This is most delicious black bean and corn salad that is mixed with crisp veggies, rice, black beans, and sweet corn, all tossed in a zesty cilantro lime dressing! Perfect as a side dish or salad for any meal. It's flavorful, simple, and packed with colorful and fresh ingredients in every bite!
If you like Chipotle's black beans, rice, and corn salsa on your tacos, burrito, and/or burrito bowl, then you are going to absolutely fall in LOVE with this corn and black bean salad! When my husband tasted this recipe for the first time, he said, "...it's better than the Chipotle version!" I'd say that is a huge compliment! And now he's asking me to make this at least once a week!
When you pair the fresh veggies with cooked rice and black beans... and then toss it all together with a simple homemade cilantro lime dressing, you get the most flavorful salad! Here lately, I've been adding either fresh grilled chicken or these garlic butter steak bites on top of a big bowl of this corn and black bean salad. It's perfect for either lunch or dinner! It's also really delicious served alongside these sausage stuffed mushrooms as a dip eaten with chips. And I love eating it with tacos, enchiladas, or burritos!
Jump to:
- Fresh flavors in every bite, this salad is simple to make and affordable. It's a great pantry recipe!
- It's super versatile! It can be eaten as a side dish, an appetizer, or as a main dish with some added protein!
- It can be eaten either warm or cold! It tastes amazing either way!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Black Beans: provides some protein and fiber to the dish. Drain and rinse the beans from a can or if you have cooked black beans you made from a bag, those work perfect in this recipe.
- Corn: adds a hint of fresh sweetness. Drain and rinse the corn from a can. You can also use fresh corn from a cob or frozen corn, as long as it's thawed.
- Long Grain Rice: a healthy carb that is a key ingredient. For best results, skip the precooked packaged version and cook the rice the old fashioned way.
- Bell Peppers: yellow and orange peppers are very mild in flavor, which is why I use them in this recipe. If you want a more robust taste, use red or green bell peppers.
- Cilantro: provides a Tex-Mex flavor that is citrusy and a bit peppery.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: used to make the cilantro lime dressing. It adds a mild and slightly tangy flavor that pairs really well with the fresh lime juice.
- Green Onions: provides a fresh, subtle taste that blends well, adding just the right amount of onion flavor without being too strong.
- Garlic Cloves: skip the jarred version and use fresh cloves.
- Olive Oil: used to make the dressing.
- Lime Juice: skip the bottled version and use fresh juice from a lime.
- Dijon Mustard: a key ingredient to the dressing. It helps bind the oil and lime juice together while providing a mild tangy flavor.
- Cumin: flavor wise, cumin pairs extremely well with cilantro, black beans, and lime juice. It adds a mild earthy flavor and contributes layers of flavors to every bite.
- Salt: a flavor enhancer.
- Pepper: a flavor enhancer that adds a very mild amount of heat.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Step 1: Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Once water comes to a boil, add 1 cup of uncooked rice and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice can be fluffed with a fork.
- Step 2: While the rice is cooking, dice the bell peppers and finely chop the cilantro. Slice the green onions and mince the garlic. Set aside.
- Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, mix the cooked rice, black beans, corn, chopped orange and yellow peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Set aside.
- Step 4: In a small bowl, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, minced cloves of garlic, Dijon mustard, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Step 5: Pour the dressing ingredients over the rice and bean mixture and toss to coat.
- Step 6: Serve immediately.
This will quickly become a family favorite recipe! Extremely versatile, enjoy this as a dip, a side dish, or even as a meal!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes! Jasmine and Basmati rice also work extremely well in this recipe! To make this even more healthy, use brown rice!
Yes! You can make this up to a day before serving, just don't add the cilantro lime dressing until you are ready to serve.
It's great served either way! You can serve it cold, room temperature, or warm! My personal preference is to eat it while it's warm.
Expert Tips
- To add even more flavor, try using chicken broth instead of water when boiling the rice.
- If you prefer pinto beans over black beans, then switch them out. These Instant Pot Pinto Beans work really well in this recipe!
- To make this a meal, add chicken or steak for even more protein!
- Fresh avocado is a great add!
- Freshly shredded cheese is also another great add! Mild cheddar or Colby Jack cheese taste amazing! To add a bit of heat, use Pepper Jack cheese.
- This is an excellent recipe to serve at a picnic.
- Store any leftovers in a container with an air tight lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- The easiest way to reheat this is either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Heat until slightly warm.
🥘 More Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this corn and black bean salad or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Corn and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
For The Corn and Black Bean Salad
- 2 cup water
- 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained
- 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ orange bell pepper, diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper, diced
- 5 green onions, sliced
For The Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- juice from a ½ lime
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Once water comes to a boil, add 1 cup of uncooked rice and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice can be fluffed with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, dice the bell peppers and finely chop the cilantro. Set aside.
- Slice the green onions and mince the garlic. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the cooked rice, black beans, corn, chopped orange and yellow peppers, green onions, and cilantro. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ apple cider vinegar, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing ingredients over the rice and bean mixture and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
-
- To add even more flavor, try using chicken broth instead of water when boiling the rice.
- For the black beans, if you have cooked black beans you made from a bag, those work perfect in this recipe.
- For the corn, you can also use fresh corn from a cob or frozen corn, as long as it's thawed.
- To make this a meal, add chicken or steak for even more protein!
- Fresh avocado is a great add and tastes amazing!
- Freshly shredded cheese is also a great add! Mild cheddar or Colby Jack cheese taste amazing! To add a bit of heat, use Pepper Jack cheese.
- Store any leftovers in a container with an air tight lid and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- The easiest way to reheat this is either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Heat until slightly warm.
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