Roasted Chili Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)

Roasted Chili Corn Salsa is the perfect topping for any of your favorite Mexican dishes! If you’ve ever had Chipotle’s Corn Salsa then you know what I’m talking about!

Roasted sweet corn, poblanos and jalapeno peppers with red onion, citrus juice and cilantro. Tons of fresh flavors with a hint of smokey flavor from the roasted corn and peppers.

I first had this salsa YEARS ago when I used to get Burrito Bowls from Chipotle Mexican Grill during my college years. I always loved it but never really tried to recreate it until now.

This is one of those great recipes that you can use for parties, weeknight dinners and snacks! My favorite time of year to make this is throughout the summer, during sweet corn season.

That way I can use fresh corn! Living in the Midwest, corn is all around. My town even has a whole festival dedicated to it, “Corn Fest”.

That’s also the perfect time of year to make Easy Crack Corn Salad. The most delicious easy corn salad you’ll ever have.

This is one of my favorite salsas that can be used in place of pico de gallo or alongside it. This salsa is the perfect appetizer with homemade tortilla chips or a great accompaniment to a larger dish such as Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme, Birria Quesadillas or Tacos de Camaron (shrimp tacos). Corn salsa pairs so well with so many things!

What is Roasted Chili Corn Salsa?

This is a copycat version of Chipotle’s Roasted Chili Corn Salsa. It is a spicy salsa that contains roasted corn, red onion, roasted poblano and jalapeno peppers, lime and lemon juice, fresh cilantro and salt.

This salsa is ideal for eating with corn chips or topping things like burrito bowls, taco salads, tacos, etc. It is served cold and full of fresh flavor! If you love easy recipes, this one is for you!

Roasted Chili Corn Salsa Ingredients

• Fresh Corn – I usually use yellow corn but you can use sweet white corn as well. If fresh corn is not in season, you can substitute frozen corn.
• Red Onion – Red onion gives this corn salsa nice color.
• Poblano Pepper – The poblano peppers are roasted for more flavor.
• Jalapeno Pepper- Roast the fresh jalapeno peppers.
• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is always best.
• Lime Juice – I always use fresh lime juice, never from concentrate.
• Lemon Juice – I always use fresh lemon juice, never from concentrate.
• Kosher Salt – The salt will bring out the flavor in all the ingredients.

Equipment needed

• Sharp Knife – Using a sharp knife in the kitchen is very important. It makes cutting easier and cooking much more fun! I use a chef’s knife everything in this recipe.
• Cutting Board – Using a good cutting board is equally important. You want one large enough that your food is flying everywhere as you cut and that gives you room to chop multiple things. The material is important as well for your knife. Here are my two favorites: Large Wooden Board, Large Safety Grip.
• Medium Mixing Bowl – You’ll need a medium bowl to mix all the Roasted Chili Corn Salsa in.
• Sheet Pan – Roast the corn and peppers on a sheet pan.
• Parchment Paper – Parchment paper is optional but nice if you don’t want to be scrubbing your pans later.

Tips

• Use about 5-6 ears of corn to get 16oz.
• If you’re not in the mood to turn your oven on then you can roast the corn and peppers on your gas range. Turn the flame to high heat then set the peppers straight on the grates and let them turn black. Rotate the peppers as they get black then remove from the heat and place in a plastic or paper bag for 15 minutes. Remove them from the bag, peel the skin then dice as directed.
• If you’re doing to corn on the gas range then shuck it and place it on the grates. The corn will turn color more quickly than the peppers so keep a close eye. Rotate as you’re getting a light charred look then remove from the heat. Continue as directed.
• If you can’t find fresh corn, you can substitute with frozen.
• It’s always a good idea to use a glove when cutting fresh jalapenos or wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Sometimes your hands don’t burn while you’re cutting them but can burn later or even worse you’ll touch your eye and burn it.
• This delicious salsa tastes even better the next day after the flavors have time to meld. Keep it for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.

How to make Roasted Chili Corn Salsa

Making this copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe is super easy! Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

Cut the corn off the cob then place it on the sheet tray. Drizzle it with olive oil and salt then toss to coat.

Add the WHOLE poblano peppers and WHOLE jalapeno pepper to the tray beside the corn. Roast for 25 minutes or until the corn is golden brown and peppers are turning dark brow-black and skin is bubbling.

Remove the tray and let the corn cool. Peel the skin off the peppers. If it’s not peeling easily then put the peppers in a brown paper bag or plastic bag then seal it and set aside for 15 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the bag then peel the skin. Dice the roasted poblano pepper and jalapeno, add them to the medium sized mixing bowl then add the remaining ingredients.

Mix well then serve! This simple recipe will be the best corn salsa you’ve had!

What to serve it with

This sweet corn salsa has a little kick to it that makes it a delicious combo of sweet and heat. That also means it works well with many things. Here are a few ways you can use this Roasted Chili Corn Salsa:

• With chips as an appetizer
• In a Burrito Bowl
• In Taco Salads like my Dorito Taco Salad Recipe
• It’s my favorite topping for Birria Quesadillas
• Great on tacos like Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Relish and Chipotle Mayo + Best Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Storing Roasted Chili Corn Salsa

Roasted Chili Corn Salsa should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. It can be kept for up to 5 days.

I like to make this corn salsa ahead of time and have it ready to go! The flavors blend together even more after it sits for 24 hours.

I do not recommend freezing this salsa.

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FAQ

Is Roasted Chili Corn Salsa spicy?

Yes, it has a little kick to it. This copycat Chipotle Roasted Chili Corn Salsa has both roasted poblanos and jalapenos.

Poblanos can go either way, sometimes I buy them and they’re spicy peppers, sometimes they aren’t. The jalapenos will give it a bit of a kick for sure.

Jalapenos get spicier when roasted. For me it’s not super spicy but I also LOVE very spicy things.

You can always leave out the jalapeno if you don’t like too much spice.

Is Roasted Chili Corn Salsa vegan?

Yes, it is! If you’re looking for a vegan recipe, this is a great one! Lots of simple ingredients, fresh produce and flavor.

It’s great to eat with these Quinoa + Kidney Bean Burgers, corn tortilla chips, taco salad and any of your favorite vegan Mexican dishes!

Is Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa healthy?

Yes, it is! This corn salsa is very healthy. It is full of fresh produce!

It has 1 gram of fat per serving, low carbs and low sugar. With all the fresh veggies and herbs there are plenty of vitamins too!

This is a great topping for meats in place of an unhealthy sauce.

Does Chipotle put sugar in their corn salsa?

No, they do not. The sweet taste comes from sweet corn. They say that they use a super sweet corn, so there may be a little additional sugar from that.

I make this recipe using a regular sweet corn and it is perfect! It doesn’t need any additional sugar when you’re using fresh ripe sweet corn.

Is Roasted Chili Corn Salsa easy to make?

Yes, it is! This is a recipe that comes together very quickly! After roasting the veggies you just mix everything together and voila!

It’s ready to go. This recipe is easy to throw together on a Sunday and use all week.