Chipotle Corn Salsa
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 81kcal
Get ready to enjoy one of Chipotle's staples, made from the convenience of your kitchen. This copycat Chipotle corn salsa is sweet with medium heat, combining roasted poblano pepper, jalapeño, shallot, lime juice, cilantro, and plenty of corn!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large poblano pepper or anaheim pepper
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen corn defrosted and drained, or 12 ounces fresh corn removed from cob
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Roast the Pepper
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Slice the 1 large poblano pepper in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides. Add the pepper to a baking sheet and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange the pepper halves so that they are skin side up. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted peppers to a plastic bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. This allows peppers to steam and will loosen the tough outer skin. Once cool enough to handle, use your fingers to peel the skin away. Discard the papery skins and dice the peppers. Add the peppers to a large bowl.
Make the Salsa
- To the bowl with the peppers, add the 1 12-ounce bag frozen corn, 1 medium shallot, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 Tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine and season with additional salt, as needed. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storing
- Enjoy this Chipotle corn salsa immediately or leave it to chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes for the flavors to intensify. Leftover salsa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Remember that with most salsa recipes, fresh ingredients tend to release their natural juices and soften over time, making the salsa somewhat watery the longer it is stored.
- Be careful while handling the jalapeno pepper! Wear gloves if you can and wash your hands as soon as you’re done handling the pepper. The juice from the pepper can burn your skin and it’ll be painful if you get it in your eyes.
- Feel free to make this chipotle corn salsa ahead of time and store it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1-2 days at most. The flavors will meld together and intensify!
- Dice, chop, or mince the salsa ingredients into uniform pieces to create the texture you desire - either more chunky or delicate.
- Removing the seeds and veins from the jalapeno pepper is an easy way to lessen the spice in this dish. Feel free to leave them in for an extra kick of heat.
- Roasting the poblano pepper intensifies the flavor and also helps to remove excess liquid for the perfect consistency once added to the rest of the salsa ingredients.
- You’ll need to factor in a little extra time when making this salsa since the roasting of the poblano adds 30 minutes to the total recipe time. Otherwise, feel free to roast and skin the pepper ahead of time.
- If using raw shallot or red onion, after dicing, soak the pieces in the lime juice for 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. This slightly "pickles" them, mellowing any harsh raw bite.
- Intensified smoky twist - Roast the poblano directly over a gas stove flame or under the broiler until the skin is blistered and charred, then proceed with the steaming and peeling step. You could also use chipotle chiles (smoked jalapenos) for a rich and smoky flavor.
- Try other types of peppers - Make this corn salsa with serrano peppers for a slightly spicier version or try red arbol chile peppers for a noticeable kick of heat. Anaheim peppers are great if you want to replicate the mild warmth of poblano pepper.
- Vary the texture - Make a more delicate salsa with finely diced ingredients or a chunky salsa by dicing larger pieces, depending on your preference.
- Double the salsa - Easily double this Chipotle corn salsa when serving to a larger crowd.
- Fresh corn - Use fresh corn on the cob instead of frozen corn, if you prefer. Check out my step-by-step process for Instant Pot Corn on the Cob or Sous Vide Corn on the Cob.
Nutrition
Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg