Dig into this black bean corn salsa with chips or add a couple spoonfuls to your favorite salad, bowl, or burrito. It’s fresh and flavorful, and so easy to make.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: It’s a healthy salsa, packed with beans and colorful veggies. It can be made ahead, too.

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, colander, mixing bowl
Servings: makes 4 cups

Black bean corn salsa in a bowl with a chip and lime wedges.
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Are you a salsa fan? I sure am! I can totally make a meal out of chips and salsa. Put a basket of chips in front of me and watch out! The problem is, a meal of chips and salsa doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value.

Tada! Black bean corn salsa comes to the rescue. Chock full of healthy beans (protein!) and colorful veggies, this salsa is filling and nutritious. Guess what? A half cup serving only has 85 calories! It’s practically guilt free.

And does it taste good? You betcha! Would I make you eat something that doesn’t taste good? I don’t think so (although my kids would probably disagree).

About this Black Bean Corn Salsa

You may have purchased black bean corn salsa at your grocery store. It usually comes in a jar much like regular salsa. Yeah, and it pretty much tastes like canned salsa with a few beans and corn kernels thrown in. Not too exciting, to say the least.

Homemade black bean corn salsa isn’t anything like that salsa. It’s more like a scoopable salad, similar to pico de gallo, with lots of fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. Freshly squeezed lime juice with a bit of warm cumin is the only dressing; there’s no added oil or artificial ingredients.

This salsa is not just for chips. Keep reading for lots more ways to enjoy black bean corn salsa. I could eat it just plain.

Salsa with beans and corn on a chip.

What you’ll need

  • Black Beans: Canned black beans make this dip super easy. You can substitute pinto beans if you prefer. Rinse the beans in a colander with cool running water until the water runs clear before adding them to the dip.
  • Corn: For convenience, canned corn can’t be beat. There are lots of different kinds so just choose the one you like best. If fresh corn on the cob is available, for sure you’ll want to use that. It’s crisper and has lots more flavor. It’s easy to cut the kernels off the cob (see the FAQ below).
  • Tomatoes: I usually use Roma tomatoes for this dip because they are meatier and not as juicy. Grape or cherry tomatoes are fine if you cut them into halves or quarters. If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, use a can of diced tomatoes, drained well.
  • Red Onion: Red onion is perfect for this salsa but a sweet onion such as Vidalia is good, too.
  • Jalapeño Pepper: Remove the ribs and seeds from the pepper before adding it to the dip to make the salsa more mild. The heat of jalapeños can really vary so try a little bit before you add it all to the dip.
  • Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a must for salsa. Use the leaves and tender stems.
  • Fresh Lime Juice: One lime will give you just enough juice.
  • Cumin: This earthy spice is added to many southwestern style recipes.
  • Salt & Pepper: Season the salsa to taste.
Ingredients needed, including black beans, corn, tomatoes, lime.

How To Make Black Bean Corn Salsa

This is a pretty easy recipe to make. It does involve a little chopping and dicing so you’ll need a sharp knife and cutting board.

Rinse and drain. Make sure your can of beans is rinsed and drained. Put the beans in a colander in the sink and run water over them until the water runs clear. You can drain the can of corn in the same colander (no need to rinse it).

Prep tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. You’ll want to remove some of the seeds and the jelly-like part of the tomato by gently squeezing the halves. Dice the tomatoes into fairly small pieces so that they are “dippable.”

Prep onion and pepper. Peel and dice the red onion. You’ll only need about a quarter cup. Cut the stem end off the jalapeño pepper; cut it in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds. Chop it pretty finely (minced). You probably don’t want huge chunks of jalapeño pepper in your salsa.

Prep cilantro. Rinse the cilantro well and shake off the excess water. A salad spinner works well. You can use the thin stems as well as the leaves. Chop it up, and now we’re good to go.

Mix it all together. Simply put all the ingredients into a bowl, add the cumin and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Salsa ingredients in a bowl, not yet mixed.

Stir it up and it’s ready to serve.

Salsa being stirred in a mixing bowl.

Looking for a cocktail to go with your salsa? Try a spicy Paloma or strawberry margarita punch. I love a frosty G &T with chips and my hubby always goes for a cold craft beer.

Black bean corn salsa filling frame of image.

FAQs

Should I rinse canned black beans?

When you open a can of beans, you’ll notice a thick viscous liquid surrounding the beans. It contains starch from the beans, water, and salt, which helps preserve the beans.
If you’re trying to lower your sodium intake, it’s best to rinse the beans because the liquid contains quite a lot of sodium. If you’re making a salad or salsa like this one, rinsing is a good idea because you really don’t want all that liquid mucking things up.
However, some cooks like to add the bean liquid to soups and stews. It can improve the texture of the soup and enhance the flavor. It’s really a matter of preference.

How do you easily cut corn?

Fresh corn on the cob is so delicious but you may be wondering how to get that corn off the cob. It’s really pretty easy. There are a couple of ways to do it. You’ll need a sharp thin-bladed knife.
Set a small bowl upside down inside a large shallow bowl. I usually put them both in my sink to contain the mess a bit. Center the stem end of the corn on top of the small bowl. Cut the kernels off the cob top to bottom. The corn will neatly fall into the larger bowl.
A bundt cake pan works surprisingly well too. The center hole can be used to position and hold the corn cob, and the cut corn falls into the pan. Nifty!

What Goes With Black Bean Corn Salsa

  • Tortilla chips (of course): Buy a bag of your favorite chips or make your own. For a healthier choice, try baked tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips. There’s nothing like freshly made, warm chips, and these have very little added oil or salt.
  • Nachos: Arrange your chips on a platter, load it up with cheese, bake or microwave until the cheese is melted, then top it with lots of this salsa. So good! It’s also great on cauliflower nachos or vegetarian nachos (we love the creamy cilantro lime drizzle on these nachos.
  • Quesadillas: Black bean corn salsa takes cheese quesadillas to another dimension.
  • Bowls: If you’re a fan of burrito bowls, they are simple to make. Start with warm rice, add cooked meat of your choice, and top it all with this salsa. So easy and delicious! You’ll really want to try this BBQ chicken bowl.
  • Salads: Turn a bowl of plain greens into a power salad simply by adding a few spoonfuls of this salsa.
  • Tacos, Burritos, etc: Anywhere you would add salsa!

Make It Your Own

  • Add avocado. Stir in a diced avocado right before serving. The dip will be similar to cowboy caviar or my black bean and avocado salad (served with chips).
  • Make adjustments according to what you prefer. This is your salsa so tweak the ingredients any way you choose. Don’t like tomatoes? Make it with no tomatoes. Not a fan of corn? That’s okay, you could easily sub in chopped bell peppers. Love garlic? Go ahead and add a clove, finely minced. You get the idea.
  • Sub in canned tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.) drained as much as possible, can be used instead of the fresh tomatoes.
Bean, tomato, and corn salsa in a bowl with lime wedges.

Make Ahead Ideas

Since this salsa keeps well, it can be made ahead. In fact, it’s even a bit better the next day. It can be frozen, too, so if you have an abundance of tomatoes or corn, go ahead and make a double batch and freeze some to eat later. It won’t taste quite as fresh, but it will still be yummy.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate/Freeze: Assuming the salsa is refrigerated promptly, it can be stored in the refrigerator safely for five days. If you prefer, transfer it to freezer safe containers and freeze it for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, give it a good stir, and it is ready to serve.

More Salsas and Dips

Recipe

Black Bean Corn Salsa

4.78 from 9 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Dig into this black bean corn salsa with chips or add a couple spoonfuls to your favorite salad, bowl, or burrito. It's fresh and flavorful, and so easy to make.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 can (15 ounces) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained (or 1 ½ cups fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed)
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped roma tomatoes, seeds removed (about 3 tomatoes)
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion, finely diced (about ¼ onion)
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro (leaves and small stems)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • In medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • Makes 4 cups. Salsa will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days or can be frozen for up to two months.
  • If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, substitute one can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained well.
  • If desired, make this salsa with avocado. Add 1 or 2 diced avocados right before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 85kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 407mg, Potassium: 329mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 428IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.78 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. Phyllis says:

    5 stars
    Rachel, just made this salsa and it is delicious! I’m looking forward to having it tomorrow over my tossed salad with sliced avocado as you suggested… yum! Your suggestion of having some over rice sounds awesome too. I’m sure my hubby will enjoy this also, and that’s saying alot! Thank you for sharing this recipe and I will definitely try some of your others.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      So glad you’re enjoying it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!

  2. Jeanne Gray says:

    I can’t wait to try this!!!

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Hope you enjoy!