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Meet your new sidekick for taco nights: this zesty, vibrant Mexican bean salad! It’s crunchy, full of flavor, and rounds out any Mexican feast. There are a lot of bean salad recipes out there, but this is the one I come back to time and time again. Plus – it only takes 15 minutes!
If you ask me what cuisine gets made the most in my kitchen, I’d say hands down Mexican! Whether it’s chicken enchiladas with green sauce, burritos, or one of my many taco recipes, I love how fresh, vibrant, and tasty it is. One thing I used to run into is the question of what to serve alongside my favorite Mexican dishes. They’re so colorful and delicious already; how can any side dish hold its own?
This Mexican bean salad ticks all my boxes: Fast ✓ Vibrant ✓ Zesty ✓ Packed with texture and flavor ✓. This is the recipe where people ask for seconds, then the recipe! There are so many bean salad recipes out there, yet this is the one I always come back to. It’s so good that I don’t just serve it with Mexican food – it’s also great for picnics or potlucks.
Key ingredients
If you’re like me, you always have cans of beans on standby in your pantry. That means, I often have everything I need to make this recipe already at home,. This is what you’ll need:
- Beans: I use three types to make a bean mixture – a can of kidney beans, black beans, and cannellini beans.
- Veggies: A green pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, and frozen corn.
- Other ingredients: Fresh cilantro and cheese. I use either cotija or feta cheese.
- Dressing: White wine vinegar, lime juice, a garlic clove, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt, and olive oil.
This recipe proves that familiar and simple ingredients can come together to create something awesome!
Step by step instructions
This black bean salad is easy to make, in just a few simple steps. Whip up the dressing, pop everything in a bowl, and combine. This is how it’s done:
Add your own twist: There are lots of ways you can make this Mexican bean salad your own. Use different beans (like pinto beans or chickpeas), add diced avocado for extra creaminess, add cherry tomatoes, spice it up with some sliced jalapeño or a dash of hot sauce, or add some mango or pineapple for a fruity touch!
Make ahead and store
Make ahead: This Mexican bean salad recipe is not only convenient for making ahead – it actually tastes better when the ingredients have had time to meld together. Simply store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. I put a beeswax wrap over top to keep it fresh.
Store: With beans, veggies, and a vinegar based dressing, this Mexican bean salad stores well. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this bean salad as the vegetables will lose their crunch once thawed.
What to serve with Mexican bean salad?
Watch how to make this bean salad
Mexican Bean Salad Recipe
Recipe video above. This delicious Mexican Bean Salad is made from simple, fresh ingredients and is the perfect addition to your dinner. Bonus: it’s ideal for making ahead!
Instructions
Start by making the dressing. Add the vinegar, lime juice, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic to a bowl and whisk. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking and whisk until it becomes creamy.
2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 1 small garlic clove, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
In a large salad bowl, add the beans, green and red pepper, corn, cilantro, red onion, and cotija cheese.
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, 1 15 ounce can black beans, 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, 1 medium green pepper, 1 medium red pepper, 1 cup frozen corn, ½ cup minced cilantro, ¼ cup minced red onion, ¼ cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
Pour the dressing over the top and mix well. If you’re not in a hurry, let the salad chill in the fridge for 30 minutes so the flavors have time to develop.
Notes
Spice: If you want a spicy bean salad, add a chopped jalapeño.
Honey: Most bean recipes call for sugar, but I prefer honey, as it emulsifies the dressing, allowing it to stick better to the beans.
Storage: This salad will keep for 5 days in a sealed container in your fridge. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 112kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 10g (3%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 8g (12%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 4mg (1%), Sodium: 203mg (9%), Potassium: 143mg (4%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 611IU (12%), Vitamin C: 34mg (41%), Calcium: 30mg (3%), Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
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