This black bean and corn salad is colorful, crisp and perfect for making ahead! Black beans, corn, red pepper, cilantro and avocado, all tossed in a tangy lime vinaigrette. Serve it as a side dish alongside your favorite protein or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Best of all, it can be made with fresh, frozen or canned corn for a fast and fresh salad you can make year-round!
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My Go-To Summer Side (That You Can Make Year-Round!)
This black bean and corn salad is one of those easy, throw-it-together recipes I make on repeat all summer long. It’s light, refreshing and full of fresh flavor. Best served cold or at room temp, it’s the kind of dish that’s made for BBQs, beach days and weeknight dinners when it’s too hot to even look at the oven. And the best part? You can make it 365 days a year with fresh, frozen or canned corn.
But the real magic is that honey-lime vinaigrette. It’s tangy, a little sweet and ties everything together in the best way.
Whether I’m bringing it to a beach cookout, serving it with grilled chicken or piling it into taco bowls, this corn and black bean salad is always a hit. You can even scoop it up with tortilla chips and call it “salsa.” No matter how you serve it—or what you call it—one thing’s for sure: you’ll be making it on repeat.
- Black beans: I use canned black beans for ease—just rinse and drain.
- Corn: You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn in this recipe. Fresh corn can be used in its raw state, or it can be boiled, grilled or roasted before removing the kernels from the cob. If you’re using canned, go for whole kernel and drain it first. Fire-roasted canned corn adds a lightly smoky, charred flavor that’s delicious in this salad. White Shoepeg or whole kernel sweet corn work great, too.
- Red bell pepper: Adds crunch and color. Dice it small so every bite gets a little pop of flavor.
- Fresh chives & cilantro: For a burst of freshness. Chives give a mild onion flavor, and cilantro adds a pop of citrusy brightness. Don’t love cilantro? Skip it.
- Avocado: I love the creaminess diced avocado adds to the crisp corn kernels and tangy vinaigrette.
- Jalapeño: Adds a little heat if you want it. If I’m bringing this to a cookout, I just use half and remove the seeds to keep it mild. If you don’t like spice, simply omit it.
- Cotija cheese: Salty, tangy and crumbly, it’s the perfect finishing touch. If you can’t find it, use crumbled feta cheese instead.
- And for the dressing: Lime zest, fresh lime juice, honey, garlic powder and extra-virgin olive oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Once you’ve got all your ingredients prepped, this salad comes together in minutes. Just whisk and toss—it’s that easy.
- Make the honey lime vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking until fully combined. Set aside.
- Combine the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the black beans, corn, bell pepper, herbs, avocado and jalapeño if using.
- Add the dressing and toss to coat. Pour the lime vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish with Cojita cheese and serve. I like to sprinkle a little Tajín on top too—it adds a zesty kick of chili, lime and salt that makes the flavors pop.
Serving Suggestions
This black bean and corn salad is one of my favorite warm-weather side dishes. I love to bring it to our family cookouts on the beach—it holds up beautifully in the cooler and goes with just about everything. It’s perfect alongside Instant Pot pulled pork sandwiches, cheeseburger sliders or marinated flank steak.
Or, serve it with tortilla chips for a hearty salsa. I’ve even spooned it into lettuce cups for a light lunch. And if you want to turn it into a full meal, just add grilled shrimp (my honey garlic shrimp is a favorite!), chicken or steak right on top.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can prep this salad up to 3 days in advance—just wait to add the avocado and Cotija cheese until right before serving to keep the avocado from browning and everything fresh.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad:
- 2 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups corn kernels (See Kelly’s Note)
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 medium jalapeño, diced (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons Cotija cheese
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, honey, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- While whisking, stream in the olive oil and continue whisking until combined. Set the dressing aside.
Make the salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red pepper, chives, cilantro, avocado and jalapeño (optional).
- Drizzle with the prepared dressing and toss to combine. Top with the Cotija cheese and serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- Fresh, canned or frozen (thawed and drained) corn can be used in this recipe. Fresh corn can be used in its raw state, or it can be boiled, grilled or roasted before removing the kernels from the cob. Canned corn should be drained.
- You can prep this salad up to 3 days in advance—just wait to add the avocado and Cotija cheese until right before serving to keep the avocado from browning and everything fresh.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Use some odds and leftover ends in my fridge and pantry (didn’t have chives so used green onions) and this was fantastic. That lime dressing is so good. Going to use it for my steak!
So glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! Agree that dressing is epic :)