This Grilled Corn Salsa is smoky, zesty, and totally scoop-worthy—perfect for summer cookouts, taco night (year-round), or anytime you’re craving a fresh, flavorful side.

As a dietitian, I love creating fun, approachable ways to help people eat more produce—fitting fruits and veggies into every meal is one of my top healthy eating tips. And when it’s this simple and this tasty? It’s a no-brainer. This salsa starts with peak-season sweet corn, grilled to smoky perfection. Then it gets the full flavor treatment: juicy tomatoes, crisp red onion, a splash of lime, and (if you’re into a little heat) jalapeños and spices like cumin and smoked paprika. It’s colorful, crunchy, and bursting with great taste in every bite.

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix. 
Step 2: Taste and add more lime juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and other preferred seasonings.

More warm-weather faves you might love:

Brightened with a squeeze of lime, this salsa brings together vibrant flavors and a good dose of nutrition. Whether you dip with crudités, whole grain pita, or tortilla chips, this salsa is sure to be devoured. I also love to toss it into salads or use it to top tacos—it’s incredibly versatile and yummy!

Try my Southwestern Corn Salad!

(5 stars) 5 ratings

Grilled Corn Salsa for Tacos, Bowls and More

I love to toss this corn salsa into salads and I use it as a tasty topper for tacos. It’s so yummy on everything!
Yield: 4.5 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 4 to 5 ears fresh grilled corn, cut off the cob (~2 cups kernels)*
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered)
  • 2 jalapeños, sliced (remove seeds if you don’t like heat)
  • ½ to 1 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro, optional
  • ½ teaspoon cumin, optional
  • ¼ teaspoon smoky paprika, optional

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix. Taste and add more lime juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and other preferred seasonings.
  • This will keep in the fridge for about 4 days, but is best enjoyed fresh. You can also freeze for future meals.

Notes

* You can also use 12 ounces frozen corn thawed and patted dry
• When fresh corn is available, I recommend using 4 ears of corn, freshly grilled or oven-roasted. When you don’t have fresh corn on hand, swap in a 12oz bag of frozen corn, thawed and patted dry. You can always use 2 cups canned corn, drained and patted dry.
• My family prefers this salsa without cilantro. However, I’ve included it in as an optional ingredient if you’d like to toss it in.
• If you dislike like heat, remove jalapeño seeds before mixing them in, or skip the jalapeños completely. It’ll still be delicious!
• I use Roma tomatoes because they have less liquid than traditional tomatoes. You can also choose to quarter cherry or grape tomatoes.
• This will keep in the fridge for about 4 days. You can also freeze it for future meals.
• Toss leftovers into salads, soups, egg dishes, casseroles, chilis… just about anything!
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 0.5 cupsCalories: 35Carbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gTotal Fat: 0g— Unsaturated Fat: 0g— Saturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 140mgFiber: 1gTotal Sugar: 3g— Natural Sugar: 3g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.
I’m hoping you loved this recipe! If you made it and want to share feedback, I’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please leave a review below or tag @joybauer on Instagram!