Grilled Corn Salsa - Isabel Eats {Easy Mexican Recipes} (2024)

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Growing up in a Mexican household, corn made an appearance on the kitchen table every day in some form or another. Corn tortillas, tortilla chips, elotes, esquites, jalapeno cornbread. Corn was seriously everywhere!

And I’m happy to say that it still is. Corn is literally in my blood (after all, Mexico is the birthplace of corn), and I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to prepare it. That’s how this grilled corn salsa recipe was born!

This corn salsa is light, refreshing, and super easy to make. It features:

• beautifully charred grilled corn on the cob
• fresh cherry tomatoes
• chopped red onions and cilantro
• splashes of lime juice and white wine vinegar
• simple pantry spices for a little extra flavor

If you haven’t done much grilling before or are intimidated by it, I totally understand. But don’t worry! I’ve got your back. Let’s break it down step by step.

First things first, you’re going to need to preheat your gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat, between 400°F-450°F. (Learn how to start a charcoal grill.)

I’m personally obsessed with my Char-Griller Texas Trio Gas & Charcoal Grill (shown above) because it’s heavy duty, high quality, affordable and has tons of space to grill all the things!

It also has a side gas burner for cooking any sauces or other sides you’re making, as well as a side smoker for cooking meats low and slow so they’re pull-apart tender. (My husband is particularly obsessed with the smoker, haha.)

For this recipe, I’m using the gas side of the grill to keep things quick with minimal cleanup. Once the grill is preheated, it’s time to get cooking.

How to Make Corn Salsa

Brush 4 ears of shucked corn and 2 lime halves with oil. (photo 1)

Grill the ears of corn and limes cut side down with the lid closed as much as possible. Turn the corn occasionally and cook it for a total of 10-15 minutes, until the kernels are caramelized and charred. Remove the limes after only about 2-4 minutes. They should have pretty grill marks on them. (photo 2)

Once the corn has cooled enough to handle it, cut the corn kernels off the cob. (photo 3)

Add the juice of the grilled lime, red onions, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and ground cumin. Toss together to combine and that’s it! (photo 4)

Tips & Tricks

My favorite way to cut corn off the cob is to flip a small bowl upside down and place it into a larger bowl. Stand the ear of corn on the small bowl and slice down the ear of corn with a knife. The kernels will fall into the larger bowl and you’ll be able to get every last kernel. It also makes for easy cleanup!

Let the corn salsa rest in the fridge for 1 hour before serving. This helps all the flavors meld together and takes away some of the bite from the chopped red onions.

Middle of winter and can’t get any fresh corn? You can still make this salsa. Simply drain and rinse about 2 1/2 to 3 cups canned corn and saute it in a skillet with a little olive oil, until it gets nice and charred.

Serving Suggestions

• Crispy Pork Cutlets
• Grilled Skirt Steak with Cilantro Pesto
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Easy Herb Sauce
• Easy Steak Fajitas