Chipotle Corn Salsa (Copycat)
The next time you make Mexican food, try topping it with this Chipotle corn salsa, which is a restaurant-quality copycat. I make this salsa with charred poblano pepper, fresh jalapeno, sweet corn, and a squeeze of both lemon and lime juice. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and comes together in just 20 minutes. This is a great way to elevate any meal.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 84kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz frozen corn defrosted
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper or poblano pepper finely diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeds removed, finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the pepper: On a gas range or grill, hold the poblano or bell pepper over a gas flame with tongs to char the skin. Make sure you blister the pepper on all sides, until the skin is mostly black. Place charred pepper into a bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to cool. (If you don't have a gas range you can also do this in the oven on the broil setting). Meanwhile dice your onion, seed & dice the jalapeno and chop the cilantro.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the corn kernels. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- When the pepper has cooled, remove the charred skin and seeds and finely dice.
- Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Make sure to add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this Chipotle corn salsa recipe is to char the poblano pepper properly before adding it to the salsa. I cannot emphasize enough how important this step is to achieving the signature flavor in the salsa.
- Control the heat: For a mild salsa, I remove all the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno. If I want to lessen the heat significantly, I use 1/2 a jalapeno or swap it out for 1/2 a chopped, deseeded serrano pepper. You could also leave the jalapeno out entirely and concentrate on the smoky flavors by adding 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Wear gloves: I always wear gloves when working with any kind of chili and slice them on a dedicated board or cover the board in plastic wrap. This is the best way to avoid chili burn and a cross contamination of flavors in your kitchen.
- Sweat the pepper: Once charred, the poblano pepper must be covered in plastic wrap and sweated for at least 15 minutes. This makes peeling off the charred skin much easier.
- Make it ahead: This salsa tastes even better after it has had a day in the refrigerator. This gives the flavors time to meld together and intensify.
- Season gradually: I add the lemon and lime juice a little bit at a time, tasting the salsa as I go. The sweetness of the corn and the heat of the jalapeno vary from batch to batch, so I make sure to find the right balance with the correct amount of citrus.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g