This Fiesta salad is a crowd-pleasing recipe ready to serve instantly like a breeze. This Mexican-style salad is delicious with bright flavors. It is a very comforting and light salad, perfect for a weeknight dinner. This Fiesta taco salad is naturally a vegan and vegetarian recipe.
If you are searching for a party salad so easy to whip up? you would adore this Fiesta salad recipe. You have everything in here: the colors, the taste, the texture, and the aroma.
About this recipe
This fiesta corn and black bean salad is a refreshing side loaded with vegetables, and beans, and enhanced with rich flavors. Furthermore, it's a vast time-saving recipe; toss all the listed ingredients. And you are good to go.
Why is this Fiesta salad fabulous? It's loaded with vegetables, quick to prepare, no pre-cooking is needed.
Highly customizable, add your favorite toppings, or adjust the heat. There are no hard and fast rules play in here. Just toss the vegetables and the seasonings, and enjoy every bite with excellent texture.
What is the Fiesta salad?
This Mexican-style salad is usually made with black beans, corn, avocado, peppers, lime, and cilantro. It is known for its rich, bright aroma and the heat. Every bite makes you remember your recent visit to the Mexican restaurant.
The key ingredients and their facts
Black bean. Canned black bean is convenient and makes this fresh Fiesta salad faster. But you may use home-cooked black beans as well. Soak the dry black bean overnight, and cook with water until it turns soft.
Give a body to the salad and make us feel full for a long time.
Corn. I have used frozen corn for its convenience. Feel free to use fresh corn when they are in season.
Tomato. Various tomatoes work fine here, like a vine, aroma, cherry, or plum tomato. It's light, juicy, and a little tangy; it brings the lime juice and the other components together.
Sweet onion. It's crunchy and blends well with red pepper and jalapeno. Yellow onion is equally significant as well.
Cucumber. How can this be left out when onion and tomato is present? Such a cooling element enhances the overall flavors.
Jalapeno. It's optional but highly encouraged for its heat. The seeds determine the heat; a small amount turns this Fiesta salad mild or spicy.
Red pepper. Added for the color and the crunch. Swap with green or yellow pepper.
Cilantro. Robust flavors make the salad fresh and light. Fresh is always the better and there is not a shortcut for substitution.
Lime juice. Added for its brilliant flavors and enchanting taste. Lemon juice is great to swap in this Fiesta taco salad.
How to make Fiesta salad?
To prepare. Open drain the black bean, thaw the frozen corn and chop all the vegetables into small bite-size pieces.
Combine. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients. And gently combine everything.
Serve. And enjoy serving as a side salad.
Pro tips. To enhance the Fiesta corn salad more, toss store-bought salsa and other ingredients. It's a tremendous, flavorsome variation that everyone at the party will love.
Make-ahead + storing idea
Make ahead. Chop all the vegetables except tomato up to 1 day in advance. And store them in the air-sealed container in the refrigerator. And mix them just before serving.
To store. Refrigerate the Fiesta salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze. The tomato disintegrates when frozen. So, freezing the salad is not advisable.
How to serve?
As a side salad. Serve this salad to make any meal more delectable. This quickly freshens up the main course effortlessly.
As appetizer. Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips. Fiesta salad with corn chips is ultimate for the party and a large crowd.
As a meal. Add the protein of your choice to the salad to make a wholesome dinner. Some top picks are grilled chicken, shredded chicken, store-bought rotisserie chicken, or this Air fryer sausage.
Variations
Rice. Add cooked rice to the salad and serve as a wholesome dinner. This Fiesta rice salad is brilliant and delicious.
Ground beef. Cook ground beef with red pepper and taco seasoning until no pink remains. Let it in low heat until the moisture completely evaporates. Add to the salad.
Chicken. Thinking of adding some protein? add grilled chicken bites. This combo is incredible, and this fiesta chicken salad has a finger-licking taste.
Tortilla. Add fried tortilla strips, chopped avocado, and tortilla chips.
Cheese. Add queso fresco cheese to make this Fiesta salad more authentic.
Sour cream. One of the traditional ingredients makes this salad delightful. Greek yogurt is the lighter variation for this.
Bacon. Add cooked, and crumbled pieces of bacon for the crisp texture.
Seasoning. Taco or fajita seasoning if needed.
Printable recipe card
Fiesta salad
Ingredients
- ½ can black beans drained (8oz)
- ½ can corn drained (8oz)
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup sweet onion diced finely
- ½ cup tomato
- ½ cup red pepper cored and diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper cored and diced finely
- â…“ cup cilantro washed and minced
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the serving bowl, add drained black beans, corn kernels, chopped cucumber, onion, tomato, red pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, salsa, and salt.
- Mix with a slotted spoon thorughly until combined.
- Serve with taco or as side salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended tools for making this recipe
Mixing Bowls. The meeting place for all your colorful ingredients. Choose ones with non-slip bases for added convenience.
Tongs. It is essential for gently tossing the fiesta salad, ensuring each leaf is coated with your homemade dressing.
Measuring cups. A kitchen is incomplete with these measuring cups. And these are convenient too.
Tavo
Great combination of healthy and yummy ingredients. So fresh!
Juliane
Been looking for something like this to make for my mom! Thank you for sharing.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Love the flavours in this salad and perfect to whip up for family barbecues too.
Kechi
I like all the colors and flavors of this bowl; such an exciting bowl of salad. I will definitely add some protein when I do make it!
Dannii
So many delicious flavours in this bowl! This would be perfect for a BBQ too.