This Sweet Corn Salsa is loaded with summer flavor in every bite. A blend of sweet corn, smoky bacon, and caramelized onions, it’s a crowd-pleasing snack to serve with chips or a topping for your favorite grilled dishes.
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Salsas are one of my all-time favorite snacks, especially creative corn salsas like this one! Sweet Corn Salsa is made with caramelized onions and diced smoky bacon. Blended with fresh sweet corn, the ingredients come together to create a unique salsa that's sweet, salty, and savory—a really delectable combination!
Do like my family and I do and dig into this corn salsa recipe with tortilla chips for a snack. Or, set out some at your next cookout and spoon this salsa onto burgers and hotdogs, or into soft rolls with grilled sausages.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A heaping bowl of my favorite Sweet Corn Salsa, a summery blend of fresh sweet corn, smoky bacon, and caramelized onions—with a nod to New England producers.
- You'll love this part: It's a crowd-pleasing salsa that's also versatile We love it with chips, and it's also delicious on burgers or folded into omelets.
- How it's made: Cook fresh ears of corn, and slowly caramelize sweet onions. Toss the two together with cooked bacon and savory spices.
Jump to:
It sounds corny, but I do love corn
I do so love corn salsas, and this has led to some experimentation with corn salsa over the years. Grilled Corn Salsa is one recipe I came up with, and is exactly what it sounds like: the corn and every veggie in it are grilled. Chopped Taco Salad and Grilled Corn and Jalapeno Queso Dip are two other recipes born from playing around with corn.
And then there's this: Sweet Corn Salsa. The flavors in this salsa are mellow but very savory. It's sweet and also a little salty from the bacon.
Sweet onions are key to this recipe; when they're cooked down and caramelized, they bring a lovely balance with the salty and spicy notes of this salsa.
More corn love!
Chilled Corn Soup
It's a smooth and creamy dish for summer lunches and summer dinners.
Why you'll love this salsa recipe
Just imagine all the flavor that's packed into this salsa: fresh, sweet corn sliced right off the cob, together with smoky bacon and sweet, caramelized Vidalia onions. There's a little heat, too.
It's delicious with grilled meats, and we also love to dig into it with a pile of tortilla chips! My husband folded some of this salsa into a fluffy omelet. And this salsa will take average nachos up to a whole new level.
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It's corn!
Fair-Style Corn on the Cob
It's so good with butter and salt!
🔪 How to make Sweet Corn Salsa
Ingredients:
- Sweet corn: Pick up fresh ears of corn for this recipe for the best flavor. Summer sweet corn is ideal! If corn on the cob is not in season or not available, use a quality brand of frozen corn instead.
- Sweet onion: Varieties of sweet onion include Vidalia and Walla Walla. As the name suggests, they're slightly less acidic than regular onions, and get extra sweet when they're caramelized.
- Bacon: I like to use a good, smoky bacon in this salsa, especially local brands like Dakin Farms from Vermont or North Country Smokehouse of New Hampshire.
- Olive oil: To sauté the onions, use quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Spices: Chili powder adds more savory flavor, plus a little heat. I also add a little salt to the salsa, though not too much since the bacon is salty.
Cook the corn
Place the ears of corn into boiling water and cook them for about 20 minutes.
Cook the onion
Dice the Vidalia onion, then add them to a pan with a little oil. Cook down the onions over low heat until they're soft and caramelized.
Slice the corn
Slice the cooked corn kernels off the cobs and add them to a bowl with the cooked onions.
Finish the salsa
Add in diced bacon and the seasonings, then stir everything together. Enjoy the salsa warm if you can!
Try this Corn, Vidalia Onion, and Bacon salsa with your favorite meal—that is if you can keep from eating the whole, warm bowl in one sitting!
The Sweet Corn Salsa recipe is below, and here are a few other salsa recipes:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Sweet Corn Salsa
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Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed
- 1 large Vidalia sweet onion (about 1 lb.)
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and drained
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cook the corn
- Bring water that is deep enough to cover the corn to a boil in a large pot. When the water comes to a boil place the corn in the water.
- Cook the corn for 15 to 20 minutes until kernels are cooked, but still crisp. Use tongs to remove the corn to a plate and allow the corn to rest while prepping the other ingredients.
Prepare the onions:
- While the corn is cooking, remove the papery outer skin from the onion. Finely dice the onion.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion. Saute the onions, stirring them often for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook the onions for 20 minutes more, stirring them occasionally as they brown and soften.
- Remove the pan from the stove and spoon the onions with any drippings into a large bowl.
Add ingredients to the bowl:
- Hold an ear of corn on its flat end on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice through the kernels from the tip down, and repeat this around the whole cob to remove all the cooked corn.
- Repeat these steps with the rest of the corn, then add the kernels to the bowl with the onions.
- Chop the cooked bacon on a cutting board into small pieces, and then add these to the bowl, too.
- Sprinkle the chili powder and salt over the contents of the bowl.
Stir and serve:
- Stir everything together making sure the spices are well distributed.
- Serve this salsa while it is still warm with tortilla chips. It's also a delicious condiment on burgers and hot dogs, and on grilled chicken.
- Leftover salsa can be stored in a covered dish for up to three days. The recipe makes about 4 cups.
Nutrition
Anonymous says
This combo of sweet corn, mellow onions, and crispy bacon sounds like absolute magic. I can’t wait to try it with grilled chicken or piled on chips!
Nancy Mock says
You won't be disappointed!