Grab fresh New England sweet corn and vegetables from the garden to make a batch of my Grilled Corn Salsa! Smoky, grilled vegetables create luscious flavor and a tender texture in this homemade salsa. It's right at home at backyard cookouts and weekend get-togethers.
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Though you might think of salsa as just an appetizer to tuck into with a big bowl of tortilla chips, you may just end up eating this salsa as a meal. It's that addictive!
This Grilled Corn Salsa Recipe combines fresh, sweet corn on the cob, tomatoes, sweet and spicy peppers, and onion. They're grilled until soft and flavorful, with mouthwatering smokiness and lovely grill marks.
One word of caution: you may find your neighbors peeking over the fence as you grill up all the veggies for this salsa. Just like with grilled Sausage, Peppers, and Onions, the scent of veggies on the grill is impossible to resist!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A smoky, homemade salsa featuring fresh New England sweet corn and garden vegetables, all charred on the grill for a caramelized and smoky flavor. It's a new backyard cookout staple that smells so good as it grills, your neighbors might juts peek over the fence to see what you're cooking!
- You'll love this part: You'll love how irresistible this salsa is! It's such a delicious addition to a casual weekend get-together or a weekend cookout. Eat it with chips or add some to burgers and grilled chicken.
- How it's made: Roast corn, peppers, and other vegetables on the grill until they're tender and lightly charred. Dice them and toss together with lime juice and seasonings.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this Grilled Corn Salsa
Not only is this a healthy salsa, made with loads of fresh vegetables, but it's also so incredibly flavorful—no jarred salsa can match it. The corn, tomatoes, and other veggies become soft, smoky, and caramelized after time on the hot grill. The vegetables are diced, then tossed with lime juice, cilantro, and seasonings.
If you like a an especially spicy salsa, just throw extra jalapeños or even habanero peppers into the mix. Customize this salsa even more by mixing in black beans or pinto beans, or add other spices like cumin or coriander.
Best of all, this corn and tomato salsa is a great choice to make ahead of time. It tastes even more delicious when the flavors are given time to meld after mixing. Making it in advance means it's easy to bring a bowlful to a backyard barbecue or summer potluck.
When it's sweet corn season in New England, you'll be so happy to have recipes like this one. The season is so brief, we need to find all the ways of eating that fresh corn that we can!
Use some salsa here!
Breakfast Enchiladas
Savory breakfast fans will love this make-ahead recipe: tortillas filled with eggs, sausage,
🔪 How to make Grilled Corn Salsa
Ingredients:
- Corn: Pick up fresh ears of corn, ideally some New England sweet corn when it's in season! The ears are shucked before going on the grill.
- Peppers: This salsa has a blend of fresh peppers. There are sweet red and green bell peppers, a poblano which is a mild chile pepper, and a jalapeño for some spicy heat. All the peppers should be firm with no shriveled spots.
- Tomatoes: My favorite salsa tomato is the Roma, a smaller tomato with an oblong shape. It has more flesh and less seeds to remove.
- Onion: You gotta have some onions in your salsa! My preference is red onion, because it adds extra color to the charred Corn Salsa. However, other onions can also be used, such as Spanish or yellow. They're cut into thick slices for grilling, then diced afterwards for the salsa.
- Olive oil: You can use other vegetable oils as well. The vegetables are coated in oil to help them soften and lightly char on the grill grates.
- Lime juice: A squeeze of fresh lime juice brings acidity to the salsa, as well as citrus flavor that pairs so well with the veggie flavors.
- Salt and pepper: A little salt and pepper brings the salsa together, and amplifies all of the flavors of the corn and tomato salsa.
- Cilantro: This is an optional addition to your salsa. I know how divisive this herb can be; I love cilantro, but my husband cannot eat it—all he can taste in this herb is soapiness! However, if you are a cilantro fan, its fresh flavor is the perfect finish in this grilled salsa.
Grill the vegetables
Coat the ears of corn and all the veggies with oil, then arrange them on a hot grill. Roast the veggies, turning them occasionally, until they're soft and lightly charred.
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Dice the veggies
Remove the skins from the peppers and tomatoes, then dice everything up. Slice the corn kernels from the cobs. Put the corn and diced veggies in a big bowl.
Finish the salsa
Add in lime juice, olive oil, and seasonings, and stir everything together. Serve the salsa right away, or give the flavors time to meld and serve it later.
🌽 Looking for more tasty corn recipes?
Grilled Corn Salsa FAQs
In my Grilled Corn Salsa recipe, the ears of corn cook through just fine even though the husks are removed. The ears of corn are coated in oil first, which helps seal in moisture in the corn kernels as they grill. The oil also helps the surface of the corn get a light sear and some char marks, which caramelizes the natural sugars in the corn and gives it a smoky flavor.
Our favorite way to eat Grilled Corn Salsa is simply scooped up with salty tortilla chips. However, there are other delicious ways, too! Use the corn and pepper salsa as a topping on burgers, or spooned over grilled and roast chicken. It's also delicious with fish dishes. Spoon this grilled salsa into tacos, and tuck some inside burritos, too.
For the best flavor and texture, enjoy the Grilled Corn Salsa within four days of making it. The salsa should be stored in a tightly sealed bowl in the refrigerator.
Tips:
- Use the freshest ears of sweet corn and vegetables you can find, since their flavor will be front and center in this salsa.
- I like using Roma tomatoes because they have less seeds and pulp.
- The salsa is just a little spicy, and you can make it spicier with additional or hotter peppers like habaneros or Thai chili peppers.
Alright, I think it's time to get grillin'! Gather up those vegetables, heat up the grill, and let's make us some mighty fine salsa!
The Grilled Corn Salsa recipe is below. Here are more salsa recipes you'll really dig:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Corn Salsa
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Ingredients
- 4 Roma tomatoes
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 poblano pepper
- 4 ears sweet corn (husks and silk removed)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice from 1 small lime)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 1¼ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Oil the vegetables:
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (This is for easier clean-up.)
- Have these things ready at the grill: another clean tray for the cooked vegetables, a large bowl, and plastic wrap.
- Place the 44 Roma tomatoes, 1 large green bell pepper, 1 large red bell pepper, 1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices,1 jalapeño pepper, 1 poblano pepper, and 4 ears sweet corn onto the lined baking sheet.
- Use a silicone brush to brush the 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over all the vegetables, turning them to coat all sides.
- Heat the grill to medium. Make sure the grates are clean and free of debris.
Grill the vegetables in stages:
- Place the oiled veggies directly onto the grill grates. Adjust the flames so that they are just under the veggies and not charring them. Close the cover.
- Grill the vegetables; use tongs to turn them often so that they cook evenly.
- After 7 minutes remove the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño and poblano pepper and place them into the large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap—this will trap the steam so that the vegetables will steam inside the bowl, and the skins will loosen.
- Grill the onion and corn for another 8 minutes. They should be evenly roasted, with some grill marks and just beginning to turn soft from cooking over the heat.
- Place them on the clean, waiting tray. Turn off the grill and bring the tray and the bowl inside to the prep area.
Remove the skins:
- Once the veggies in the bowl have steamed for about 15 minutes, cut the stem ends off the peppers and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, membranes, and extra liquid.
- Flatten the pepper halves, then peel off and discard the skins. Slice the peppers into small pieces and place them into a large clean bowl.
- Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, pulp and extra liquid. Peel off and discard the skins. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
Dice the veggies:
- Chop the red onion into small pieces and add to the bowl with the peppers and tomatoes.
Slice the corn from the cobs:
- Stand a cob vertically on its flat end on a cutting board. Hold it at the top and carefully slice straight down with a sharp knife to remove the kernels.
- Rotate and repeat around the cob. Add the corn and liquid from the corn kernels to the bowl.
Finish the salsa:
- Stir the vegetables together. Add to the bowl the 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, 1¼ teaspoons sea salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- The Grilled Corn Salsa can be served immediately or refrigerate for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld first.
- Cover and refrigerate the salsa for up to 4 days.
- The recipe makes about 5 cups.
Notes
- Use the freshest ears of sweet corn and vegetables you can find, since their flavor will be front and center in this salsa.
- I like using Roma tomatoes because they have less seeds and pulp.
- The salsa is just a little spicy, and you can make it spicier with additional or hotter peppers like habaneros or Thai chili peppers.
- Our favorite way to eat it is simply with salty tortilla chips, but it's very versatile: Use Grilled Corn Salsa as a topping on burgers or over grilled and roast chicken. It's delicious with fish dishes, over tacos, and tucked inside burritos, too.
Nutrition
Anonymous says
Such a fresh take! Sounds great!
Nancy Mock says
It's one of my favorites, I hope you get to try this salsa soon!
Kimberly Lewis says
Oh Yum! Pinned! Thanks for being a part of our party. Please come and party with us tonight at 7 pm. We love having you. http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls