The secret is out! This Corn Salsa recipe was shared by the Official Chipotle account on TikTok. Here is the recipe they gave us, plus some expert tips from Chipotle employees to get it just like your favorite Roasted Chili Corn Salsa in the restaurant!
Corn Salsa – Chipotle’s Official Recipe!
TikTok is great for hours of entertainment, but I start to get really excited when my favorite restaurants use it to share their signature recipes!
Over the 2020 quarantine, the official Chipotle TikTok account shared several of their famous recipes including the medium Roasted Chili Corn Salsa.
I have done some sleuth work and grabbing intel from some employees and taken what they have said, combined with what Chipotle gave us in their video and came up with a recipe that tastes just like the restaurant!
Now I know that nothing will replace going to get take out at Chipotle, but this is great for when you want to make a big batch for watching football, or need something EXTRA delicious to serve with your crockpot tacos or burrito bowls.
Recipe Notes
The recipe that Chipotle shared was surprisingly quick and easy. The name – Roasted Chili Corn Salsa, makes it sound complex, but it really is very quick to put together. This makes sense since they are making huge batches each day fresh in each busy restaurant!
In this section I am going to go through how we came up with this recipe. Both the TikTok recipe and the notes we got from the website and employees all come into play.
If you want to analyze all the data yourself, it is here… or if you just want to grab the recipe, grab the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- White corn – The video just says corn, however the website details white corn which is sweeter. I have experimented quite a bit and do prefer the taste of white corn, and think it is closer to the restaurant. However, if you can only get yellow corn, it will work too and still taste absolutely delicious.
- I also have it on good authority that Chipotle uses frozen corn. This is great because it makes prep super simple. If you prefer fresh corn you can cook corn on the cob per your preferred method, then cut the corn from the cob and use that instead.
- Cilantro – Although the recipe calls for a relatively small amount, fresh cilantro is a key ingredient. It provides the only herb/spice in the mixture. Add more or less depending on your preference.
- Red onion – There is no doubt that Chipotle uses red onion. However if you don’t have any on hand, you can still get good results with yellow or white onion.
- Jalapeño – This was a trickier ingredient. In the TikTok video they clearly state that they are using jalapeno. However the Chipotle website states that they use roasted poblano pepper. The ingredient clearly looks like raw jalapeno though.
- I tried both, and found that there was very little taste difference, so my preference was jalapeno. It is just more easily accessible and there isn’t much difference. Both will give you great- and very similar results.
- Lime and Lemon juice – The TikTok recipe tells us that lime juice is a key ingredient for the recipe. It is poured out of a container clearly filled with juice. However both the website and employees verify that this is a combination of lime juice and lemon juice. We went with both and this really brought the flavor really close to what you taste in the store.
- Salt – This brings all the flavors together. Salt helps to marry everything, but be careful not to over salt or you will taste it.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Chipotle’s Corn Salsa Recipe.
Gather all ingredients
Combine the cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lemon and lime juice and mix well.
In a large bowl add the corn and salt, then add the onion mixture. Mix all ingredients together.
Chill for 30 minutes and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Finely Chop– To get really close to the texture that the Chipotle corn salsa has, you will want to chop the ingredients as finely as you can. The smaller you get the onion, cilantro, and peppers, the more the flavor will combine in each bite.
- Combine the lemon lime juice with the onions, jalapeno, and cilantro first. This will help to take some of the bite from the onions and peppers and pull the flavors out of all of the ingredients to marry them. You can clearly see this is the process used to make the corn salsa at Chipotle.
- Let sit- This salsa is best after it has sat for at least 30 minutes to give the flavor a chance to develop.
What to Serve with Corn Salsa
We all know the fresh delicious flavors that this Chipotle’s corn salsa delivers! It pairs well with everything from Chipotle classics like burritos, bowls, salads, and tacos to family favorites like grilled chicken, beef, pork and fish.
Here are some favorites that you can elevate by serving with this salsa!
Side Dish Ideas
- Crockpot Chipotle Chicken – This has a little kick!
- Mexican Shredded Beef– So good!
- BBQ Pulled Pork– You won’t believe how good this corn salsa is with the BBQ flavor!
- Tex Mex Grilled Chicken– My go to recipe!
- Fast Steak Fajitas – Long time family favorite (I was born and raised in Texas!)
- Cilantro Lime Chicken– So fresh and delicious!
- Green Chile Chicken Tacos – SO SO Good!
You can choose to pile this on as a topping, or use it as a side dish. It really will take the flavor of almost any protein up and really make a meal special!
Even better- pair it with my tableside style guacamole and fresh pico de gallo for an over the top delicious meal.
More Salsa Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my EASY recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite Salsa recipes below.
- Fastest (and Tastiest) Homemade Salsa
- Mango Avocado Salsa
- Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa
- Fresh Pico de Gallo
Chipotle Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen white corn, thawed
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh jalapeño, finely diced
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the cilantro, onion, jalapeno, lemon and lime juice and mix well.
- In a large bowl add the corn and salt, then add the onion mixture. Mix all ingredients together.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- Frozen White Corn — If you can only get yellow corn, it will still taste absolutely delicious. I also have it on good authority that Chipotle uses frozen corn and that is what I cook with as well. If you prefer fresh corn you can cook corn on the cob per your preferred method, then cut the corn from the cob and use that instead.
- Cilantro — If you don’t like cilantro, you can reduce the amount, or leave it out all together, but it will taste different than the Chipotle corn salsa.
- Red Onion — There is no doubt that Chipotle uses red onion. However, if you don’t have any on hand, you can still get good results with yellow or white onion.
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Using a gas stove, turn the flame to high. Place one large (or two small) poblano peppers directly in or over the flame with tongs, rotating until the skin is charred and blistered and a blackened color in most areas. If you do not have a gas stove, you can also use a gas grill for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Place the peppers a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit until the skin starts to loosen and the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
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Use gloves or a kitchen towel, carefully rub the blackened skin so that it loosens and comes off then discard the skin. Lay the pepper flat. Cut out stem, seeds and ribs, then finely chop.
- Add the chopped roasted pepper to the corn mixture and continue with recipe as directed.
- Cook 3-4 ears of corn in a pot of boiling water, or per your preferred method.
- Cool in an ice bath or the refrigerator. Once cool, cut the corn from the cob and use 2 cups of kernels to make this recipe.
- 4 cups white corn
- 1/4 cup diced jalapeño
- 1/2 cup diced cilantro
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tablespoons lime Juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
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