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Fresh and chunky black bean corn salsa {aka Cowboy Caviar} is a favorite dip to serve with tortilla chips!
Homemade Salsa and Tortilla Chips are classic, but this black bean corn salsa is a flavorful favorite.
We Love Chunky Salsa!
We eat a LOT of Mexican food at our house, and Fresh Salsa and Tortilla Chips almost always make an appearance. There are several fabulous salsas and dips on our site, and this black bean corn salsa is top-requested!
Serve it as an appetizer with Baked Tortilla Chips, or top your favorite Mexican dinners from Burrito Bowls to salads to our famous Cheese Enchiladas.
Why we love it:
- Zesty kick. The addition of Italian dressing and lime juice gives this salsa a tangy and refreshing twist, setting it apart from traditional salsas.
- Chunky. It’s more hearty than a traditional salsa, making it a filling Mexican appetizer or Mexican side dish.
- Always time for salsa. From a Cinco de Mayo fiesta to a backyard BBQ, enjoy this salsa anytime, anyplace!
- Just dump and enjoy! Just mix and you’re ready for dipping in only 10 minutes.
A Few Ingredients
- black beans
- corn – or use frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained, or fresh corn cut off the cob. If desired, blanch and grill, or roast it first.
- Roma tomatoes
- fresh cilantro
- Italian dressing
- lime juice – fresh or from a bottle
- avocados
- garlic salt
- black pepper
Italian Dressing Substitute
To make your own dressing, mix the following:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- pepper
Just Mix and Dip!
- MIX. Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add dressing and lime juice. Stir in avocados and add garlic salt and pepper right before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Variations.
- More veggies. diced red onion, green or red bell peppers
- Protein. up to 1 cup of diced chicken or shrimp, a few bacon bits, or a sprinkling of cotija cheese
- Add spice. jalapeño or hot sauce
- Make ahead of time. We prefer to eat it immediately. If you do make it ahead, add the avocados, cilantro, and dressing right before serving for best results.
- STORE. Store this black bean and corn salsa recipe in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Once avocados turn brown and start oxidizing, the salsa is no longer good.
For More Mexican Dips and Chips:
Homemade Tortilla Chips
30 mins
Baked Tortilla Chips
17 mins
Easy Peach Salsa
10 mins
Pineapple Salsa
40 mins
Black Bean Corn Salsa Recipe
Black Bean Corn Salsa {aka Cowboy Caviar} is fresh, chunky, and flavorful, made with simple ingredients for a perfect dip, side, or topping.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can corn, drained
- 6-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2-3 avocados, cubed
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro in a medium bowl.
- Add dressing and lime juice.
- Stir in avocados and add garlic salt and pepper right before serving.
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- Add Avocado Last: This keeps it from getting mushy.
- Drain Well: Make sure beans and corn are well drained to avoid watery salsa.
- Chill Before Serving: Let it sit for 30 minutes for the best flavor.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste and add more lime or salt if needed.
- Additions: Add diced red onion, green or red bell peppers, up to 1 cup of diced chicken or shrimp, a few bacon bits, a sprinkling of cotija cheese, or jalapeño or hot sauce.
- Italian Dressing: To make your own Italian dressing, mix ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, ½ tsp garlic salt, and pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 54kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Sodium: 112mg, Potassium: 183mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 241IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks wonderful!!
It really is! Hope you enjoy it.
This is one of my favorite go-to simple salads. I love the black beans and the avocado and corn. I sometimes make mine extra spicy and add serranos, diced.
We loved this black bean corn salsa recipe with our tortilla chips! This is our new favorite appetizer and this is going to be on repeat for sure!
This is packed with flavors! So easy yet it turned out so delicious and pleasing! Certified crowd-pleaser!
This is now my go-to appetizer to bring to parties and gatherings. Everyone loves it! It was the first to go at book club last night.
This is one of my go to recipes to bring to BBQ’s. So good!
I made this for supper and it is so good. Fresh and crisp. I put mine on top of nachos beef salad style! I wanted to eat the whole container I brought a small container full for a snack at work !
We mixed up the beans (accidental) but OMG! This is so tasty! I recommend leaving it overnight for flavors to ‘marry’ but really not necessary! GREAT on ‘Indian’ Tacos, chicken, eggs, etc or just eaten by itself! YUM!
I just made this again today. This recipe is so good and tastes so fresh. My husband is very picky and he loved it too!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Love that is was husband-approved as well! 🙂
Thanks for all of your time & work.
You’re welcome! Thanks for trying my recipes! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂
Every time I’ve taken this to a party, I get asked for the recipe. Delicious!
Love this recipe so much!!
Love this and a must at family parties!
This is our favorite fresh dip! We make it all summer long!
This tasted great. I took it to a party and it was a hit
The salad you made is delicious and nutritious. I really like this dish.
I am glad you do! Thank you 🙂
This Salsa is one of my favorites!
Love the flavor!! And it comes together so quickly too.
I am very confused on your Calories and serving on most of your recipes. If you can explain one, I am sure I can figure the logic out. Love your recipe though! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy to find your site! Can’t wait to try your Mexican dishes! Thank you for sharing!
I can’t wait for you to try them! I hope you like the ones you try 🙂 Thank you & I am glad you found my site 🙂
I make something a lot like your salsa as an entree., just with a higher proportion of black beans. Definitely handy to have healthy recipes like this that come together quickly with a combo of fresh ingredients and pantry items like the black beans and corn.
So true!! This salsa is just so good too!! Gotta love it. 🙂
Thanks so much for including my Guacamole Bruschetta! All of these recipes look fantastic!
That Bruschetta looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it out! Have a great day. 🙂
Everything looks so yummy! I have a Avocado at home that would be perfect with one of these recipes.
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I definitely LOVE avocados. This post is seriously making me drool! LOL!
Thank you for the recipes! I grabbed the button for my blog!
Thanks, Leigh Ann!! Let me know if you try it. It is seriously so delish – don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to regular salsa after having it. 🙂