Description

A smoky, bright, and crunchy tailgate salad featuring charred grilled corn, black beans, and a tangy lime dressing. Perfect for game days, picnics, and potlucks, this forgiving salad gets better as it sits.

Ingredients

Scale

4 ears corn on the cob, husked
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or agave
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)
1 large avocado, diced (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (400-450°F). Clean and oil the grates.
Husk the corn and remove all silk with a dry paper towel. Do not rinse.
Grill the corn directly on the grates for 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until deep char marks and blackened spots appear on about 60% of the surface.
Transfer grilled corn to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes.
Stand each ear on its flat end and cut kernels off the cob using a sharp chef’s knife in a sawing motion. You should get about 3 cups of kernels.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper to make the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine grilled corn kernels, black beans, diced bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and most of the cilantro (reserve some for garnish).
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lime juice, or chili powder as needed.
If using, gently fold in crumbled cotija cheese and diced avocado.
Garnish with reserved cilantro and serve immediately, or refrigerate for later.

Notes

For best flavor, let the salad sit in the refrigerator for an hour before serving. Add avocado just before serving to prevent browning. If you don’t have a grill, use a grill pan or cast iron skillet over high heat, or roast corn in the oven at 450°F for 15-20 minutes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 180
Sugar: 6
Sodium: 300
Fat: 6
Saturated Fat: 1
Carbohydrates: 28
Fiber: 7
Protein: 7

Keywords: grilled corn salad, black bean salad, tailgate salad, summer side dish, gluten-free, vegetarian