Whenever I go to Chipotle for burritos or a taco salad, their corn salsa is my favorite topping. This recipe is a copycat recipe for that famous Chipolte Corn Salsa.
Chipotle’s Corn Salsa is a spicy, tangy mixture of corn, onions, cilantro, garlic, and chili peppers (both jalapeño and roasted poblano pepper). I’m told it’s also the most popular menu item on the chain’s website. That I totally believe!
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I like to add this corn salsa, instead of traditional tomato salsa, to burritos, nachos with either chips or pork skins, grilled chicken, chilaquiles, or any of your favorite Mexican dishes! This is one of those easy recipes that adds a burst of flavor to so many things. Plus it’s gluten-free
Chipolte Corn Salsa Recipe
If you want to save money on visits to your neighborhood Chipotle and keep your kitchen stocked with healthier foods for your favorite recipes, then this salsa recipe will help! It has all the taste and textures you crave without spending money going out to eat!
Try this easy salsa recipe with one of these other recipes:
- Best Carne Asada Recipe for Tacos
- New York Strip Steak Recipe with Rosemary Garlic Butter
- Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas Casserole
- Fire Up The Party with these Shrimp Tacos
- Southwest Chicken Salad with Roasted Poblano Dressing
- Walking Tacos
What is Chipolte Corn Salsa Made of?
- Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen)
- Roasted Poblano Peppers
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh Cilantro
- Red Onion
- Lime Juice
- Lemon Juice
- Ground Cumin
- Sea Salt
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions
Cilantro – If you don’t have fresh cilantro, use can substitute fresh parsley or omit it entirely.
Poblano peppers – This is a mild chili pepper that adds a lot of flavor. If you don’t have fresh poblanos, you can substitute a 4.5 ounce can of Chopped Green Chiles. If you want more heat, substitute for jalapeño with the seeds or serrano pepper.
Corn – This is the key ingredient and you can use either fresh corn or frozen corn. If you use fresh corn it will help keep your salsa from becoming too runny. If you use frozen, be sure to thaw and drain the liquid before adding it in with the other ingredients. You can use either sweet white corn or yellow corn. If using fresh corn and want added flavor, roast the corn with the peppers on a grill.
Ground Cumin – This recipe calls for ground cumin but you could substitute with whole seeds and toast them before adding to the salsa. After toasting, be sure to grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. If you don’t have either, you can substitute with ground coriander.
Serving Size for this recipe – This recipe yields about 2 1/2 cups of salsa, which is enough to serve as a topping for 6-8 burritos or as the perfect appetizer served with corn chips.
Modifications – It’s easy to change up this recipe depending on what you are in the mood for. Here are some ideas of different add-ins:
- 1/2 cup chopped tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped avocado
- 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
- 1 cup black beans, drained
Roasted Chili Corn Salsa
Often times, I’ll make a double bath of this roasted chile corn salsa and add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes oe halves cheery tomatoes and 1 cup of drained black beans. The added vegetable and protein make it a great lunch all on its own.
What if you don’t like spicy food?
If you don’t like spicy food, look for mild jalapeño peppers and remove the seeds and inner membrane which is where the heat is. You can also substitute green bell peppers if you like.
How do you make Chipolte Corn Salsa?
- Roast the poblano peppers by placing it on a baking sheet and roasting at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally to cook evenly. You can also roast the poblano directly over an open flame using tongs to hold it like a marshmallow. Once roasted, set aside and allow to cool off.
- While the poblanos are cooling, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño if you want a milder salsa. If you want a medium heat salsa, leave the membrane but discard the seeds.
- Chop the roasted poblano pepper along with garlic and jalapeño pepper and add to a medium bowl.
- Dice the red onion and cilantro. Add to bowl with the peppers.
- Next step, add corn kernels and toss them together.
- In a separate small bowl, add lemon juice, lime juice, ground cumin, and sea sale. Stir well so that the flavors are blended and add to the corn mixture.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
Can you freeze corn salsa?
Yes, you can freeze corn salsa for up to 3 months when stored in an air-tight container.
To freeze this fresh salsa, it makes sense to make a big batch. Just double or triple this easy recipe, then transfer everything into freezer bags or containers making sure there is no air space for an even mixture of flavors and sauces when it freezes which can separate out with time (we don’t want that).
To thaw for use: Let refrigerated overnight.
Copycat Chipolte Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Corn Kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Large Roasted Poblano Pepper
- 2 Jalapeño Peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 2 Cloves of Garlic
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Small Red Onion, chopped (above 1/2 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- Sea Salt to taste
Instructions
- Roast the poblano peppers by placing it on a baking sheet and roasting at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally to cook evenly. You can also roast the poblano directly over an open flame using tongs to hold it like a marshmallow. Once roasted, set aside and allow to cool off.
- While the poblanos are cooling, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño if you want a milder salsa. If you want a medium heat salsa, leave the membrane but discard the seeds.
- Chop the roasted poblano pepper along with garlic and jalapeño pepper and add to a medium bowl.
- Dice the red onion and cilantro. Add to bowl with the peppers.
- Next step, add corn kernels and toss them together.
- In a separate small bowl, add lemon juice, lime juice, ground cumin, and sea sale. Stir well so that the flavors are blended and add to the corn mixture.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 51Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
For more copycat recipes and great ideas, try these recipes:
- Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha
- Starbucks Egg Bites with Bacon and Gruyere
- Rudy’s BBQ Coleslaw
- Disney Dole Whip (Pineapple Ice Cream)
This roasted chili corn salsa is full of fresh flavors and really easy to make. It’s amazing how just a few simple ingredients adds such a punch. Try it today on taco salads, homemade chipotle burrito bowls, chicken street tacos, fish tacos, or serve solo with homemade tortilla chips.
What would you serve this easy corn salsa recipe with? Let us know in the comments below or share a photo on Instagram and tag us @lilfamadventure. We’d love to see it.
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