Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)
This Corn Salsa tastes just like the famous Chipotle corn salsa, but even fresher and more flavorful! Made with sweet charred corn, roasted poblano pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion, this easy copycat recipe is bright, smoky, zesty, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, or scooping up with tortilla chips.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper
- 4 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- ½ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
- ½ - 1 jalapeño finely diced
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Char the poblano: Roast the poblano pepper over a gas flame, under the broiler, or in a dry skillet until charred all over and the skin is completely blackened. Transfer to a bowl and cover for 5 to 10 minutes. The trapped steam helps loosen the skin so it peels off easily.
- Prep the poblano: Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers or a paper towel to gently peel off and discard the skin, remove the seeds, and finely dice the pepper. Don't rinse the pepper, as that removes the smoky charred flavor.
- Cook the corn: If using frozen corn, add it to a large dry skillet over high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until thawed and lightly charred.If using fresh corn, shuck the corn and carefully slice off the kernels. Add the kernels to a dry skillet over high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until lightly charred, stirring occasionally.
- Mix the salsa: Add the charred corn, roasted poblano, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a bowl. Stir well to combine.
- Chill and serve: For the best flavor, refrigerate until chilled before serving.
Notes
Frozen corn works great: Chipotle restaurant actually uses frozen corn, so don’t feel like you need fresh corn for authentic flavor. I almost always use frozen myself.
Adjust the spice: Remove the jalapeño seeds and membranes for a milder salsa, or add extra jalapeño for more heat.
The char adds flavor: Charring both the corn and poblano adds smoky flavor and helps recreate the classic Chipotle-style taste. Once charred, don’t rinse the pepper, you want to keep that smoky flavor. It’s ok if a few blackened bits make it into the salsa, they add flavor!
Serving ideas: Great in burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, quesadillas, or served with tortilla chips.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Best served cold: This salsa tastes most like the Chipotle version once chilled.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Find it online:
https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/corn-salsa/Scan the QR code for updates, tips, and to ask me any questions!
