Chipotle corn salsa is a tasty recipe that makes a great side with various dishes like enchiladas or Mexican chicken soup. Chipotle’s corn salsa is a good option for any time of year. For instance, it is a great recipe for a summer backyard barbecue and an excellent addition to warm comfort foods in the fall.
What Is Chipotle Corn Salsa?
Chipotle, a fast-casual restaurant serving Mexican staples, shared their official corn salad recipe so that you can make this staple addition to bowls and burritos at home! The recipe that Chipotle shared is quick and easy to make.
Roasted Chili Corn Salsa, its official name, is a corn-based salad with citrus zest and red onions that add acidity to dishes heavy with slow-cooked meats or fatty avocado.
What Are the Needed Ingredients?
The ingredients for Chipotle Corn Salsa are simple, including:
- Corn
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Jalapeño
- Lime juice
- Salt
Corn
The primary ingredient in Chiptole’s Corn Salsa is…corn! The official recipe calls for white corn, a sweeter variety in the corn world. However, canned whole-kernel yellow corn is sometimes easier to find in your local grocery store, and it works just as well in this recipe.
Corn is also available fresh, canned, and frozen. Interestingly, Chipotle restaurants use frozen white corn, but again, you can make this recipe your own by experimenting with not only the type of corn and its preservation.
Sadly, one corn that does not work well is canned cream corn. The consistency is too mushy, even though creamed corn has a similar sweetness to white corn.
Cilantro
Next, you will need fresh cilantro—a common herb in Mexican cooking. The corn salsa recipe only calls for a small amount, but measure with your heart.
Onion
Red onion is a strong flavor and a critical ingredient in Chiptole’s corn salsa; this ingredient adds not only a pop of color but also a distinct acidity. A white or yellow onion could work in this salsa if you are working with pantry items, but it will taste slightly different than the preparation with red onion.
Jalapeño
Now, let’s kick up the spice level by adding jalapenño. Interestingly, Chipotle has waived on this ingredient in versions of this recipe, so de-seeding and dicing a fresh jalapeno will keep a spice kick in your corn salsa.
Another option the restaurant has offered is a roasted poblano pepper, which still provides the essence of pepper, but with less kick. If you’re feeling fancy, try using both diced fresh jalapeno and roasted poblano pepper!
Lime Juice
Lime juice is a necessity for corn salsa, and you can use either fresh lime justice or bottled juice. Some home cooks even believe that mixing some lime juice and lemon juice further enhances the flavor of your corn salsa.
Salt
Finally, sprinkle some salt to bring the dish together. I like to use pink Himalayan salt or a pinch of coarse rock salt, but table salt also works.
Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups White corn
- ¼ cups Diced jalapeño
- ½ cups Diced cilantro
- ½ cups Diced red onion
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 Tbsp Lime juice
Instructions
- To make a corn salsa, you will need a large bowl and a sharp knife. First, add your cups of corn to your large bowl.
- Dice your red onion and jalapeno peppers.
- To dice a vegetable, use a sharp knife, like a paring knife, to julienne the vegetables.
- Chop them into small squares. Ideally, the red onion and jalapenos should be about the same size as the kernels of corn.
- Add all your ingredients to the large bowl and toss to combine. While you can immediately serve the corn salsa, I think it is better after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Tips & Tricks for Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe
The following are some tried and true recipe tips to help you personalize the corn salsa to your preference.
Cilantro Tip
If you dislike cilantro, you can use another fresh green herb instead. Parsley is one of the closest options to cilantro, but fresh dill also works well in this recipe. You can also leave fresh herbs out of your corn salsa altogether.
Pepper Tip
If you want to add some pepper to your salsa, but do not like jalapeno, try dicing a green bell pepper. A bell pepper has a more earthy taste than a spice one and will complement the other flavors in the salsa.
Prepare in Advance
Prepare your corn salsa in advance. The salsa is more flavorful after being combined and refrigerated for 2 to 24 hours.
Spicy Salsa Trick
Want your salsa a little spicier? Try adding cumin and chipotle spices to your corn salsa for a little bit of heat. On the other hand, if you’d like to cool down your corn salsa, add about a fourth cup of sour cream.
Alternatives
If you do not have lime or lemon juice, a great alternative is a zesty Italian salad dress. The light and acidic dressing pairs well with corn and adds the needed flavor that lime juice usually would.
Nutrition Information of Chipotle Corn Salsa Recipe
There are approximately 40 calories in about a one-fourth serving of corn salsa. The same serving size has about nine grams of carbohydrates and one gram of protein. Chiptole’s corn salsa has a small amount of sodium and potassium.
Indeed, corn has many health advantages. Because corn is mostly insoluble fiber, it is digested slowly and does not cause a person’s blood sugar to spike unnecessarily.
Nutritionally, corn salsa adds fiber to your diet and is not adding a large sum of calories to your meal.
Conclusion
Chipotle Corn Salsa is a delicious addition to your recipe book. With a few simple ingredients and a few minutes, you can make a side dish that pairs well with Mexican staples like tacos, nachos, or a burrito bowl. Chiptole’s Corn Salsa is a great stand-alone side dish for a summer picnic, or you can pair it with your favorite autumnal chili.
What’s also fun about his corn salsa recipe is that you can make it your own! By experimenting with types of corn, different onions, and various peppers, you can create the best corn salsa for your taste buds!
Fast and easy too.
Loved this recipe
I personally think this dish needs a few things.