Chipotle Corn Salsa

This is a copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe…and it’s as fabulous as the ones you get from Chipotle Mexican Grill! This fresh and delicious corn jalapeños salsa is sweet and tangy, and slightly zesty from bits of jalapeños in there.

Serve as a side dish to your favorite Mexican dishes, or with tortilla chips as a dip!

If you like recipes like this corn jalapeño salsa, be sure to also check out my Easy Queso and Chunky Guacamole!

I used to eat a Chipotle twice a week when I was working in the corporate world and Chipotle was right down the street from me. I always get their Chicken Burrito Bowl and asked for double portion of their roasted chili corn salsa.

Because one portion of Chipotle Corn Salsa is just not enough!

These days I make my own, keep a big tub of it in my fridge, and snack on it like candy throughout the day.

I was very excited the day I realize how easy it is to make a copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa at home.

It calls for simple, pantry-friendly ingredients, and literally takes 10 minutes to cut up the vegetables and toss together all the ingredients.

Before you know it, you’ll be munching off tubs of Chipotle Corn Salsa from your fridge like I do!

What is Chipotle Corn Salsa Made Of?

Ingredients

This recipes calls for only the 8 pantry/fridge-friendly, easy to find ingredients. Because of that, every single ingredient plays an important role in bringing flavors and textures to this dish. Avoid skipping any ingredient if possible!

• frozen corn – you can also use canned corn (drain it well!), or corn kernels from fresh corn on the cob, or roasted corn.
• jalapeño pepper – this gives the corn salsa a bit of a kick. If you like your corn salsa less spicy, use less jalapeño, and if you like it more spicy, use more jalapeño. I know Chipotle called their salsa ‘roasted chili corn salsa’. You can definitely roast the jalapeño if you want to, but I find that it is not necessary. It tastes similar and just as good without roasting, it’s not worth the extra step. In fact, if you really want the roasted flavors, grab a bag of roasted corn instead and it’ll tastes very similar (without all the work on your part!)
• red onion – finely diced. This will also bring a slight kick to the dish, although not as much as jalapeño would. Reduce the amount used if you like your corn salsa very mild.
• cilantro – finely chopped
• lime juice – freshly squeezed lime juice brings the best flavors to this
• lemon juice – similarly, freshly squeezed lemon juice works the best as well
• salt – used to open up all the delicious flavors, and also to add some slight saltiness to the dish. Adjust accordingly and add more if needed.

How to make Chipotle Corn Salsa

Step 1 | Prepare ingredients

I typically use frozen corn or frozen roasted corn for this, and any frozen corn will have some moisture on it as it defrost.

I like to bring the frozen corn out from the freezer and let it defrost for 1-2 hours, and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Or you can place corn in a colander and run it with water, then pat dry it to remove the moisture, for a quicker defrosting method.

Defrosting is not a necessary step, but if you skip it there will be some additional moisture in your corn jalapeño salsa. If you don’t mind that, then don’t worry about defrosting the corn way and patting it dry.

You can also use canned corn (make sure to drain it), corn kernels fresh off the cob (raw or cooked), or (my favorite) use frozen roasted corn.

Frozen roasted corn are not available everywhere. I typically get mine from Trader Joe’s, and while Chipotle doesn’t use roasted corn in their recipe, roasted corn do give a nice, extra level of flavor to Corn Jalapeño Salsa.

As for prep for the other ingredients…

• chop red onions, jalapeño, and cilantro finely
• squeeze lime and lemon juice from fresh lime and lemon respectively

Step 2 | Mix to combine

Combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Use a spatula to mix everything to combine, avoid squishing corn kernels while doing so.

Step 3 | Serve with tortilla chips

When everything is combined, bring Chipotle Corn Salsa to a bowl, and serve with lots of tortilla chips.

If you didn’t defrost the frozen corn, let your Corn Jalapeño Salsa rest for a little while so that you are not biting into frozen corn.

Other ways to serve it

Besides serving with chips as a dip and appetizer, here are other ways to serve Chipotle Corn Salsa:

• as a side with your favorite Mexican inspired meals. Some of my favorite includes Mexican Chicken Casserole, Chicken Enchilada and Chipotle Chicken Tostadas.
• add to rice bowls such as Chicken Burrito Bowl, or rice side dish such as Instant Pot Mexican Rice
• add to tacos or tostadas. It will be so yummy on these: BBQ Chicken Tacos, Chipotle Chicken Tostadas, or Ground Beef Tacos.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

One of the many things I love about this Chipotle Corn Salsa is that you can totally make this ahead hours or even a day or two before you are serving it.

Make sure to store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to five days.

The longer it is stored, the more liquid will accumulate at the bottom, so drain access liquid before eating or serving if it has been stored for a few days.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Side Dishes/ Dips

Other dips and sides that I think you will love!

• Pico de Gallo Stuffed Avocado
• Easy Queso (Cheese Dip)
• Homemade Chunky Guacamole
• Avocado Corn and Black Bean Salsa
• Pineapple Mango Salsa