Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)

This corn salsa tastes just like the famous Chipotle corn salsa, but even fresher and more flavorful! Made with sweet charred corn, roasted poblano pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion, this easy copycat recipe is bright, smoky, zesty, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, or scooping up with tortilla chips.

The roasted chili corn salsa at Chipotle is one of those toppings I can never skip. It adds little pops of juicy sweetness, fresh crunch, smoky roasted flavor, and just enough lime to make every bite of a burrito bowl, taco, or salad taste oh-so-delicious. And because it’s made with frozen corn (just like Chipotle uses), it’s so easy to throw together that I end up making it all the time.

After testing this copycat recipe, I found the secret is charring both the corn and the poblano pepper. Those little blackened bits add so much smoky flavor that it tastes just like the restaurant version… maybe even better. I also highly recommend making it ahead of time because after a few hours in the fridge, all the flavors meld together and somehow become even more delicious. Perfect for meal prep burrito bowls and taco salads!

Bowl of corn salsa set on tray with tortilla chips.

Why You’ll Want to Put This Corn Salsa on Everything

Just like Chipotle: Sweet, smoky, tangy, and fresh.
Easy to make: Just char the pepper and corn, then stir everything together!
Makes every meal better: Add it to burrito bowls, tacos, nachos, salads, wraps… honestly, I find excuses to put it on everything.
Versatile: Use it as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, and so much more.

Ingredients for Corn Salsa

Corn: One thing that surprises a lot of people is that Chipotle actually uses frozen corn in their roasted chili corn salsa. Since it’s picked and frozen at peak freshness, it works beautifully here too. Fresh corn is also delicious when it’s in season.
Poblano pepper: Poblanos are a fairly mild hot pepper, but they have a great flavor when charred.
Fresh cilantro: Adds bright, fresh flavor.
Red onion: Brings a little crunch and sharpness.
Fresh lime juice: Brightens everything up and balances the sweetness of the corn.
Jalapeño: Adjust the amount depending on your preferred heat level.
Salt: To enhance the overall flavor of the salsa.

How to Make Corn Salsa

Char the Poblano: Roast the poblano over a gas flame, under your oven broiler, or in a dry skillet until the skin is completely blackened. Transfer it to a bowl and cover for 5 to 10 minutes so the steam loosens the skin.

Prepare the Poblano: Peel away the charred skin using your fingers or a paper towel, then remove the seeds and finely dice the pepper.

Char the Corn: Add the corn to a large dry skillet over high heat and cook until lightly charred, stirring occasionally. If using fresh corn, slice the kernels from the cob before cooking.

Mix Everything Together: Combine the charred corn, roasted poblano, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until everything is evenly mixed. Refrigerate until chilled before serving for the best flavor.

Tips and Variations

Don’t rinse the poblano: After roasting, simply peel away the skin. Any little charred bits left behind add extra smoky flavor.
No poblano? Green bell pepper is the closest substitute, but yellow, orange, or red bell peppers also work well. Char them the same way for that delicious smoky flavor.
No need to thaw the corn. Just toss it straight into the hot skillet.
Adjust the heat: Remove the jalapeño seeds and membranes for a milder salsa, or add more jalapeño if you like extra heat.
Let it chill: This salsa becomes even more flavorful after resting in the refrigerator for a few hours, so I always like to make it in advance.

Bowl of corn salsa with spoon and tortilla chips.

Ways to Use Corn Salsa

Here are my favorite ways to put this salsa to use:

Storage

Store leftover roasted chili corn salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Give it a quick stir before serving to redistribute the ingredients and freshen everything up.

Bowl of salsa with text overlay that reads Chipotle corn salsa.

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This Corn Salsa tastes just like the famous Chipotle corn salsa, but even fresher and more flavorful! Made with sweet charred corn, roasted poblano pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion, this easy copycat recipe is bright, smoky, zesty, and incredibly delicious. Perfect for burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, or scooping up with tortilla chips.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

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Instructions

Char the poblano: Roast the poblano pepper over a gas flame, under the broiler, or in a dry skillet until charred all over and the skin is completely blackened. Transfer to a bowl and cover for 5 to 10 minutes. The trapped steam helps loosen the skin so it peels off easily.
Prep the poblano: Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers or a paper towel to gently peel off and discard the skin, remove the seeds, and finely dice the pepper. Don’t rinse the pepper, as that removes the smoky charred flavor.
Cook the corn: If using frozen corn, add it to a large dry skillet over high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until thawed and lightly charred.If using fresh corn, shuck the corn and carefully slice off the kernels. Add the kernels to a dry skillet over high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until lightly charred, stirring occasionally.
Mix the salsa: Add the charred corn, roasted poblano, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a bowl. Stir well to combine.
Chill and serve: For the best flavor, refrigerate until chilled before serving.

Notes

Frozen corn works great: Chipotle restaurant actually uses frozen corn, so don’t feel like you need fresh corn for authentic flavor. I almost always use frozen myself.
Adjust the spice: Remove the jalapeño seeds and membranes for a milder salsa, or add extra jalapeño for more heat.
The char adds flavor: Charring both the corn and poblano adds smoky flavor and helps recreate the classic Chipotle-style taste. Once charred, don’t rinse the pepper, you want to keep that smoky flavor. It’s ok if a few blackened bits make it into the salsa, they add flavor!
Serving ideas: Great in burrito bowls, tacos, salads, nachos, quesadillas, or served with tortilla chips.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Best served cold: This salsa tastes most like the Chipotle version once chilled.