If there was one salad I’d dub as ‘the’ summer salad, it’d be this charred corn salad. It’s a blend of everything summer: charred corn, pinto beans, fresh aromatics, and sweet citrus.

Now I will admit, this charred sweet corn salad does have a lot going on. There’s the charred corn, fluffy quinoa, marinated aromatics, and fresh herbs to brighten things up. So yeah, there’s a lot. But it’s so worth it, because it’s a big bowl of summer flavor, without any of the trouble of having to use an outdoor grill or turn on your oven.

Whether you make this for an easy weeknight dinner, or as a fun picnic dish to share, this charred sweet corn salad is sure to be loved by everyone.

For those curious, this dish has 20g of protein and 13g of fiber per serving (assuming that you split this salad in half).

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Charred Corn Salad

Here’s everything you’ll need for this charred corn salad recipe!

Sweet yellow corn: If you can find fresh organic corn, obviously use that, but frozen works just as well.
Pinto beans
Quinoa: Sharing my secrets to fluffy quinoa here.
Red onion
Jalapeno peppers
Garlic cloves
Limes: You’ll need both lime juice and zest.
Cilantro
Olive oil
Honey: You can also swap in maple syrup instead.
Spices: Including ground cumin and coriander.
Kosher salt

Charring Corn – Answering All Your Questions

As much as I love raw corn, charred corn is just so much better. It brings an extra level of sweetness, with just a hint of smoky flavor to the salad.

Anywho, I recommend charring corn on a cast iron skillet. Simply heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering and hot, dump in as much corn as will fit in a single layer in the pan. Let the corn sit, undisturbed for 4-5 minutes before stirring. Corn needs some time to get some color and char, so mixing too early, and too often, will make the corn take forever to brown. In total, the corn needs about 8 minutes to char properly.

And, I think this goes without saying, but feel free to grill the corn instead if you don’t want to do the skillet method.

Quinoa 101 – Top Tips For Fluffy Quinoa

My method for fluffy is a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. So for 1/2 cup of quinoa, use 1 cup water, along with a large pinch of salt.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard that you HAVE to rinse your quinoa otherwise it’ll be bitter. The reason is that rinsing the quinoa helps remove quinoa’s natural coating (saponin), which can make it taste bitter. However, most quinoa you buy at the store is already pre-rinsed before its package, but you can rinse your quinoa just to be sure. I feel like it’s unnecessary, but you do you!

But back to my quinoa method.

Add the quinoa, water, and salt into a large pot. Place the pot on the stove, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover the pot. Let the quinoa cook undisturbed for 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. This next step is key, turn the heat off, fully cover the pot with the lid, and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes. The “sitting” helps the quinoa steam and cook off any excess water.

Serving & Storing

I like to serve this Mexican charred corn salad as a standalone meal, but feel free to serve it alongside anything with Mexican-style flavors or really anything grilled.

Store any leftovers in a glass container in the fridge for 1-2 days – although this salad tastes best fresh!

OK, that’s all for this salad! So excited for you to make this – it’s a goodie!! As always, I love hearing your feedback on my recipes, nothing makes me happier. And if you’re looking for even more summer salads, you’ve got to try this easy black bean salad – it’s amazing!!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram.

XO, Yasmeen