Made with roasted sweet corn, lime, and fresh jalapeños, this roasted corn salsa is bright, crunchy, and perfect of your favorite tacos.

This roasted corn salsa is one of those recipes that came together on a whim.
Back when we were first dating, Alex and I were visiting some friends and—as often happens with us—somehow ended up in charge of dinner. We threw together some super simple steak tacos and paired them with this salsa.
If you’ve ever made my crockpot pulled chicken, you know that this is A Thing with us. We throw some things together on a whim and it morphs into a recipe that we really love and make repeatedly.
I guess that’s the beauty of being with a partner who shares your love of being in the kitchen.
It’s sweet corn season around here, which means it’s the perfect time to throw together this simple salsa.
Why you’ll love this roasted corn salsa
I love making the most of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Things like pickled cucumbers, classic tomato bruschetta, roasted tomato sauce, and sour cherry bars are all big hits around here.
The beauty of this roasted corn salsa is how simple it is to throw together and the way it highlights the flavor of fresh summer sweet corn.
The part of this recipe that takes the longest is grilling the corn, and that is something that can easily be done while you’re prepping the rest of your meal. You can make it just before you plan to serve it or prep it ahead of time.
And, depending on where you live, you can grab everything (or almost everything) you need to make this salsa from the farmers’ market. It’s hard to beat that!
(Psst! If you’re as much a fan of sweet corn as I am, make sure you also try my sweet corn risotto.)
How to make roasted corn salsa
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my roasted corn salsa recipe, you will need:
- 4 shucked and cleaned ears sweet corn
- 1 large or 2 small seeded and finely diced fresh jalapeños
- ½ finely diced medium red onion
- Juice of 1-2 limes
- ¼ cup cilantro, minced (optional)
- Fine sea salt to taste
Simple, right?
How spicy this salsa is is totally up to you. Use more jalapeños for more heat, and leave the seeds and ribs in to really make it spicy.
If you don’t want it spicy, use 1 jalapeño and remove the ribs and seeds. You’ll get a very gentle heat, but mostly end up with the fresh flavor of the pepper instead.
Same idea goes for the cilantro. If you love cilantro, add as much as you like! If it tastes like soap to you, leave it out altogether or use just a small bit.
The only thing I’m going to beg of you to do in this recipe is to please, please use fresh sweet corn. Frozen corn just ain’t gonna cut it here!
Making this recipe
The hardest part of this recipe is roasting the corn. And I promise you, that part really isn’t hard at all.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or do this over the burner flame on a gas stove.
Place the shucked and cleaned ears of corn on the grill. As the corn roasts, you’ll hear some popping sounds.
Once the kernels start to brown, rotate the ears of corn, making sure to get all sides of each ear. This process will take 10-15 minutes total.
Take the corn off the heat and set the ears aside until they are cool enough to handle safely.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roasted corn kernels from the cobs. If you’d like, reserve the cobs to turn into corn stock later.
Add the corn to a large bowl along with the jalapeño, red onion, juice from 1 lime, cilantro, and a big pinch of salt. Stir to combine, then taste. Add more salt or lime juice as desired.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serving suggestions
There are so many ways to enjoy this roasted corn salsa. Try it on your favorite carne asada tacos, wrapped in a burrito, or on top of fajita shrimp bowls.
It would also be fantastic alongside grilled chipotle lime chicken or chili lime tilapia.
Or just serve it with a big bowl of your favorite tortilla chips! Honestly, you can’t go wrong.
Roasted Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn shucked and cleaned
- 1 large or 2 small fresh jalapeños seeded and finely diced
- ½ medium red onion finely diced
- Juice of 1–2 limes
- ¼ cup cilantro minced (optional)
- Fine sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Place the ears of corn on the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes, rotating the corn every few minutes, until the kernels start to brown. You may hear some popping as the corn roasts.4 ears sweet corn
- Remove the roasted corn from the heat and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the corn kernels from the cobs. Place the corn in a large bowl and mix with the jalapeño, red onion, juice from 1 of the limes, the cilantro, and a large pinch of salt. Stir to combine.1 large or 2 small fresh jalapeños, ½ medium red onion, Juice of 1–2 limes, ¼ cup cilantro, Fine sea salt to taste
- Taste and season with additional salt or more lime juice as desired. Serve on tacos, in burritos or burrito bowls, or with tortilla chips.
Notes
- For more heat, leave the seeds and ribs in the peppers.
- If you don’t care much for cilantro, feel free to omit it or to only use 1-2 tablespoons.
- If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can roast the corn indoors directly over the burner of a gas stove using a medium flame or on a grill pan over medium-high heat.
A man who can cook off the cuff?! Love!
Right?! Hashtag: keeper.
Awww that’s so sweet!!! Love hearing how you guys were introduced and (eventually) got togetherrr ๐
And what a good boy, makin food and stuff! YUM!
I know! I still do most of the cooking, but knowing that he can (and will) do it? HALLELUJAH!
I like corn as a side with tacos and grilling the corn first gives it such a great taste. this looks like a great recipe to try.
Such a load of hooey! I would grill and eat this salsa in the middle of a snowstorm, EASY (it’s how we Midwest folk deal). Looks scrumdiddlyumptious.
Can’t wait for those tacos!
Seriously, we need something to help us out when there’s ice and snow up to our butts.
I need to meet this Ellie…she sounds like a woman after my own heart and soul. I’d totally midnight-eat-salsa with her. Salsa’s one of my favorite things to spoon-feed myself. I’m going craaaaaaaaaaazy over your salsa! Want it on tacos now! Can’t wait till Wednesday!
I love a good salsa recipe. It sounds like you guys are a good grilling team, you make the condiments and dessert and he handles the…. I was gunna say meat, but that just sounds wrong. Hahahah! PS My brother is a master tailgating griller and that definitely goes on into winter snow storm season. Plus there is a thing called a grill pan that is mighty useful.
Dirty. I’m scandalized. ๐
I’m mourning the end of summer and fresh corn. (although where I am, summer doesn’t really end until October. I win!)
Love using grilled corn in salsa! Can’t wait to try your version!
What a beautiful salsa! I need to get my hands on the last of the Summer corn.
Seriously. Buy ALL THE CORN while you still can!
Yesssss to this. Just yes. I can’t get enough corn these days, and when it’s fire-roasted and spiced up with chiles just like this?!? Irresistible!!