Sauteed Southwest Corn

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Delectably sweet corn sauteed with savory onions, bell peppers, and black beans tossed in vibrant cilantro and lime juice makes for an easy and delicious side dish. It’s a great accompaniment to your favorite taco platter, and can even be mixed into burritos and enchiladas! Not only is it full of flavors, but it’s also a great healthy option!

With summer coming up, I’m looking for more healthy options for food using all of the fresh produce that the summer months bring to us. Going to farmer’s markets are my favorite hobby during that time. I always love walking around and purchasing produce until my fridge can’t fit anymore! Corn is especially stocked in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Though, I always wait a week or two before buying corn. Other shopper’s get to them before I can, so I’m usually left with waltzing to the freezer section and grabbing a bag of frozen corn. While it’s not a bad thing (frozen produce and veggies are always picked at the peak of freshness), I would prefer to buy fresh sometimes, especially when it’s in season!

How to make Sauteed Southwestern Corn

Easy, delicious, sweet, savory, and vibrant all packed into one side dish. You can make this spicy or cheesy; whichever your preference is, it’ll be surely delicious in any way! (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).

  • Corn, Frozen or Fresh: You want about 3 cups worth. One ear of corn, depending on size, will give you one cup of corn. If you don’t want to buy fresh/it’s not in season, you can use frozen corn in its place. Just defrost it and drain any excess water when it thaws.
  • Red Bell Pepper, Black Beans, Red Onion: The southwestern trio. You can use green bell pepper instead of the red bell pepper, sweet onion in place of red onion, or pinto beans in place of black beans. The great part about this recipe is that its customizable!
  • Garlic: A small flavor boost.
  • Vegetable Oil: This is to saute the corn and the other veggies. You can use avocado oil, which is a healthier option.
  • Cumin, Salt, Lime Juice, Cilantro: This brings more flavor to the corn. The lime and cilantro work so well together.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, peppers, and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion and peppers are softened, stirring occasionally. Add in the black beans and cook until the beans are warmed through, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl. Wipe the skillet. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add in the corn and the remaining salt. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes or until the corn starts popping and is brown on the bottom. Stirring occasionally, cook until the corn is browned all over, about 8 minutes. Mix in the bean mixture. Toss in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve.

Tips & FAQs

  • Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Variations:
    • Replace the red bell pepper with a green, yellow, or orange bell pepper.
    • Replace the red onion with a sweet or yellow onion.
    • Replace the black beans with pinto beans.
    • Add cheese such as Colby jack, pepper jack, or grated cotija cheese.
    • Make it spicy with ground cayenne pepper, or leave the seeds in the jalapeno along with the ribs (that’s where the spice is).

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Sauteed Southwest Corn
Servings 6
Author Dani Bayer
Prep time
5 Min
Cook time
20 Min
Total time
25 Min
Print

Sauteed Southwest Corn

Ingredients

  • 3 ears of fresh corn or 16 oz frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, peppers, and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion and peppers are softened, stirring occasionally. Add in the black beans and cook until the beans are warmed through, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add in the garlic, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl. Wipe the skillet.
  3. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add in the corn and the remaining salt. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes or until the corn starts popping and is brown on the bottom. Stirring occasionally, cook until the corn is browned all over, about 8 minutes.
  4. Mix in the bean mixture. Toss in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve.

Notes

Storage: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Variations:

  • Replace the red bell pepper with a green, yellow, or orange bell pepper.
  • Replace the red onion with sweet or yellow onion.
  • Replace the black beans with pinto beans.
  • Add cheese such as Colby jack, pepper jack, or grated cotija cheese.
  • Make it spicy with ground cayenne pepper, or leave the seeds in the jalapeno along with the ribs (that’s where the spice is).

Nutrition Facts

Calories

91.91

Fat (grams)

5.33 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.86 g

Carbs (grams)

11.48 g

Fiber (grams)

1.48 g

Sugar (grams)

3.93 g

Protein (grams)

1.91 g

Sodium (milligrams)

203.2 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.

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