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Transform canned beans into Black Bean Salsa, an easy recipe guaranteed to please. It’s fresh, colorful, and delicious, and it might just be your new favorite party recipe.
When I first began dabbling in the world of the culinary arts, I found a recipe for black bean salsa on a can of Bush’s brand canned beans.
Over the years the recipe has evolved, but Black Bean Salsa and I continue to feed people at all the parties that matter. It’s super easy to make, everyone loves it, and now this cherished recipe can be yours, too.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Black beans: 1 ½ cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 1 can (that’s about ½ cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of black.
- Corn: 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) frozen corn, thawed, may be substituted for the canned corn. To substitute fresh corn, bring a medium pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add 2-3 ears of corn and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Submerge ears in a large bowl of ice water. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it off the cob.
- Bell pepper: Substitute any color of pepper you prefer.
- Onion: Red, white, yellow, green, sweet, or even shallots will do; dice and stir in whatever you have on hand.
- Cilantro: If you or someone you are feeding has an aversion to cilantro, consider fresh parsley instead. Mexican oregano is also tasty here.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large bowl, add beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper).
- Stir to combine, then cover and chill until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips or grilled meats.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 appetizer-size portions, but the recipe is easily doubled or tripled to feed more.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: All the ingredients can be prepped a day in advance and tossed together 1 hour before serving time.
- Sweeter: For a similar recipe with a little sugar in it, try Cowboy Caviar.
- More mix-ins: Fold in chopped avocado, diced jalapeño or serrano chiles, or a dash or two of hot sauce, if desired.
- Serving ideas: Tortilla chips are a classic choice, but anything from pita chips and crackers to bell pepper wedges and cucumber slices also taste amazing. Or try this dip as a condiment: spoon it over grilled chicken, steak, or pork.
Bonus bean recipes
Appetizer Recipes
Cowboy Caviar
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Black Beans (Copycat)
Salad Recipes
Three Bean Salad
Side Dish Recipes
Slow Cooker Calico Beans
Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed (see note 1)
- 1 (14 ounce) can corn drained (see note 2)
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and diced (see note 3)
- 1/2 cup red onion diced (1 small, see note 4)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (see note 5)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Stir to combine.
- Cover and chill until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to grilled meats.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Black beans: 1 ½ cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 1 can (that’s about ½ cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of black.
- Corn: 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) frozen corn, thawed, may be substituted for the canned corn. To substitute fresh corn, bring a medium pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add 2-3 ears of corn and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Submerge ears in a large bowl of ice water. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it off the cob.
- Bell pepper: Substitute any color of pepper you prefer.
- Onion: Red, white, yellow, green, sweet, or even shallots will do; dice and stir in whatever you have on hand.
- Cilantro: If you or someone you are feeding has an aversion to cilantro, consider fresh parsley instead. Mexican oregano is also tasty here.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 appetizer-size portions, but the recipe is easily doubled or tripled to feed more.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: All the ingredients can be prepped a day in advance and tossed together 1 hour before serving time.
- Sweeter: For a similar recipe with a little sugar in it, try Cowboy Caviar.
- More mix-ins: Fold in chopped avocado, diced jalapeño or serrano chiles, or a dash or two of hot sauce, if desired.
- Serving ideas: Tortilla chips are a classic choice, but anything from pita chips and crackers to bell pepper wedges and cucumber slices also taste amazing. Or try this dip as a condiment: spoon it over grilled chicken, steak, or pork.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Hey Meggan,
I love the black bean salsa recipe. What are your thoughts on canning it in a hot water bath? I know it has enough acid but wondered if you know of anyone who has done it.
Keep Smilin’,
Laura
Hi Laura, happy to hear you love this recipe! I have limited experience with canning. Since beans are low-acid, it is likely this would need to be done in a pressure canner. If you’re wanting specifically to can this, I would look for another recipe that’s been developed specifically for canning. Sorry about that! Can’t be too careful when it comes to food safety. Take care! – Meggan
185 calories? What is the serving size?
Wow, what a quick and easy recipe that took my shrimp tacos to the next level! Thank you this is going to be a staple in this house for taco night or anytime we need a good salsa. Even the kids liked it, Thank you!
Thanks Alexandra! – Meggan
It is out of sight!!!😳😇😇😇😇😇
The dressing makes this recipe sing. I added a jalapeño pepper and added homemade black beans. I’ll definitely make this again!
Thanks RB, sounds delicious! – Meggan
Thank you for great ingredients (skip Cilantro) with a squeeze of Garlic and we’re good to go!! I’ve made salsa working in a Pub know one thought of changing it up. It was meant to be, today was the day that I got to come across a simple and healthy salsa and with Black Beans. Love the fact that it’s what I want and to taste. Again, thank you for my future go to Salsa for my Nachos and other things. Looking forward to getting fresh ideas for cooking as the weather starts to get colder. Our tummies thank you in advance!! :)
Thanks Elizabeth, so glad you liked it! – Meggan
Sounds delicious! If this recipe can’t be canned can you freeze it?
Hi Tammy, I don’t see why not! The vegetables may lose some of their crispness in the freezer. If you do freeze, make sure to leave some headspace for the salsa to expand into. Enjoy – Meggan