Chipotle corn salsa is the sweet, bright, lightly spicy corn salsa from the burrito line, made at home. This copycat is a mix of sweet corn, roasted poblano pepper, jalapeños, red onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon and lime. It is crisp and juicy, a little smoky from the poblano, and it tastes even better after an hour in the refrigerator. Spoon it into burrito bowls, pile it on tacos or scoop it up with chips.
How to make this Chipotle corn salsa recipe: Char a poblano pepper over a gas flame, steam it in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, seed and chop it. Cook frozen corn and spread it on a baking sheet to cool. Toss the cooled corn with the poblano, red onion, jalapeños, cilantro, lemon juice and lime juice, and season with salt.
Why You’ll Love It
- Tastes like the restaurant. Sweet corn, citrus and a gentle kick.
- A real roasted pepper. The charred poblano gives it a smoky depth.
- Frozen corn works. No shucking, and it is good all year.
- It makes plenty. About 10 half-cup servings.
- Useful. A salsa, a side, a taco topping and a burrito bowl layer.
Ingredient Notes
Poblano pepper. One large pepper, charred and peeled. Poblanos are mild, with more flavor than heat.
Corn. Twenty-four ounces of frozen corn. Fresh corn, cooked and cut from the cob, can be used too.
Red onion. Half a cup, finely chopped.
Jalapeño peppers. Two, with stems and seeds removed, finely chopped.
Cilantro. A 1/4 cup, fresh and finely chopped.
Lemon juice and lime juice. One tablespoon of each. Using both is part of the copycat flavor.
Salt. To taste.
Ingredients
- 1 large poblano pepper
- 24 ounces frozen corn
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt, to taste
How to Make Chipotle Corn Salsa
1. Char the poblano. Turn a gas burner to HIGH. Using tongs, turn the poblano over the flame until charred and blistered on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Steam and chop. Transfer the poblano to a bowl, cover tightly and let it steam for 10 minutes. Rub off the skin, remove the stem and seeds, and finely chop the pepper.
3. Cook and cool the corn. Cook the frozen corn according to its package directions. Spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
4. Mix the salsa. Add the cooled corn, red onion, jalapeños, poblano, cilantro, lemon juice and lime juice to a large bowl. Mix and season to taste with salt. The corn should be cool when it is mixed with the other ingredients.
Does Chipotle Corn Salsa Have Chipotle Peppers in It?
No, and this confuses a lot of people. The name comes from the restaurant, not from the pepper. There are no canned chipotle chiles in this salsa. The pepper flavor comes from two fresh peppers: a roasted poblano and raw jalapeños.
If you search for corn salsa, you will also find a different one made with tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. That is a good salsa, but it is a smoky red one and nothing like the sweet, pale corn salsa in a burrito bowl.
| This copycat | Chipotle-in-adobo corn salsa | |
|---|---|---|
| Peppers | Roasted poblano and fresh jalapeño | Canned chipotle chiles in adobo |
| Tomatoes | None | Yes |
| Color | Yellow, with flecks of green and purple | Red |
| Flavor | Sweet, bright and citrusy | Smoky and deeper |
The heat is easy to adjust. For a milder salsa, use diced bell pepper in place of the jalapeños. For a hotter one, leave the jalapeño seeds in or switch to serrano peppers.
Tips for Success
Why steam the poblano after charring?
Ten minutes in a tightly covered bowl loosens the blackened skin, so it rubs right off with your fingers or a paper towel.
What if I do not have a gas burner?
Char the pepper under a hot broiler, turning it until every side is blistered, then steam it the same way.
How do I keep the salsa from becoming watery?
Drain the corn well and let it cool completely before mixing. Warm, wet corn waters down the lime and wilts the cilantro.
How fine should I chop?
Fine. The onion and peppers should be about the size of a kernel of corn, so every spoonful has some of everything.
Is it spicy?
Mildly. With the seeds removed, two jalapeños give a gentle warmth.
How Long Does It Take?
About 35 minutes: 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, which includes charring and steaming the poblano and cooking the corn.
Storage
Keep the salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Do not leave it out for more than 2 hours. Freezing is not recommended, because the vegetables lose their crunch.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with tortilla chips, in burrito bowls, on tacos or next to grilled chicken. For more ways to enjoy corn, try Korean corn cheese, corn nuggets or the easy creamy corn casserole. For a full meal, there are ham and potato corn chowder, slow cooker corn chowder and the slow cooker Amish beef and corn casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Chipotle corn salsa copycat use canned chipotle chiles?
No. It is made with roasted poblano and fresh jalapeños. Corn salsa with chipotle in adobo is a different salsa.
Is the corn salsa from Chipotle spicy?
This copycat is mild, with a little heat from seeded jalapeños. Leave the seeds in for more.
What are the ingredients in fresh corn salsa?
Corn, roasted poblano, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lemon juice, lime juice and salt.
How do I keep frozen-corn salsa from becoming watery?
Drain the cooked corn well and cool it on a baking sheet before mixing.
Final Notes
I chop the onion, jalapeños and cilantro while the poblano steams, so everything is ready when the corn has cooled. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chipotle Corn Salsa
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Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper large
- 24 ounces corn frozen
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers stems and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Turn a gas burner to HIGH. Using tongs, turn the poblano over the flame until charred and blistered on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the poblano to a bowl, cover tightly and let it steam for 10 minutes. Rub off the skin, remove the stem and seeds, and finely chop the pepper.
- Cook the frozen corn according to its package directions. Spread it on a baking sheet to cool.
- Add the cooled corn, red onion, jalapeños, poblano, cilantro, lemon juice and lime juice to a large bowl. Mix and season to taste with salt. The corn should be cool when it is mixed with the other ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
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