This is the easiest Mexicorn substitute. It’s delicious all on its own, and fabulous when added to salads, burrito bowls, tacos, stir fry recipes, and so much more.
It’s packed full of vibrant color and so easy to make. Customize it to your tastes and add it to all your favorite recipes!
Let me show you how easy it is to make homemade Mexicorn – you’ll never go back to the store bought version.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Homemade Mexicorn
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Variations
- How to Make Mexicorn
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store
- Dietary Considerations
- More Tex Mex Inspiration
- Mexicorn
- Explore More
Mexicorn is one of those things that I grew up eating in a variety of Tex-Mex inspired dishes. We used it for taco nights, in green salads, pasta salads, in some of our favorite dips… you name it, and this classic canned standby made an appearance!
Since I tend to cook more fresh foods these days, we don’t often keep Mexicorn on hand in our pantry. Luckily, I have realized that it’s one of those foods that is just so much better fresh, and it takes just minutes to throw it together.
I love a fresh Mexican topping! Don’t skip this incredible Chipotle Corn Salsa, or my favorite Salsa Guacamole.
Learn how to make Mexicorn with this quick and easy recipe! You can customize it with seasoning blends, and you can serve it cooked (softened up a bit) or totally fresh… the choice is yours.
Use the drop down Table of Contents menu to navigate this post. Let’s make some Mexicorn!
Why You’ll Love this Homemade Mexicorn
- Just three ingredients
- So easy to make
- Use fresh, frozen or canned corn
- Serve warm or cold
- Avoid added sodium and sugar in the canned version
- Great as a topping or addition to any Tex Mex dishes
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Corn – You can use fresh corn, canned corn, or frozen corn for this recipe.
- Red Pepper – Diced small.
- Green Pepper – Diced into small pieces!
- Butter – Or Olive Oil (optional). Mexicorn doesn’t need to be cooked, but if you’re using fresh or frozen corn, or simply want the peppers to be softened a bit, you’ll want a little butter or EVOO to sauté it.
Variations
- Add a tablespoon of taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, fiesta ranch or your favorite Tex Mex seasoning blend!
- Add diced jalapenos for an additional level of spice!
- Add a little red onion
- Toss with lime juice
- Add fresh cilantro
How to Make Mexicorn
- Chop red and green peppers.
- If using canned corn, combine with peppers – you can serve it totally fresh at this point.
- If you want your peppers to be softened, sauté them in a little butter or olive oil for approximately 5-7 minutes to soften. (With fresh or frozen corn kernels, add them to sauté pan for the last three minutes.)
- Optional: If adding seasoning, add it with the butter or olive oil to sauté the ingredients.
Tips
- If you’d like it to be closest to the store bought version, sweeten with a tablespoon of sugar. The original canned version has both sugar and salt in it.
- This is an excellent dish to make ahead, it stores beautifully in your refrigerator.
- Get creative! There are so many fun variations even beyond what we’ve listed here – add beans, add cheese, make it your own!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mexicorn made of?
The original canned version of Mexicorn contains corn kernels, green and red bell peppers, water, sugar and salt.
Is canned corn already cooked?
Canned corn kernels are steamed before they are canned. This means they can be added directly to any recipe without further cooking – although many recipes require them to be sautéed or heated through, of course.
Serving Suggestions
This homemade Mexicorn is one of the best Taco Toppings, but it’s great for a wide variety of dishes.
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Add it to a salad with this Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Walking Tacos
- Add to Beef Tacos
- Fajita Rice Bowls
- Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Nachos
- Doritos Nachos
- Carne Asada Tacos (Steak Tacos)
- Easy Sweet And Spicy Chorizo Taco Recipe
- Portobello Mushroom Tacos
- Street Tacos
How to Store
- Room Temperature -This Mexicorn substitute can sit out at room temperature for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerator – Store your homemade Mexicorn in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – Yes, you can freeze your leftover Mexicorn. In fact, that’s a great way to have it on hand for future recipes! Simply add it to an airtight container like a freezer storage bag, and store for up to six months.
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free (skip the butter and use EVOO instead)
- Nut Free
- Vegan (don’t use butter to keep it vegan!)
More Tex Mex Inspiration
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5 from 1 vote
Mexicorn
By Julie Blanner
This is the easiest Mexicorn substitute. It's delicious all on its own, and fabulous when added to salads, burrito bowls, tacos, stir fry recipes, and so much more.
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 7 minutes mins
Total: 12 minutes mins
Servings: 12
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Ingredients
- 5 cups corn kernels (Approximately 3 15 ounce cans)
- 1 green pepper diced (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 red pepper diced (approximately 1 cup)
Instructions
Chop red and green peppers.
If using canned corn, combine with peppers – you can serve it totally fresh at this point.
If you want your peppers to be softened, sauté them in a little butter or olive oil for approximately 5-7 minutes to soften. (With fresh or frozen corn kernels, add them to sauté pan for the last 3 minutes.)
Optional: If adding seasoning, add it with the butter or olive oil to sauté the ingredients.
Julie’s Tips
Variations
- Add a tablespoon oftaco seasoning,fajita seasoning,fiesta ranchor your favorite Tex Mex seasoning blend!
- Add diced jalapenos for an additional level of spice!
- Add a little red onion
- Toss with lime juice
- Add fresh cilantro
- Beans
- Cheese
How to Store
- Room Temperature -This Mexicorn substitute can sit out at room temperature for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerator – Store your homemade Mexicorn in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer – Yes, you can freeze your leftover Mexicorn. In fact, that’s a great way to have it on hand for future recipes! Simply add it to an airtight container like a freezer storage bag, and store for up to six months.
Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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