This black bean and corn salad is a fresh mix of black beans, corn, red peppers, jalapeno and avocado, all tossed in a zesty cilantro lime dressing. An easy salad that’s the perfect side dish for any meal!
Black bean salad is full of different flavors and textures, and makes a great side dish. You can even serve it as a dip for chips or as a topping for grilled meats or fish. This salad is perfect with entrees like grilled pork chops, shrimp kabobs or baked chicken wings.
I love this time of year when all the fresh foods come into season. One of my favorite dishes to make is this black bean and corn salad. With fresh avocados, red peppers, corn, and jalapeno, it feels like a veggie lover’s dream.
This is one of my favorite summer salads along with watermelon salad, strawberry spinach salad and burrata salad.
Table of Contents
Black Bean and Corn Salad Ingredients
To make this black bean and corn salad you will need two cans of black beans, corn kernels, a red onion, a red bell pepper, an avocado and a jalapeno pepper. For the dressing you will need cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Black Bean and Corn Salad?
To make this black bean salad, start by mixing together in a large bowl black beans, corn, diced red bell pepper, diced avocado and minced jalapeno. In a second bowl make the cilantro lime dressing by whisking together chopped cilantro leaves, olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together for delicious dish.
Tips For The Perfect Salad
- Gently toss your salad with dressing to keep all the ingredients in good shape.
- I prefer to juice my own limes for this recipe instead of purchasing lime juice. If you juice your own limes, look for limes that are a little soft so that they have a lot of juice.
- You can make this black bean salad up to a day in advance. However, you’ll want to leave the avocado out initially, and then add it in with everything else once you’re ready to serve so the avocado doesn’t turn brown an mushy.
- This recipe contains one jalapeno. If you’re looking for a mild taste, remove the jalapeno seeds and ribs before you mince the pepper. If you love your spice, leave the seeds and ribs in and enjoy that extra kick of heat!
Quick Tip
Look for a firm, but ripe avocado so that you can dice the avocado without it getting mushy.
Recipe FAQs
It’s actually pretty easy to convert black bean and corn salad into salsa. It’s all the same ingredients, you’ll just want to chop them up finely. Whether turned into a salsa or left as is, it’s delicious served on the top of tacos, with tortilla chips, or over a piece of grilled chicken breast.
This black bean and corn salad is vegetarian. You can even enjoy this salad as a vegetarian main dish. If you remove the honey, it’s also a vegan dish. Between the protein in the beans and the healthy fat in the avocado, this is a salad that will keep you full for a long time.
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Flavor Variations
This black bean and corn salad recipe makes a delicious salad that the whole family will love. However, you can change the flavors to suit your taste!
- Garlic: Add some extra flavor to your salad adding a teaspoon of minced garlic to your dressing.
- Veggies: You can add your favorites veggies like sliced green onions, diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes or add diced celery or carrots for extra crunch.
- Grains: You can make your salad more hearty with cooked grains like quinoa or farro. You could also serve this salad with rice on the side.
- Cheese: Top your salad with cotija cheese, feta cheese or shredded cheddar cheese.
I love that this dish is full of so many flavors and textures. Not only that but it’s fresh and healthy which hits the spot for the warmer months. It’s the perfect summer dish because it can become more than just a side dish, it can be anything you want it to be!
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Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels fresh, frozen or canned
- 1/4 cup red onion minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 avocado peeled, pit removed and diced
- 1 jalapeno ribs and seeds removed, then minced
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the black beans, corn, red onion, red bell pepper, avocado and jalapeno in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the beans and vegetables and toss gently to coat. Serve.
Notes
- Look for a firm, but ripe avocado so that you can dice the avocado without it getting mushy.
- Gently toss your salad with dressing to keep all the ingredients in good shape.
- I prefer to juice my own limes for this recipe instead of purchasing lime juice. If you juice your own limes, look for limes that are a little soft so that they have a lot of juice.
Is there a substitute for cilantro?
You could use green onions!
I started my fitness meal plan. My wife and I prepared this and it was delicious. It looks like it produced about 10-12 cups of salad. I was just curious how many cups of finished salad are represented in your nutrition information? Thank you in advance.
I made this salad several times now, and it has become one of my wife’s and my favorites. What a combination of great flavors, and it is also a healthy side dish. I follow your recipe, except I only use one can of the black beans so the corn and beans are equal in the salad. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Everyone loved this recipe. I didn’t have cilantro so I used parsley. Definitely a keeper
For the nutritional facts what is the serving size?
It’s 1 1/2 cups!
This answered my question above. Thank you!
I thought this would be obvious but you may want to include the canned bean size. There are different sizes. I have both 15.25 oz and 7.75 oz in my pantry right now. I plan to use fresh beans but I need to know how much so I can do the conversion.
It’s a 15 ounce can. Where do you live? I’ve never actually seen 7 ounce cans of beans here in California!
I live in Canada and have in front of me a 540 ml can and a 398 ml can. This translates to 18.26 oz and 13.46 oz. (I guess if I use both it will be close to 2 x 15 oz cans.) I second that it would be helpful if you state the can size in your ingredients list. I’d still have to do the conversion but I wouldn’t least know what I was converting from. Looks like a great recipe! Thanks!
A typical can of black beans in America is 15 ounces, so I’d use the 398 ml can!
Made this salad yesterday was very refreshing.
Have made this recipe many times. My family loves it. It keeps for a couple days in the fridge.
I have made the black bean corn salad twice. Everyone that have eaten it love it as I do too! Thank you very much for sharing it. (I used the red extra ‘hot’ ground chili pepper. It added a zesty bite
.)
I haven’t combined everything but it’s all mise en place. I also used a poblano pepper instead of bell pepper and added a little mint because I have it. Once it’s combined, if I put the avocado only in what I’m serving, how long will it keep in the fridge in an airtight container? Couple of days?
It should last for 3 days!
Really dumb question, but the recipe is not clear on the preparation…
Do you cook the beans from the can first, and if you use frozen corn, do you cook it too or just let it thaw???
Canned beans are already pre-cooked, so you just drain, rinse and you’re ready to use. The frozen corn is also pre-cooked so it just needs to thaw before use.
I add a Mango, a squeeze of two fresh limes and cucumber. Fantastic with a Pork Roast and Tacos.
Great idea I am making it for a party tomorrow adding mango.
Thanks
I brought this to a potluck and ended up sending the last serving home with a friend so she could enjoy more. It was one of the few dishes that was completely consumed at the end of a bountiful potluck. Just made it a second time and used the wrong recipe (couldn’t remember which I had used). The second time was good, but different. Definitely preferred this one. I’ll bookmark it this time!
Okay to use green onion instead of red onion? I don’t always keep red onion around.
So glad you liked it! Green onions should work just fine.
Love this Salad! I add coleslaw mix, (cabbage), and roll it up in a tortilla for an easy lunch/dinner. My husband thinks it’s even better the next day-great to have a salad you can eat over a few days!
Will the salad stay fresh for 2 days in the frig?
Yes if you omit the avocado and add it in before serving.
Fabulous and flexible salad. People ALWAYS ask me to bring it to potluck dinners. I typically eyeball the salad ingredients based on the amount of corn I am using and love the taste of roasted poblano peppers instead of jalapeños. I add the avocado in batches as needed. I also modify a batch for the 5 years and younger crowd— leaving off the dressing , onions, and hot peppers, they love it. Dinner at the Zoo indeed! 😀 Thank you so much.
Delicious fresh tasting salad! I have made this recipe several times. Love the light dressing with wholesome ingredients. I make the salad as posted but omit the avocado since it doesnt stay as fresh. Always a hit! When fresh corn on the cob is in season I try to use it instead of frozen because it really gives it another layer of flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this salad and the only change I make is fresh parsley for the cilantro because I’ve never been a fan and I make a smoky guacamole to put on top of each serving so I don’t have to worry about my avocado turning brown. This will make a week of lunches for me.
Working a 7/7 shift, I plan and prep 21 meals (plus snacks) every other week, and am often in search of meals or snacks that don’t require reheating. I’m addicted to this recipe!! It is SO delicious! I can make a batch (or two!) the day before I start my shift, portion it out, and it truly keeps for seven days. I recently started focusing on more clean eating, aiming for more fruits and vegetables, and the protein from the black beans and healthy fat from avocados is a win-win! This is great for a meal, snack, or dip. Thanks so much!