Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Homemade black bean and corn salsa is fresh and vibrant, with black beans, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, red onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and creamy avocado. It takes just minutes to chop and assemble, making it the perfect healthy appetizer for barbecues, potlucks, and summer gatherings.

I originally shared this recipe years ago after a busy holiday weekend filled with birthday parties and grilling, and it remains one of my absolute favorites for informal get-togethers. It’s incredibly fresh, perfectly tangy, and so easy to throw together.

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Black Bean and Corn Salsa Ingredients

You only need a few simple, fresh ingredients to make a massive bowl of this crowd-pleasing dip. Obviously, you can adapt this to your preferences (like my son who has the cilantro soap gene), but this gives you an idea of not just what we include by why we include each ingredient.

• Black beans: I prefer cooking dry beans from scratch for the best texture, but you can absolutely use canned beans to save time.
• Fresh Tomatoes: You can carefully seed them if you want a less watery salsa, or be lazy like me and just cut them in half before chopping them into half-inch pieces.
• Red onion: You want about 3/4 of a cup chopped, which gives the salsa the perfect sharp bite. If you soak your red onion in cool water for a half hour before you add it, this removes some of the bite while retaining the flavor.
• Fresh cilantro: This is essential for that classic, bright salsa flavor.
• Frozen corn: There’s no need to cook it first! It thaws perfectly as the salsa chills in the fridge.
• Limes: Fresh lime juice brightens the whole bowl and helps keep the avocado green.
• Avocado: Adds a creamy texture that beautifully balances the acidity of the lime and tomatoes.
• Salt: Start with about a half teaspoon, and season to your taste.

How to Make Black Bean and Corn Salsa

If you’re using dry beans, soak them overnight. The next day, drain and rinse them a couple of times.

Fill a pot with water about an inch over the beans and simmer for two to three hours until tender. Drain them well and add them to a large mixing bowl.

If you’re using canned beans, simply rinse, drain, and dump them in. Dry beans are cheaper, but canned ones are so easy.

Chop the tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. The tomato should be in about half-inch chunks. While I seed my tomatoes if I use beefsteak or other large tomatoes, I’m often lazy and skip this step with Roma or grape tomatoes.

You want your red onion diced, and just rough chop the cilantro. Add these to the cooled beans along with the frozen corn, and stir gently to mix. Add the fresh lime juice and salt, and stir again.

Finally, slice your avocados into the same size pieces as your tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Stir gently one last time to coat the avocado with the lime juice and distribute it throughout the salsa. Be careful not to break the avocado chunks up too much.

Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors marry. Serve it straight from the fridge or at room temperature, but because of the avocados, you want to eat this the same day you make it.

Can You Make This Salsa Ahead of Time?

You can easily prep the base of this salsa a day in advance. Simply mix the beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Because avocado can get mushy and turn brown as it sits, wait to chop and gently fold in the avocado until right before you are ready to serve it.

What to Serve with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

This salsa is fantastic served the exact same day you make it with your favorite tortilla chips. If you want a lighter option, try scooping it up with thick slices of cucumber. That’s how I can justify eating the entire bowl myself.

This salsa also makes a fantastic topping for grilled chicken, fish tacos, or burrito bowls for an easy weeknight dinner.

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