Chipotle Copycat Roasted Corn Salsa

Up close view of a bowl of roasted chili corn salsa with charred corn, red onion, pepper, and cilantro.

Chipotle Copycat Roasted Corn Salsa

This easy roasted corn salsa has a little bit of heat and lots of flavor. Made with just a few ingredients - jalapeño, red onion, white corn, cilantro, lime and salt. It's the perfect addition to tacos, burritos, bowls or to serve as a side.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican American

Keyword copycat, corn, easy, meal prep, salsa, side dish

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 83kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

sharp knife
Cast iron skillet
cutting board
Mixing bowl
Citrus juicer

Ingredients

1 jalapeño pepper substitute for poblano pepper
¼ red onion finely chopped, about ¼ cup
2-3 ears of fresh white corn or 1 15 ounce can, or 1 package frozen corn
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime juiced
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

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