Easy Corn Salsa with Avocado
This corn salsa started as a way to use up leftover corn after a cookout, and now I make it on purpose all summer long. It’s what I bring when I’ve signed up for “a side” and have absolutely no interest in turning on the stove. The food processor does almost all of the chopping, so it’s ready in about 10 minutes. Sweet corn, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, and a whole lot of lime… honestly, is there a better way to use up summer produce?
Why This Corn Salsa Disappears First
- 10 minutes, zero cooking: Pulse, fold, serve. That’s the whole recipe!
- Makes a big bowl: About 12 servings, which is why it’s my go-to for cookouts and taco night.
- It actually stays chunky: Two small tricks keep this from turning into soup, and I’ll show you both.
- Goes on everything: Tacos, burrito bowls, grilled chicken, nachos, eggs. Or just a mountain of tortilla chips.
If you need another dip for the same table, my Mexican street corn dip is the other one I bring constantly, and this homemade chunky salsa is so good when tomatoes are at their peak.
JordanIngredients You’ll Need
- Corn: Fresh is my favorite when it’s in season, but frozen works just as well and makes this a year-round recipe. Thaw it completely and drain it really well first. Canned corn is fine too, just rinse and pat it dry so it doesn’t water things down.
- Avocado: You want them ripe but still firm, so they hold their shape when you fold everything together. If they give a lot when you press, they’re too soft, and you’ll end up with guacamole. Got extras? Use them in my authentic guacamole.
- Beefsteak tomatoes: Their juicy texture is what makes this so good, but you have to seed them before dicing. This is the number one thing that saves your salsa from getting watery.
- Veggies: Red onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic. These all go in the food processor together. Take the seeds and ribs out of the jalapeño to keep it mild, or leave a few in if you want more heat.
- Cilantro: Adds a ton of freshness. Leave it out if you’re not a fan.
- Dressing: Olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. The rice vinegar is my little trick here. Lime on its own can taste too sharp against sweet corn!
- Tortilla chips: Go for sturdy restaurant-style chips. Thin ones don’t stand a chance against a chunky salsa.
Recipe Variations
- Char the corn: Toss fresh kernels in a dry skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until spotty brown. So good with the lime.
- Add black beans: Rinse and drain them really well, then fold them in at the end with the avocado.
- Any bell peppers: Green tastes sharper, red and yellow are sweeter. Use whatever’s in the fridge.
How to Make Corn Salsa with Avocado
- Step 1: Chop the veggies. Pulse the cilantro in the food processor until roughly chopped. Add the quartered red onion, jalapeño, and bell peppers, then pulse 3 to 5 times. Stop while you can still see separate little pieces!
- Step 2: Add the dressing. Add the garlic, olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pulse 1 to 2 times, just to combine.
- Step 3: Prep the rest. Seed and dice the tomatoes, then dice the avocado. Add both to a large mixing bowl with the corn.
- Step 4: Drain. Pour off any liquid sitting in the bottom of the food processor, then add the vegetable mixture to the bowl.
- Step 5: Combine. Fold everything together gently so the avocado keeps its shape.
- Step 6: Serve. Dig in right away with chips, or chill it for 15 to 20 minutes first. Taste before it goes out and add more lime or salt if it needs it.
Recipe Tips
- Pulse, don’t blend! A few quick pulses are really all you need.
- Don’t skip draining that liquid. It’s the whole difference between chunky salsa and soup.
- Dice the avocado last so it spends the least time sitting out.
- Grab a bigger bowl than you think you need. Folding gently is so much easier with room to move.
What to Serve with Corn Salsa
Chips are the obvious answer, but this goes on way more than that! Spoon it over my air fryer fish tacos, chicken tacos, or shrimp tacos.
It’s also great on grilled chicken or salmon, stirred into burrito bowls, or piled onto nachos. And if you have leftovers, fold them into scrambled eggs the next morning. Trust me on that one!
Storing and Make-Ahead
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Press a piece of plastic wrap right onto the surface so there’s no air gap.
- Making this for a party? Prep everything a day ahead and fold in the avocado right before you serve (otherwise it will brown).
- If a little liquid collects at the bottom after a day, just pour it off and give it a stir.
Recipe FAQs
The lime juice does most of the work! Dice the avocado last, fold it in gently, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before it goes in the fridge. It’ll still look great the next day.
Nope! Just finely chop the cilantro, onion, jalapeño, and bell peppers by hand. Aim for pieces about the size of a corn kernel so everything scoops evenly.
Yes! Drain it, rinse it, and pat it dry first. Canned corn holds more liquid than frozen, and it’s packed in a slightly sweet brine, so a good rinse keeps your salsa from tasting flat.
More Easy Dips You Might Like
If you tried this easy corn salsa or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you, and this helps my business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes!
Save this Recipe!
Enter your email & I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Easy Corn Salsa With Avocado
Save this Recipe!
Save this Recipe!Enter your email and I’ll send it directly to you.
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 small red onion quartered
- 1 large jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
- 2 bell peppers seeds and ribs removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels if frozen, thawed
- 2 avocado diced
- 3 beefsteak tomatoes flesh removed and diced
- Tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Add the cilantro to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the red onion, jalapeño, and bell peppers, then pulse 3–5 times until finely chopped but not pureed.½ cup fresh cilantro, 1 small red onion, 1 large jalapeño, 2 bell peppers
- Add the garlic, olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to the food processor. Pulse 1–2 times, just until combined.2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, Juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Place the corn, diced avocado, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, 2 avocado, 3 beefsteak tomatoes
- Optional but recommended: If there is excess liquid in the food processor, carefully drain some of it off before adding the vegetable mixture to the bowl. This helps keep the dip from becoming watery, especially if using very juicy tomatoes.
- Add the vegetable mixture to the bowl and gently stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to let the flavors meld before serving.Tortilla chips
Notes
- Pulse, don’t blend! A few quick pulses are really all you need.
- Don’t skip draining that liquid. It’s the whole difference between chunky salsa and soup.
- Dice the avocado last so it spends the least time sitting out.
- Grab a bigger bowl than you think you need. Folding gently is so much easier with room to move.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Can’t wait to shop so I can fix this.
Can’t wait to try; shopping first for ingredients