Looking for a delicious way to use fresh tomatoes? Add a can of black beans, a few other ingredients and you’ve got Black Bean Salsa! This zesty recipe is simple and follows the formula of a classic salsa fresca: tomatoes, onion, lime, and jalapeño. We love adding a bit of filling plant-based protein to our salsa. It’s the best Mexican-style side dish and perfect party food! Here’s how to make it.
What is salsa fresca?
This black bean salsa is a “salsa fresca”, a salsa recipe that uses fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Salsa fresca is typically quite chunky. You can dip tortilla chips in it, spoon it into a burrito or quesadilla, serve it as a side to fish, or use it as a topping on tacos, baked potatoes, or grilled avocado. Using it to top a baked sweet potato is one of our favorite simple meals!
Black bean salsa ingredients
This black bean salsa recipe is essentially a salsa fresca plus a can of black beans, which give it a little more texture and nice boost of protein and carbs. The black beans also make this dip more filling, which keeps us from eating the entire container of it in one sitting. Here’s what else you’ll need for this black bean salsa:
TomatoesRed onionCilantroJalapeño pepperBlack beans (canned or cooked from dry; try our Instant Pot Black Beans or Stovetop Black Beans)Lime
Simply prep all the ingredients, then stir them together in a serving bowl. Season the salsa with kosher salt to taste, and add more lime juice if desired. Also, if you like your salsa spicy, leave the seeds in the jalapeño. This black bean salsa recipe is a mild one, so we removed the ribs and seeds from the pepper.
Tips for making black bean salsa
Before you start, here are a few tips for making this black bean salsa recipe!
Drain and rinse the black beans to get rid of any excess liquid. You want a salsa fresca that’s chunky and not runny. Plus, the tomatoes will release some juice as they mix with the other ingredients.Don’t touch your eyes or face after cutting the jalapeno! Jalapeño juice lingers on your hands even after you’ve washed them, and it can cause a serious sting in your eyes.Eat within 3 days. This black bean salsa recipe tastes better the longer it sits in your fridge, but it’s best eaten within three days. Feel free to double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd, and play with the ingredients a bit to figure out how you like your salsa the best.
Looking for more black bean recipes? We’ve got you. Go to Best Bean Recipes!
Looking for more Mexican recipes?
Outside of this black bean salsa recipe, here are a few more of our favorite Mexican-inspired recipes on A Couple Cooks:
Grab this perfect Pico de Gallo RecipeTry Mexican Sweet Potatoes or Loaded Mexican FriesOpt for Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas or Easy Vegetarian EnchiladasGo for easy tacos: Refried Bean Tacos, Mushroom Tacos, Sweet Potato Tacos, Tofu Tacos, Black Bean Tacos or Epic Fish Tacos
This black bean salsa recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free. No reviews
