Southwest Black Bean Salad
On July 07, 2025
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This fast, fresh, and flavorful Southwest Black Bean Salad bursts with hearty black beans, sweet grilled corn, creamy avocado, and a zesty homemade dressing. It comes together—and disappears—in minutes. Perfect as a dip, taco topping, on nachos, and more.
Southwest Black Bean Salad
When you’re grilling all summer long, you need a side dish to keep up with the flavor coming off your smoker. I’ve eaten some of the best BBQ in the world, from some of the best Pitmasters out there—and this Southwest Black Bean Salad might be my bite-for-bite favorite.
It’s got an awesome mix of bold flavors, bright ingredients, and killer textures: creamy black beans, char-grilled corn, rich avocado, and a zesty homemade dressing that makes the whole dish sing. Even if you grill your own corn (and you should), the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes. If you can manage to let it sit, it only gets better with time. Good luck with that, though.
Try it once and you’ll start looking for excuses to whip some up: game-day dip, Taco Tuesday topper, or just because. No judgment here. If you’re ready to start buying tortilla chips in bulk, let me teach you how to make this easy Black Bean Salad.
What is black bean salad?
If you’ve tried my Cowboy Caviar before, you’re already familiar with the vibe—but this Southwest Black Bean Salad lets the black beans take center stage (no chickpeas here) with just a hint of heat from hot sauce to keep things interesting. Both are fresh and perfect for scooping, but this one brings a smoky, zesty twist that makes it feel—and taste—totally new.
Think of it as the cool, Southwest cousin who always comes to party.
Ingredients for this Recipe
This tangy, smoky salad uses a combination of fresh produce you can easily find at any grocery store and a few pantry staples. It’s simple, straightforward, and comes together quickly. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the salad:
- 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 4 ears corn (cooked and cut off the cob, about 2 cups)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes (quartered)
- 2 avocados (peeled, pitted, and diced)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)
- ½ cup red onion (diced)
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (diced)
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños (diced)
For the homemade southwest dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes, if you’re going fresh)
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I use Cholula)
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly cracked)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
The Best Corn for Black Bean Salad
You might be wondering, “Does it really matter what corn I use?” The short answer: yes and no. Frozen corn works just fine (once thawed), but for my money, nothing beats corn you’ve added a little smoky flavor to yourself. If you want to make your own, try one of these simple methods:
Whichever you pick, just be sure the corn is fully cooked and cooled before adding it to the salad.
How to Make Black Bean Salad
This salad is big on flavor and short on effort, so it’s perfect for any occasion. Follow these simple steps when you’re ready to make it:
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, hot sauce, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and fully combined.
- Prep the salad ingredients. Drain and rinse the black beans, cook and cool the corn (if you haven’t already), and chop all your fresh ingredients: tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños.
- Toss it all together. Add everything to a large bowl, then pour the dressing over the top. Gently fold to combine, being careful not to mash the avocado or beans. I recommend using a rubber spatula so you can evenly coat everything while maintaining that awesome, chunky texture.
- Let it chill. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. It gets even better the longer it sits. This step is optional, but trust me, your taste buds will thank you for your patience.
- Serve and enjoy. After a quick chill in the fridge, it’s time for the moment of truth. Serve your Black Bean Salad with a big bag of crispy, salty tortilla chips, then stand back and watch how quickly the bowl empties. It’s the perfect light and bright complement for all your rich, heavy BBQ meats. It’s also terrific as a topper for brisket tacos and chicken nachos. If there’s a way you normally enjoy salsa, try it with this instead and thank me later.
Storage and Making Ahead
This salad tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge (or overnight), so it’s a perfect make-ahead dish. The flavors deepen, the dressing soaks in, and you get to roll up to your cookout knowing you’ve got an stress-free, sleeper hit ready to steal the show.
If you’re serving it right away, a quick chill under plastic wrap in the fridge does the trick. For leftovers or prepping ahead, store it in an airtight container. It’ll stay fresh and flavorful for 3–4 days. Just give it a gentle stir before serving to bring everything back to life.
Susie’s Black Bean Salad Pro Tips
The recipe card alone has everything you need to create a salad your family will devour quickly and demand again immediately. However, I’ve included a few tips to help you take this recipe to Backyard BBQ Hero status:
- Cook your corn. I know I’ve already mentioned this, but grilling, smoking, or foil-wrapping your corn is an easy way to add big flavor.
- Let it chill. You can absolutely enjoy this salad right after you make it, but giving those flavors time to marry and meld for 30 minutes is totally worth it.
- Choose your heat level. If you like heat, you can increase the amount of hot sauce or jalapeños. Or you can back those off if you want a milder version.
- Handle with care. You want a nice, chunky salad, not a mash. Be gentle when stirring everything together, especially once the avocado joins the party.
More Incredible Condiment Recipes
Once you make this show-stealing salad totally from scratch, you’ll be hooked on creating your entire menu. Luckily for you, I’ve got dozens more salads, dips, and condiment recipes just like this one right here on the site, as well as in the Hey Grill Hey App. Here are a few of my favorites so your appetite can start firing up:
Quick and Simple Black Bean Salad Recipe
When you make this Southwest Black Bean Salad for the people you love, remember to come back and tell me about your experience. I love hearing about the tasty memories you make, and 5-star ratings help me keep bringing you more awesome recipes just like this one.
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Southwest Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 ears fresh corn cooked and cut off the cob, about 2 cups
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 avocados peeled, pitted, and diced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup jalapeños diced
Southwest Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Cholula Original Hot Sauce or your favorite hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh cracked
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, hot sauce, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until everything is well combined and the honey is dissolved.¼ cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons Cholula Original Hot Sauce, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Make the salad. Add the drained and rinsed black beans, cooked corn kernels, quartered tomatoes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced bell pepper, and pickled jalapeños to a large mixing bowl.2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, 4 ears fresh corn, 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, 2 avocados, ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, ½ cup red onion, ¼ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup jalapeños
- Combine and chill. Pour the dressing over the salad, then gently fold everything together gently with a rubber spatula or large spoon until all ingredients are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
- Serve and enjoy. Give it one final gentle stir before serving as a fresh side dish for grilled meats, scoop it up with tortilla chips as a dip, or use it as a topping for tacos, nachos, and more.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
