Easy Summer Corn Salsa

5 from 3 votes

Dip into a fresh bowl of corn salsa or serve it on the side or on top of your favorite Mexican foods or salads. Grilled Corn on the cob and diced fresh veggies tossed together in a melody of yum!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Sauces, Dips & Dressings

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 79kcal

Author: Kathy Carmichael

Ingredients

4 ears corn on the cob or 4 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 jalapeno stem and seeds removed, diced small
1 red bell pepper diced small
½ red onion diced small
4 limes juiced+ the zest of 2 limes
½ cup cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Corn marinade if grilling

2 tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon hot sauce of choice
2 teaspoons of cumin

Instructions

Grilling/Cooking the Corn

Remove the husks from the corn and rinse corn.
Place corn in a ziplock bag or container with 2 Tablespoons of lime juice, 1 Tablespoon of hot sauce of choice, and 2 teaspoons of cumin.
Marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Next, heat the grill to medium-low and grill the corn for 15 minutes, rotating the corn every 5 minutes, with the cover of the grill closed between rotations.
Allow cooling before cutting the corn from the husks.
If you don't own a grill, don't despair; boil fresh corn for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water with a little salt.
If you desire, add the ingredients from the marinade to the salsa, but only add a teaspoon of hot sauce. Most cooks off while grilling.
Although I prefer the charred, grilled flavor, frozen and canned corn works as well.
If using frozen corn, cook it first. Canned corn does not need to be cooked.
Again, if using frozen or canned, consider adding the ingredients from the marinade to the salsa, except adjusting the amount of hot sauce, which should be reduced to 1 teaspoon.

Making the Salsa

Cut the corn away from the husks and transfer the corn to a bowl.
Add the other diced vegetables and cilantro.
Dress with lime juice and lime zest and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
It's best to allow the salsa to chill to enhance the flavors for a few hours.
Then, stir and taste again, adjusting for salt and pepper again.

Notes

Always wear gloves when working with jalapeno peppers.
I suggest using a vegetable chopper as a time-saver, as well as a way to dice vegetables the same size.
I prefer using fresh garlic and limes for the best flavor.
Marinating the corn overnight helps it absorb flavors before grilling.
If using canned or frozen corn, I suggest adding ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke to get the smokey flavor missing from the grill.
Making corn salsa ahead of time and letting it marinate and chilling the refrigerator allows the flavors to enhance.
Corn salsa will stay fresh fro 5 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition