This Roasted Chili Corn Salsa is a copycat of the corn salsa at Chipotle Mexican Grill, but in my opinion, it’s even better! I take this corn salsa a step further by roasting the corn too. It gives this spicy and sweet corn salsa a delicious grilled flavor. It’s the perfect appetizer or side for Mexican night!
The best roasted corn salsa
Fresh salsa is a great addition to dinner as an appetizer served with corn chips, a side dish to pair with the main course, or as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls, or quesadillas.
Try this roasted corn salsa, Mango Pico de Gallo, or Roasted Mango Habanero Salsa. If you need even more ideas, I rounded up 33 Fresh Garden Salsa Recipes so you can use some of that delicious summer produce.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Chipotle copycat, but better! Now you can have Chipotle’s corn salsa at home, but better! This recipe roasts the corn as well as the chilis for an extra layer of flavor. Plus homemade salsa is always better!
- Simple ingredients, big flavor. A few simple and fresh ingredients come together in this corn salsa for a delicious flavor. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy.
- Adjust the spice. You can adjust the spiciness of this salsa easily to fit everyone’s flavor preferences.
- Easy recipe! This roasted chili corn salsa recipe is pretty quick and easy to whip up. Just boil, roast, and mix!
Ingredients & Substitutions
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Spicy pepper - I used a jalapeño pepper, but you can substitute for poblano pepper too. Peppers can vary in spiciness, so taste your pepper before adding it to the corn salsa. If you want to make it more spicy, use the seeds. To make it less spicy, remove the seeds and scrape the inner membrane of the pepper.
- Red onion - The lime juice will mellow out the flavor of the red onion. Substitute for white onion.
- Fresh white corn - Fresh corn is just so good in the summer! You can use white or yellow corn. If you can’t get fresh corn, substitute for frozen corn or canned corn. Frozen corn will be the closest to fresh.
- Cilantro - Fresh cilantro is essential to the flavor of this chili corn salsa! If you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute for fresh parsley, chives, or green onion. It will change the flavor though.
- Fresh lime juice - I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice. Pick up an extra lime in case the lime isn't very juicy.
How to make roasted corn salsa
ROAST
Char the corn, peppers, and onion in a skillet.
MIX
Combine charred veggies with cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste
3 ways to roast chilis
- Over an open flame - If you have a gas range stove, you can roast the onion, pepper, and ears of corn over the flame. Using tongs, rotate the pepper, onion, and corn until it is blistered and charred.
- Under the broiler - Place onion, pepper, and corn kernels on a baking sheet, and set under the broiler for a few minutes until they are blistered and forming a char. Keep an eye on the vegetables, as the broiler can burn food quickly. You may need to rotate them halfway through.
- Stove top with a cast iron skillet - Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the corn, jalapeño, and onion to the pan and cook until browning and blistering. Work in batches if you need to.
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Ways to use roasted chili corn salsa
Salsa is a really versatile side dish. You can serve it in so many ways! Here are a few ideas for serving this copycat Chipotle corn salsa recipe.
- On taco salad
- As a side dish with black beans and pulled pork
- On a taco bar with Mango Pico de Gallo for taco night
- Makes a great side dish for Chimichurri Shrimp Tacos
- On a burrito or in burrito bowls
- Serve with perfectly cooked chicken breasts as a side dish
- As an appetizer with tortilla chips
- Add to quesadillas or enchiladas
Expert Tips
- Get that perfect char. Pat the corn kernels and jalapeño peppers dry before roasting them so they can get a good char.
- BE CAREFUL. Use caution when roasting chili peppers! The vapors could burn your eyes and throat, so stay away from the steam.
- Use protection. I always use gloves when handling spicy peppers to prevent getting any spicy juice on my hands.
- Make it ahead of time. You can prepare this roasted corn salsa 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator and come to room temperature or warm up before serving.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers: Store leftover chili corn salsa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
How to freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this fresh salsa.
How to reheat: Reheat this salsa in the microwave, or in a nonstick skillet on medium heat until warmed throughout.
Variations
- Adjust the spiciness. Use more jalapeños or roasted poblanos to add more spice to your salsa. Leave the seeds and membranes intact for more spice. Scrape out the seeds and inner membrane if you want to make it milder.
- Add more veggies. You can add more to this salsa if you like. Try a red bell pepper, diced tomatoes, diced mango, or green bell peppers.
- Add cheese. Cheese makes everything better. This corn salsa would be great with crumbled cotija cheese mixed in.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Chipotle uses white corn for their roasted chili corn salsa, but you can choose to use either for this recipe.
You can serve corn salsa warm, room temperature, or cold. I like to serve it warm or room temperature, especially if using it as a topping for tacos or burrito bowls so it keeps the rest of your dish warm. Chipotle serves it cold though.
This chili corn salsa is mildly spicy, but you can easily adjust the spice level by adding more or less of the chili peppers.
I think jalapeños or poblano peppers are the best for making chili corn salsa. They bring some heat without being overwhelmingly spicy.
More taco & salsa recipes
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Chipotle Copycat Roasted Corn Salsa
Equipment
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Citrus juicer
Ingredients
Instructions
- BOIL: If you are using fresh corn, set a large pot of salted water to boil. Shuck the corn, and boil for about 5 minutes. Cut the corn from the cob. Drain and pat dry.
- ROAST: Heat the skillet to high heat. Char the pepper, onion, and corn without any oil until blistering. *See notes for roasting with flame or broiler.
- CHOP: Once pepper and onion are charred, seed the jalapeño and finely dice. Finely dice the red onion.
- MIX: Combine jalapeño, red onion, corn, cilantro and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- SERVE: Serve cold, room temperature, or warm as a side dish, or in burritos, tacos, quesadillas, etc.
Notes
- For step 1, If you are using canned corn, drain the corn, and pat dry. If you are using frozen corn, defrost the corn by rinsing under cold water, drain, and pat dry.
- You can roast the pepper 2 other ways:
- Over an open flame - If you have a gas stove, roast the jalapeño, onion, and corn cobs over the flame using tongs until blistered.
- Under the broiler - Roast the jalapeño, onion, and corn kernels on a baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes until blistered. Keep an eye on them, as the broiler can burn food very quickly.
- Use caution when roasting chili peppers! The vapors could burn your eyes and throat, so stay away from the steam.
- I like serving this roasted corn salsa warm as a topping so it doesn’t make the rest of your food cold.
- Make it ahead of time. You can prepare this corn salsa 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator and come to room temperature or warm up before serving.
- How to store leftovers: Store leftover chili corn salsa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- How to freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this fresh salsa.
- How to reheat: Reheat this salsa in the microwave, or in a nonstick skillet on medium heat until warmed throughout.
Nutrition
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