This is the most flavorful corn salad recipe we’ve ever made! We love the sweet crunch of the corn with the tangy lime juice and briny feta cheese.

We have both fallen hard for this recipe. You’ll use fresh, raw corn to make it, which makes it quick and simple to prepare. Plus, the fresh corn stays crisp and sweet in the salad. It’s seriously delicious. I’ve served this salad to friends on a few occasions, and everyone is always amazed at how good it is. (I also love this corn and black bean salad.)

This salad is pretty much the epitome of summer salads! It’s perfect for your next cookout and would be amazing served next to our super tender ribs, these mouthwatering carnitas, and even our favorite bean burgers.

Key Ingredients

• Corn: When we originally shared this recipe, many of our readers didn’t know that you can eat raw corn. I’m here to tell you that you can and that it’s incredible! Try fresh corn in this recipe, and you’ll never look back. If you are not sure about raw corn, use roasted corn, grilled, boiled, or quickly sautéed corn instead.
• Bell pepper and Green onion: These add color and fresh flavor.
• Tarragon: We use a little fresh tarragon in this salad, which is delicious with the lime juice. If you have trouble finding it, leave it out.
• Feta: We use crumbled feta cheese in this recipe, which we love. However, you can try cotija cheese for a more Mexican-style corn salad.
• Lime: Fresh lime juice is the base of our easy salad dressing. It’s zippy and wonderful with the sweet corn.
• Sour Cream: This is our secret to the best corn salad. It adds a little creaminess (we only use 1 tablespoon). You can substitute mayonnaise, vegan mayonnaise, or even plain yogurt.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Corn Salad

This salad comes together quickly, all in one bowl. Here’s a brief overview of how you will make it:

1. Cut kernels off ears of corn.
2. Add the corn, along with all the other ingredients, to a big bowl.
3. Toss well, then let the salad sit for 1 hour to let all the flavors mingle.

Our Secrets for the Best Corn Salad

Tip 1: Don’t be afraid of raw corn. Raw (uncooked) corn is fabulous in this salad. It’s so fresh and crisp. If you are not convinced, you can substitute with boiled, sautéed, or grilled corn (like in our grilled avocado guacamole).

To remove corn kernels from the cob, use a corn kernel remover or stripper, or do what I do: hold the ear upright and carefully cut down with a sharp knife, letting the kernels fall away from the cob. Be sure to watch our video to see me do it.

Tip 2: Add extra flavor and crunch. In addition to corn, we include red bell pepper, which adds sweetness and color, sliced green onion, and fresh tarragon. We admittedly don’t cook with tarragon a whole lot, but it really makes this salad delicious! If you have any leftover tarragon, use it in our chicken salad.

Tip 3: Add crumbled cheese. This salad is loosely inspired by Mexican street corn salad, but instead of cotija cheese, we find feta works a bit better with the other flavors in this particular salad. I love crumbling the cheese into tiny bits so that every bite includes some feta (as opposed to keeping it in larger chunks like in Greek salad).

Tip 4: Don’t skip the sour cream. We only use 1 tablespoon of sour cream in the salad, but it helps the dressing adhere to the corn. You can leave it out for a dairy-free or vegan option, but I must admit, it genuinely enhances the salad’s flavor. If you don’t have sour cream, Greek yogurt or mayo are possible substitutes.

Tip 5: Let your salad sit. For the best flavor, we highly recommend allowing it to sit in the fridge for an hour or two before serving. This time allows the flavors to marinate, resulting in an even more delicious salad. It will also last a few days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge, making this a perfect summer make-ahead side dish!

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy this easy corn salad as a side or a fresh topping (like salsa with tortilla chips). It’s excellent added to tacos, burritos, and rice bowls. I especially love it with our roasted cauliflower tacos, ground turkey tacos, or shrimp tacos.

It also makes a perfect side dish for grilled meats and veggies. We love it next to grilled steak or roast chicken, and it is lovely paired with seafood like Cajun shrimp, seared scallops, and baked salmon, as well as this grilled swordfish with coriander and lime. I’m also a major fan of it with these pork burgers!

More Summer Salads

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I can’t get enough of this black bean and corn salad! Our recipe is simple with tomato, onion, and fresh lime. Serve it on the side or with chips like salsa.

This black bean and corn salad is not so much a recipe as a “throw everything we adore into a big bowl and stir” kind of thing. It’s also fantastic when you make it in advance, which means it’s perfect for meal prepping and gatherings.

It’s fresh, crisp, and a little smoky from smoked paprika, which takes this salad to a new level! For another favorite way to use corn, see this corn salad recipe with feta.

Key Ingredients

• Black Beans: I use canned black beans, but drain and rinse them before adding them to the bowl with the other salad ingredients. You can also cook dried black beans from scratch. Here’s our black beans recipe if you need it.
• Corn: I love raw corn in this salad (the same goes for this corn salad). I’m often asked if raw corn is okay to eat, and I’m here to say yes! Raw corn is super crisp, sweet, and crunchy, and it’s excellent in this recipe. You could also grill the corn until blistered and add it to this salad like I do for this grilled avocado guacamole. Rinsed canned or thawed frozen corn are good substitutes.
• Tomatoes: I love the pop of sweetness from fresh tomatoes. Use what you love. I look for a juicy, sweet tomato. The tomato releases juices as it sits with the other salad ingredients, making the dressing even more delicious.
• Onion, Garlic, and Jalapeño: Sweet or white onion is great here. I add a little garlic, and the jalapeño adds a bit of heat. If you are sensitive to spicy food, remove the seeds and white membrane from inside the pepper before chopping it (that’s where most of the heat is).
• Lime and Olive Oil: Fresh lime juice and olive oil combine with salt and pepper for our simple dressing. I love it!
• Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika tastes smoky (as the name suggests) but isn’t spicy (unless you specifically use Hungarian or hot-smoked paprika). Chipotle powder is also excellent here but is spicy, so add to your taste.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Black Bean and Corn Salad

Tip 1: Prepare the corn. I love fresh corn for this salad. To use fresh corn, start by removing the husks and silky threads. Stand each cob upright on a cutting board and, holding it steady, slice downward with a sharp knife to remove the kernels.

Tip 2: Make the salad in a big bowl. This recipe keeps cleanup simple (hooray!). Once your corn is ready, add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl, toss to combine, and enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

This black bean corn salad has so many serving options. Try it alongside grilled chicken, juicy pork chops, Asian-marinated shrimp, or even scrambled eggs. You can also serve it like a salsa with homemade tortilla chips or as a topping for grilled bread for bruschetta.

We also love it tucked into these veggie burritos or piled on top of our shrimp tacos.

More Easy Salads

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Queso Chicken Chili! Creamy, spicy, and so easy. Made with roasted corn, jalapeño, and creamy Pepper Jack cheese. Super easy dinner!

Howdy hey!

We are in the midst of Deep Winter and I have a load of Queso Crockpot Chicken Chili with Roasted Corn and Jalapeño leftovers waiting for me in the fridge, brought to me by a weekend of relaxing. I think we’ve already talked about the beauty of a good Instant Pot or slow cooker meal in that it pretty much cooks itself, but in case it hasn’t been said enough: my ultimate favorite thing in life is when relaxing = flavorful, delicious, comforting, filling, warm dinner.

This soup is lots of things:

• creamy
• spicy
• full of veggies
• full of protein
• very filling
• queso-y cheesy
• only slightly trashy thanks to a little knob of cream cheese
• better as leftovers
• perfect for chip dippin’.

Some Tips For Making This Chili Awesome

• Skillet-roast the corn. With the jalapeño.
• Skillet-roast the peppers, too.
• If you don’t want to stand at a skillet – I GET IT! The whole point of this is easy-button cooking. In that case, roast the corn and peppers! Instructions for both are below, in the recipe. (The reason we aren’t adding them to the crockpot or Instant Pot is because they just kinda disappear. We want the good flavor and the non-disappearing.)
• The flavor just develops into something amazing the longer you let it hang out together in the crockpot or Instant Pot. What I’m saying is the leftovers will be amazing.
• Add or subtract whatever you want here. Like many-a-good crockpot or Instant Pot recipes, this is one where you can kind of do whatever you want. I mean, if you want it in there, just… throw it in there. You can follow the recipe and/or you can blaze your own trail.
• BLUE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS.

I love you, Mexican food. Or Tex-Mexican. Or Tex-Mex appliance cooking.

Only 27 days until spring. WE GOT THIS.

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Description

Queso Chicken Chili! Creamy, spicy, and so easy. Made with roasted corn, jalapeño, and creamy Pepper Jack cheese. Super easy dinner!

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1. Place the chicken breasts, 1 1/2 cups salsa, water, cumin, chili powder and salt in the bowl of a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours (or in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes on high pressure). 

2. Preheat oven to 450. Pat the peppers and corn dry with a paper towel. Place on a baking sheet with a little bit of oil. Roast for 10-15 minutes, until browned and… well, roasty-looking.

3. When the chicken is done, shred the meat directly in the pot using two forks. Add the roasted peppers, roasted corn and jalapeño, black beans, remaining salsa, and cream cheese to the crockpot. Stir and replace cover, allowing the cream cheese to melt. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding another 1/2 cup of water if needed. Let the soup simmer for another 15-30 minutes until everything is smooth and melted. Just before serving, stir in the Pepper Jack cheese.

4. Spoon chicken chili into a bowl, top with avocado, scoop everything up with tortilla chips. REPEAT!

Notes

If you’d rather cook your peppers and corn over a skillet: Place the bell peppers in a large nonstick skillet over high heat without oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. This creates the browned, roasted look out on the outside of the peppers. Stir once and repeat until the peppers are nice and browned. Set aside. Repeat this process with the corn and jalapeño together.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Tex Mex

Keywords: chicken chili, queso chicken chili, instant pot chicken chili, crockpot chicken chili

Other Yummy Chili Goodness

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One More Thing!

This recipe is part of our flavor-packed jalapeño recipes page. Check it out!

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Cowboy caviar is part fresh dip, part salsa, part salad — a colorful, texture-packed bowl of black beans, corn, crisp peppers, and avocado in a tangy cumin-lime dressing that’s impossible to stop scooping.

Jump to: Overview | Ingredients | How To Make | Recipe Tips |  Serving Suggestions | Full Recipe Card | More Tex-Mex and Bean Recipes

At A Glance

• Ready In: 15 minutes + 1–2 hours chilling
• Serves: 4 (as a dip or side)
• Diet: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
• Nutrition Highlights: High in plant-based protein and fiber from black beans; packed with vitamins C and A from bell peppers
• Main Ingredients: Black beans, corn, red and green bell pepper, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cumin-lime dressing
• Flavor Profile: Tangy, fresh, lightly spiced, bright with lime — deeply savory once the beans soak up the dressing
• Meal-Prep Friendly: Keeps 3 days in the fridge without avocado; add avocado right before serving
• Best Served With: Tortilla chips, alongside tacos or grilled meats, or spooned over a rice bowl

Somewhere between a chunky salsa and a bean salad, cowboy caviar is one of those recipes that’s genuinely hard to categorize — and that’s exactly why it works everywhere. You get the color and freshness of a good pico de gallo, the heartiness of a bean salad, and the total scoop-ability of a great party dip, all in one bowl.

Black beans, corn, two kinds of bell pepper, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions get tossed in a cumin-lime dressing that’s tangy, a little bright, and quietly addictive. The fresh avocado goes in right before serving, adding creaminess that pulls the whole thing together.

What I love most about this one is that it genuinely gets better with time — after an hour or two in the fridge, the beans have absorbed the dressing, the onion has mellowed, and the flavors have deepened into something that tastes as if you put in way more effort than you did. It works as a party dip, a taco night side, a topping for rice bowls, or something to set out with chips while dinner finishes cooking. No cooking, one bowl, and it keeps beautifully for days (avocado aside).

You might also like these recipes: Mexican black beans and corn salad, black bean taco casserole, Mexican appetizers, taco side dishes, shrimp poke bowl, or poke bowl (classic tuna).

What You’ll Need

How To Make Cowboy Caviar

Recipe Tips

• Dice everything small and consistently. This is a scoopable dip. Uneven, large chunks make it awkward to get everything onto a chip. Aim for pieces around 1 cm or so — you want a little bit of everything in every bite.
• Don’t skip the resting time. An hour minimum, two hours is better. The beans absorb the dressing, the onion mellows out, and the whole thing tastes far more cohesive after resting. It’s honestly one of those “better the next day” situations.
• Always add avocado last. Right before serving, every single time. Avocado browns fast once cut and dressed, and there’s no recovering from it. Fold it in gently so it stays in distinct pieces.
• Make it spicier: Keep some jalapeño seeds in, add a second jalapeño, or stir in a pinch of cayenne to the dressing.
• Make it more filling: Stir in cooked quinoa or serve over a bed of greens to turn it into a proper salad.
• Italian dressing version: Some versions use Italian dressing instead of the homemade cumin-lime dressing. It’s a shortcut that works — just use about ⅓ cup of your favorite Italian dressing in place of the oil, lime, vinegar, and spices.
• Storage: Without avocado, this keeps brilliantly in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors keep developing — it actually tastes best on day two. Once the avocado is folded in, eat it the same day.
• Make-ahead: This is an ideal make-ahead recipe. Prep the entire bowl (without avocado) up to 24 hours in advance. Cover, refrigerate, and fold in the avocado just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Tortilla chips are the obvious move here, and this cowboy caviar is genuinely excellent with them — scoop-style chips work especially well, so you get a generous amount in every bite.

Beyond chips, think of it as a versatile condiment: spoon it over grilled chicken or fish, serve it alongside tacos or burritos, use it as a topping for a rice or grain bowl, or pile it onto scrambled eggs in the morning. It’s one of those recipes that finds its way into everything during the week.

If you’ve tried this cowboy caviar or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

More Tex-Mex and Bean Recipes

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These Mini Keto Corn Dogs make the best kid-friendly snack. Adults love them too! Made with coconut flour, they are completely grain-free. And perfect for a healthy game day appetizer.

Want to relive your childhood? These little Keto Corn Dog Bites are the way to go. Super easy to make, and loved by kids and adults alike. Dip them in a little sugar-free ketchup for the perfect game day appetizer!

I’ve had these mini keto corn dogs on my blog since 2015. They’re a fun little snack recipe that everyone loves. And now they’re lower in carbs and even easier to make!

It is simply a fact of life that kids love hot dogs. They just seem universally appealing to children, both young and old. Mine are all nearing adult-hood now and they still love it when hot dogs are on the menu. My husband is sucker for them too.

So it was no great leap to whip up some of my keto cornbread, plop it into a mini muffin pan, and stick some cut-up hot dogs in. Of course, I added a little shredded cheddar for more flavor. They were a huge hit in my house!

Ingredients needed

• Coconut flour: This recipe uses coconut flour . There is no substitute for this, as almond flour will not give you the right texture.
• Sweetener: I use a little sweetener to mimic the flavor of real cornbread, which has a natural sweetness. Feel free to skip it if you like.
• Eggs: Coconut flour needs a lot of moisture so you will use all 4 eggs.
• Cornbread flavoring: Yes, there really is such a thing! And many readers like to add it. But a little vanilla extract works as well.
• Cheddar cheese: I find a little grated cheddar adds flavor.
• Hot dogs: I recommend using all-beef, uncured hot dogs.
• Kitchen staples: Butter, baking powder, and salt.

Step-by-step directions

1. Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the eggs, melted butter, water, and cornbread flavoring, if using. Stir in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.
3. Add to the pan: Divide the batter evenly among the cups of a well-greased nonstick mini muffin pan. (If you don’t have a good non-stick pan, try using silicone liners).
4. Add the hot dogs: Press one piece of hotdog into the center of each. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake the bites: Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the muffins are firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife around each to loosen.

Tips for Success

This recipe is so easy to make, your kids could help you with it. Here are my best tips for getting it right.

Use good coconut flour. I recommend either Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour for best results. Coconut flour can vary a great deal brand to brand but these are two of the most consistent coconut flours I have tried.

Use all the eggs. For the uninitiated, the amount of eggs you need for coconut flour is shocking. But it’s thirsty stuff and you need them all! Read my article on Baking with Coconut Flour to learn more.

Do you need cornbread flavoring? You don’t have to add this. I’ve made these keto corn dog bites with vanilla extract and they are just as tasty. But it does amp up the flavor of real corn dogs.

A good non-stick mini muffin pan is crucial here. If you aren’t completely confident that your pan will release easily, I recommend lining it with silicone or parchment liners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keto Corn Dog Bites

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

These Mini Keto Corn Dogs make the best kid-friendly snack. Adults love them too! Made with coconut flour, they are completely grain-free. And perfect for a healthy game day appetizer.

• 1/2 cup (60 g) coconut flour
• 2 tbsp Swerve Granular
• 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (118.29 g) water
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (0.25 tsp) cornbread flavoring, (optional, can also use vanilla)
• 4 ounces (113.4 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 hot dogs, each cut into 6 even pieces

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• Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a nonstick mini muffin pan very well (if yours seems likely to stick, try using silicone liners).

• In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, melted butter, water, and cornbread flavoring. Stir in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese.

• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Press 1 piece of hotdog into the center of each. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.

• Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the muffins are firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife around each to loosen.

Storage Information: Store the bites in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to two months.

Serving: 3bites | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.7g | Protein: 10.8g | Fat: 12.8g | Fiber: 2.5g

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