Easy Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)

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This easy corn salsa tastes like Chipotle’s corn salsa and comes together in a flash using a bag of frozen sweet yellow corn. It’s delicious served as a snack with tortilla chips or as a topping on your favorite Mexican dish.

This corn salsa is a copycat recipe for the corn salsa they serve at the beloved Chipotle restaurant. So technically this corn salsa is meant for burritos and burrito bowls, but we’ve been enjoying it with so many different meals!

Easy corn salsa served in a blue bowl with crispy tortilla chips scattered around the bowl.

The best part? It couldn’t be any easier to make. Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and boom, you’ve got a delish corn salsa to use any way you please. I used frozen sweet corn to keep this super simple, but if you want to use fresh sweet corn, go right ahead!

Ingredients measured out to make corn salsa: corn, lime, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lemon and salt.

Here’s What You Need

  • frozen yellow sweet corn – we’re keeping this recipe super simple by using frozen sweet corn, but feel free to use fresh sweet corn if it’s in season. You’ll need a 16 oz bag of frozen corn, which is about 2 1/2 cups.
  • red onion – add a little zest with chopped red onion. You can use yellow onion for a more mild onion flavor if you prefer.
  • jalapeño – deseed the jalapeños before adding for the perfect amount of spice. Feel free to skip this if you’re serving to kiddos or not a fan of spice.
  • cilantro – the perfect herb to pair with this salsa.
  • salt – to bring all of the flavors together!
  • lime juice – I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice as opposed to the juice that comes in a little bottle. It’s better, trust me!
  • lemon juice – same as the lime juice… freshly squeezed is best!
Side by side photo of a mixing bowl of corn salsa before and after being mixed.

Do You Have to Cook Sweet Corn?

You actually don’t have to cook fresh or frozen sweet corn before eating it! If you’re using fresh sweet corn, make sure you rinse it thoroughly before eating. If you’re using frozen sweet corn, simply let it thaw, rinse and drain before mixing it with the rest of the salsa ingredients.

Variations

The fun thing about this corn salsa is how many variations there are! Here are some ways to switch it up:

  • Mango – I love salsas with fruit added to them (check out my pineapple salsa recipe) and I bet this one would be delicious with diced mango!
  • Grilled corn – if you’re using fresh, sweet corn you can grill it for extra flavor. Cut it from the cob and make the salsa as the recipe recommends. This will take the salsa to a whole other level. Some stores now offer frozen corn that’s been roasted and I’m sure that would be delicious as well.
  • Avocado – add some healthy fats and a delicious creaminess to the salsa with chopped avocado. I add it to my avocado corn salad and it’s delish. Pro tip: if you decide to add avocado, I would add it right before serving, otherwise the avocado will get brown.
Hand dipping tortilla chip into bowl of easy corn salsa served in blue bowl.

How to Serve Corn Salsa

Like I mentioned above, we have been enjoying this salsa in so many different ways. Here are a few serving ideas:

  • On a burrito bowl – first and foremost, I love this on burrito bowls! It adds so much flavor and is the perfect topping.
  • With tortilla chips – yep, this corn salsa is delicious on it’s own. Just serve with tortilla chips for dipping.
  • On a salad – swap the Mexican street corn with corn salsa in my kale salad.
  • With protein – make a simple dinner by serving shredded chicken or my apple cider vinegar chicken with this corn salsa and a side salad.
  • Over enchiladas – make my chicken enchiladas or this vegetarian enchilada bake and top with the corn salsa for a delicious dinner.
  • On tacos – corn salsa would be delicious on tacos! Try my fish tacos or these tempeh tacos!

How to Store Leftovers

This salsa stores super well… and honestly gets better with time as the flavors continue to marinate together. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

More Copycat Recipes to Try

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5 from 4 votes

Easy Corn Salsa

This easy corn salsa tastes like Chipotle's corn salsa and comes together in a flash using a bag of frozen sweet yellow corn. It's delicious served as a snack with tortilla chips or as a topping on your favorite Mexican dish.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients  

  • 1 16 oz bag frozen yellow sweet corn, thawed
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Taste and season with additional salt, if needed.
    White corn, jalapeño, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice in a glass mixing bowl, chopped and ready to be stirred together.
  • Serve salsa as a snack with chips, appetizer or a side for dinner.
    Corn salsa in glass mixing bowl with wooden mixing spoon.
  • Store salsa in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Notes

  • To defrost frozen corn: Run under cold water to quickly thaw and drain well. 
  • Frozen yellow sweet corn: Feel free to use fresh sweet corn if you prefer. You’ll need about 2.5 cups. You can also grill the corn for more flavor. Then remove from the cob and use it for the salsa. 
  • Red onion: You can use yellow onion for a more mild onion flavor if you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g

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

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Corn Salsa
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this along with the copy cat chipotle rice. It is spot on! So yummy! The corn has always been my favorite part of a burrito bowl. I did use frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe’s to make mine. MAKE THIS OR YOU’LL REGRET IT!

    1. Ah yay! This makes me so happy to hear! So glad this salsa was a hit, Laci! Thanks for the review and star rating. I so appreciate it!