up the rest of the veggies and herbs, then toss well to combine.
4. Let the salsa marinate. You really want to give the corn time to soak up the lime juice and olive oil so I recommend letting the fresh corn salsa sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Ways to Serve It

If you come over to my house in the summer, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll have a bowl of this corn jalapeño salsa set out with some tortilla chips as a light snack or appetizer! When I’m not munching on the salsa on its own, I like serving it with the following Mexican-inspired meals:

• Burrito bowls. Chicken burrito bowls, shrimp burrito bowls, and carne asada bowls are my faves.
• Tacos. Try it on grilled fish tacos, shrimp tacos, or ground turkey taco salad.
• Enchiladas. I’ve spooned it over ground beef enchiladas verdes, red chicken enchiladas, and this beef enchilada skillet before.

If you do try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Easy Mexican Side Dish Recipes

• 5-Ingredient Guacamole
• Instant Pot Pinto Beans
• Elote Queso
• Salsa Verde
• Homemade Mexican Rice

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