Fresh Avocado Corn Salad is full of fresh corn, creamy avocado, bright red pepper, and spicy jalapeños. It's a delicious salad in the summer months when sweet corn is in season. It's a great appetizer to scoop with tortilla chips, a side salad for tacos or grilled chicken and so much more!
Corn tomato avocado corn salad will become a favorite of the summer salad recipes. This fresh corn salad is fast to pull together and the flavorful ingredients make it a perfect side dish for so many recipes. Grilled chicken skewers, Air Fryer Shrimp, Taco Lettuce Wraps, Mexican Chicken Adobo. You get the picture. It's really a perfect summer side dish.
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What makes this skinny?
- We reduced the ripe avocados to one large avocado. Avocados are a healthy source of healthy fats however fats are very calorie dense. This amount gives plenty of avocado and cuts back on the calories.
- The olive oil has been reduced. With a fresh salad like this the main ingredients are what give the majority of the flavor. A lot of dressing really isn't needed. Just a bit of oil to coat and keep the ingredients together (2 teaspoons).
- The easy avocado corn salad is loaded with fresh vegetables which are lower in calories and have great flavor when used fully ripe.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Fresh corn. You'll need 2 cups cut off the cob (equivalent of about 2 large ears of corn). Remove the corn husks and all the silk (we use a vegetable brush to do this). We use a corn zipper to cut the kernels off the ear of corn. It's an affordable too that is designed specifically for removing corn kernels from the cob. You can also use a large sharp knife.
Cherry tomatoes. Use a sharp or serrated knife to successfully quarter the cherry tomatoes.
Lime juice. Fresh lime juice really does make a difference. Use a handheld juicer or any other method to juice the lime.
Avocado. You'll use one large avocado. Select one that is fully ripe but still firm. Soft avocados are difficult to cut into pieces without mashing them and for this avocado corn salad recipe pieces of ripe avocado work best.
Jalapeno peppers. The secret to controlling heat from spicy peppers is the seeds. That's where most of the heat resides. Remove them before dicing the jalapenos. If you love spicy heat you can leave them in!
Lime zest. The lime juice adds a very subtle bit of citrus which builds flavor but also helps keep the avocados from turning brown. If you want more lime flavor add some lime zest. Zest before you juice (easiest method).
How to make Avocado Corn Salad
STEP 1. Blanch the corn
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook corn for 2 minutes.
Drain the corn and run it under cold water until it is no longer warm. Drain well and then transfer the corn to a large serving bowl.
STEP 2. Make the salad
Add the red pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Add the avocado and stir gently to not smash the avocado.
STEP 3. Serve
Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge until ready to use. Serve it as an appetizer with chips to dip (or slices of jicama instead of chips) or as a side dish.
Variations
Using frozen corn. If corn on the cob is not available you can substitute frozen corn. Follow the same process of putting the frozen corn into the boiling water. They probably will not need to cook the full 2 minutes so remove them as soon as they seem thawed and put into the ice bath. This is a great way to use up leftover corn too.
Use grilled corn. For a totally different flavor grill the corn first! Follow the instruction in our grilled vegetable tutorial.
Use grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are slightly smaller than cherry tomatoes and very sweet. Depending on their size they can be halved instead of quartered.
Add some black beans. To add more volume and some protein to the salad add some canned or homemade black beans.
Add some feta cheese. We opt for fat free or reduced fat feta which tastes the same but has about half the calories. Feta adds a nice salt flavor to the other sweet ingredients. Goat cheese would add some tangy flavor too.
Substitute any bell peppers. We love the pop of color from red peppers but any color bell pepper will work. Choose yellow, orange or even purple which are slightly sweeter and more mild than green bell peppers.
Not a cilantro fan? Substitute flat leaf or Italian parsley. You could even add fresh basil for a Mediterranean flavor.
Use green onions instead or red onions. If you prefer a more mild onion flavor use sliced green onion instead.
Sprinkle on chili powder. For just a bit more smoky heat sprinkle on a little bit of chili powder when serving. Taste before doing this to avoid adding too much heat.
How to Store
Store any leftover avocado corn salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The avocado may start to brown after a few hours but the salad will still taste delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can but because avocados will oxidize when cut turning them brown, combine the other vegetables and wait to add the lime juice, olive oil and avocado until just before serving. You can keep the premade salad in the refrigerator until the next day then finish and serving.
Though it will work it's usually more moisture saturated from being stored in liquid so won't have the same crisp texture as fresh corn. We'd recommend frozen corn if you can't find fresh corn.
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Recipe
Fresh Avocado Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels cut off the cob
- ½ cup finely chopped diced red pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno seeds removed before dicing
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large avocado cut into ½-inch pieces
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook them for 2 minutes.
- Drain the corn and run under cold water until it is no longer warm. Drain well and then transfer the corn to a large bowl.
- Add the red pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and avocado oil. Toss to combine. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Add the avocado and stir in gently to avoid smashing the avocado.
- Serve at room temperature or chill in the refridgerator until ready to use.
Grace says
This flavor combination was delicious. Would definitely make it again.
Tara G says
I made this this weekend at our friend's beach house we were visiting and it was the first to go! It was THAT good!
Tara says
Oh yum! Such a refreshing and easy summertime salad. I love the combination of all those vibrant colors and flavors.
Kali Alexandria says
A great and easy summer salad recipe staple! Thank you!
Nic says
Yum, this tasted so fresh and delicious! thanks for a great recipe.
Dana says
This is such a great salad. We usd it last Taco Tuesday and it was great on the tacos, on the side, or even just with a spoon 😉
Eve says
I added black beans and a little bit of reduced fat feta cheese. SO good!! Will definitely make again.