Move over, Pico! This easy homemade spicy corn salsa has arrived! This healthy and delicious salsa recipe is the perfect summer dish for any cookout and comes with a nice kick. Serve it with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos, or salads! It takes just 10 minutes to prepare and will be sure to impress your guests at any party or family get together.
I've always been a huge fan of salsa - but when I first had corn salsa, it was a total game changer. The corn makes it more filling, gives it a little sweetness, and adds more texture. This recipe has definitely become one of my family's summertime favorites throughout the years!
It's not too spicy or hot to enjoy with your friends at a backyard BBQ or potluck dinner. Plus, there are so many options for adding different ingredients like black beans, avocado, vegan cheese, or nutritional yeast.
I love my corn salsa with a kick so this recipe uses Serrano peppers but for a milder salsa with less heat, use jalapeños! This recipe is easy to make and is super customizable! It has a ton of flavor and makes the perfect side dish or topping for any night!
Total Time
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Corn
- Red onion
- Serrano pepper or jalapeño
- Fresh tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Lime juice
How to make homemade corn salsa
- Prepare all the ingredients. Dice the tomatoes and onions, chop the cilantro, then seed and finely chop the Serrano or jalapeño peppers.
- Mix all of the ingredients with the seasonings in a medium bowl and stir well.
- For a better taste, place in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 mins. The flavors come out more after it sits.
- Serve with fresh tortilla chips or use as a topping to your tacos, salads, or burrito bowls. Enjoy!
Tips For Success
- Make sure to use gloves if you want to avoid the burn when cutting the spicy peppers.
- If you want even more spice, add some of the seeds from the Serrano or jalapeño peppers. It'll be sure to give it more kick!
- Add some cooked black beans to make this salsa more hearty and maybe some fresh avocado to balance out the flavors.
- If you want a more flavorful dish, try grilling your corn on the cob first! You can also use canned or frozen corn that's been cooked if you're in a pinch.. but fresh is always best!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any longer than that and the tomatoes become too mushy.
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Mixing bowl
Easy Homemade Spicy Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 large corn on the cob (or 15oz canned or frozen corn)
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, diced
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- salt to taste
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Dice the tomatoes and onions, chop the cilantro, then seed and finely chop the Serrano or jalapeño peppers.
- Mix all of the ingredients with the seasonings in a medium bowl and stir well.
- For a better taste, place in the fridge to marinate for 20-30 mins. The flavors come out more after it sits.
- Serve with fresh tortilla chips or use as a topping to your tacos, salads, or burrito bowls. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
* This nutrition card is calculated by a third party app and is only an estimate. The numbers will vary based on the specific ingredient amounts and brands you use in making this recipe.
Did you try this recipe?
Please let me know how this Easy Homemade Spicy Corn Salsa turned out for you! Leave a comment and rating below and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter if you want to receive recipes, meal plans, and special offers in your inbox.
Hi! I'm the founder of Speak Veggie To Me, a fun health and food blog where I share my favorite mouthwatering vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Michael
Loving this corn salsa! It reminds me of the salsa I get at chipotle! I could eat this all day!
Addie
So many bold flavors! Yum!
Katie Youngs
I'm adding this to my list of ways to use up fresh summer corn!
Kristen
This was so good! Love the spicy flavor!
Mindee
Didn't even need chips! Ate it right out of the bowl with a spoon!
Sharon
I've been looking for fresh corn recipes and this one is so good! Great on top of tacos or as a side to enchiladas.
Jacqueline Meldrum
That would go so well with the Enchiladas I just shared. I am going to add a link to these in my post.
Anjali
I love this corn salsa! It's spicy and fresh and a fun way to change things up from regular salsa! Served this with our tacos tonight and it was delicious!
Chef Dennis
My sons will surely love this salsa.
Amanda
So delicious and the perfect amount of spice!
Alexandra
Love how fresh and delicious this salsa is!
Crystal Yentzen
This is the perfect summer dip! Thanks so much!
Emily
This Easy Homemade Spicy Corn Salsa is the perfect side for summer dishes! Thanks for sharing this fresh and delicious recipe. So flavorful!
Julia
I love salsas like this, all those lovely flavours from the spices and the texture of the corn. Make such a great salad for a gathering or alongside wraps. This is one I need to try. Thank you for sharing.
Natalie
This salsa looks fantastic! Refreshing and tasty. I will give your recipe a try. Definitely 🙂
Kayla DiMaggio
Girlll, this corn salsa is calling my name! It was so fresh and delicious! I loved it so much that I am bringing it to a BBQ tomorrow!
Freya
Corn salsa is the bomb and this is the perfect recipe for using up some corn I’ve got shaming me in the fridge!
Danielle Wolter
This was so delicious and easy to make! What a fresh tasting salsa.
Gus
I loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing! I think I am having this for lunch! I have all the ingredients and seems like my perfect summer dish! I will be adding some black beans as suggested for a protein kick as I just came back from running!
Daniela Weiner
A must addition to every summer meal! So good!
Helen
This looks so fresh and tasty! A great summer dish.
Jeannette
I just love how I can use fresh ingredients and keep it light for every meal! The spices work so well!
Dannii
I love different twists on salsa and this corn version looks amazing.