Sweet Corn & Black Bean Tacos
These hearty summer tacos feature lime-marinated fresh corn, jalapeño and radishes on top of warm black beans. Feta and avocado make these complete!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
August is slipping through my fingers. Time is slipping through my fingers. I celebrated my favorite tiny person’s second birthday this weekend and I remember the day I visited her in the hospital like it was yesterday. Now she calls me “Ka-Ka” like my little brother did and glides through the house wearing my ballet flats, which are about ten sizes too big.
These sweet corn tacos seem to be a perfectly appropriate way to commemorate mid-August. I opted not to cook or grill the corn—it’s so creamy and sweet when it’s fresh—and instead marinate it in lime juice, with some lime zest to really set it off. (You could grill it, though, if you prefer!) Finely sliced radishes and jalapeño lend a bit of crunch and heat, while sliced avocado and feta finish it off.
Sometimes I find corn to be a little too sweet, so if you’re like me, you might want to add some pickled jalapeños on top. This recipe yields quite a lot of tacos (about 10 well-filled tacos), so you could probably halve it if need be. The individual components should keep well in the fridge if you want to assemble more tacos later. Oh summer, please don’t end!
More Fresh Corn Recipes to Try
- The Best Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Garden-Fresh Corn Salad
- Southwestern Corn Chowder
- Vegetarian Succotash
Sweet Corn and Black Bean Tacos
These hearty summer tacos feature lime-marinated fresh corn, jalapeño and radishes on top of warm black beans. Feta and avocado make these complete! Recipe yields 10 tacos (a lot!).
Ingredients
Corn and feta salad
- 2 ears of corn, shucked (about 2 cups fresh corn kernels)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 medium red radishes, thinly sliced into small strips
- 1 medium lime, zested and juiced (to yield about 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons lime juice)
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ to ⅔ cup crumbled feta, to taste (optional)
Black beans
- 2 cans black black beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked black beans)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Everything else
- 10 small round corn tortillas (gluten free for gluten-free tacos)
- 1 large avocado, sliced into thin strips
- Optional garnishes: pickled jalapeños, salsa verde and/or hot sauce
Instructions
- To prepare the corn salad: Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the kernels off all four sides of the corn cobs. Transfer the kernels to a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the chopped cilantro, radishes, lime zest and juice, jalapeño, olive oil and sea salt. Mix well. Stir in ½ cup crumbled feta, taste, and add a little more if you’d like. Set the bowl aside to marinate while your prepare the beans.
- To prepare the black beans: Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and are turning translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring. Pour in the beans and ⅓ cup water. Stir, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and use the back of a fork to mash up at least half of the beans. Remove from heat, season generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and cover until you’re ready to serve.
- To warm the tortillas: Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat and warm each tortilla individually, flipping occasionally. Alternatively, you can warm them directly over a low flame on a gas range. Fold a tea towel over the warmed tortillas to keep them warm.
- Put it all together: Spread black beans down the middle of each tortilla. Top the beans with corn salad. Place a slice of avocado to the side of the beans and serve with optional pickled jalapeños, salsa or hot sauce on the side.
Notes
Corn salad adapted from Sprouted Kitchen’s sweet corn ceviche. Black beans adapted from my arugula and pickled radish tacos.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Skip the feta and add pickled jalapeños or pickled radishes to make up for the feta’s salty punch.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I had a borderline panic attack when I looked at the date on my calendar last night. I must devour more summer freshness while I can (and I always need to eat more tacos)!
Tacos like this are so fun. Love that corn salsa!!
These tacos look so fresh and delicious! I could eat the corn and feta salad by the spoonfuls!
These tacos are my new dinner! Yum! <3
These look amazing! I’m always a fan of tacos because I love how everyone can customize it exactly the way they like! And you can’t go wrong with a fresh ear of corn :)
Mmmmm. These look amazing! I have to have them right away!
Hi Kate – love your website and recipes. This recipe sounds really yummy. BUT, I live in Europe where I can’t get corn tacos. I wonder if you have a recipe how to make the corn tacos themselves? Would LOVE to learn.
Many thanks,
Pepper
Hi Pepper! I think these would be good with flour tortillas, too. I haven’t tried making corn tortillas myself, but here is a recipe that might help!
These look so fresh and delicious!! xx
I’m thinking of trying these, with some grilled tilapia and avocado crema thrown into the mix. Mmm mmmm good.
I like those ideas!
Awesome timing! Made these for a quick lunch. I had all the ingredients on hand (minus a jalapeno). Came out great – fresh and summer tasting.
Hooray! Thanks, Asa!
Can’t wait to make this for my family before I leave for college! Thanks for the amazing recipe, as always :)
Thank you, Kat! Hope you have a great school year!
What a great veggie treat!
I always cook my corn, although now that I think of it I’m not sure why. I don’t think I grill it long enough to do much more than let the smoke flavor the corn. Marinated corn- now that’s a brilliant idea. And these tacos look fantastic.
An expensive neighborhood restaurant serves a variation of this in burrito form I have successfully replicated. Mix black beans and corn with sriracha mayo, add chopped tomato, avocado, radish sprouts, a squeeze of lime, sea salt, cilantro to taste. Spread some finely shredded dark greens across the bottom of a tortilla, add salad, roll, and eat. The quality of the tortilla makes a difference. I can’t wait to try your taco version!
Ohhhh, those burritos sound amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Mmmm, marinated corn, that sounds awesome! I have a big bag of limes from Costco that are starting to go bad and I need a good recipe to use them in! We get great corn here in Winnipeg, I’d love to try this.
Perfect! Hope you love these tacos.
Made these for dinner tonight. Had sweet corn that I blanched and cut off the cob in my freezer, defrosted and used this. No radishes but had fresh local banana peppers so used these. Hubby does not like cilantro, but used my fresh lavender basil. Wanted to use up a sweet potato, so I peeled, cubed and sauteed with the onions. added the cumin, beans, and half cup of water and proceeded as directed. YUM!YUM! Thanks for the recipe
Thank you, Marissa! Your version sounds stellar!
It’s scary how quickly they grow up. I remember visiting my cousin when she was born and this year we celebrate her 18th birthday!
I just want to hold onto the days sometimes. When summer rolls around I’m going to take some time to sit on my deck with my favourite people, some Cookie + Kate tacos and just breathe in the moment.
I hope August takes its time for you!
Right?! Thank you, Amy. Hope you have a lovely August as well!
I can’t even BELIEVE how late in August it is!! Say it ain’t so. My heart can’t take it. And neither can my taste buds. Have to hold onto every second and eat ALL OF THESE TACOS. They are such a summer celebration.
Can you see me drooling over here (gosh, I hope not)? These tacos sound fantastic! Love the feta on top.
These look so summery and delicious! I feel the same about the end of August nearing- am currently trying to make the sunniest recipes possible and going to the beach every free moment I have. I saw some brown leaves on the side of the street yesterday and nearly cried.
Brown leaves? Noooo!!! I just saw Halloween decorations on the back of a Pottery Barn catalog. Too soon, Pottery Barn! Too soon!
I know, where did August go?! These tacos look spectacular and Summery :) I love the addition of radishes for heat- great idea!
this looks so delicious! i found this website a couple of weeks ago looking for healthier (and meat-free) recipes and i am so glad! i have made three of your recipes in the past week or so and they have all been so delicious so thank you! : – )
Thank you for saying hello, Sarina! So glad you found my site! Delighted to hear that you’re enjoying the recipes you’ve tried so far.
Made this dish last night. It was the perfect meal after a long, hot day! Will definitely make it again soon!
Happy to hear it! Thank you for letting me know, Julie!!!
These look fantastic, Kate! Such a great way to use the abundance of corn right now :)
I am drooling. Gonna have to wait until the end of this week to try this out myself. Thanks for the sharing.
These tacos sound so good! I would absolutely be making a whole batch and eating tacos several days in a row. :) Yay!
I’m so in denial that summer will ever end but these tacos are totally celebrating every bit of it! Love the pickled jalapenos to balance out the sweetness of the corn!!
I love the idea of adding pickled jalapenos to these super delicious tacos. What a perfect recipe for mid-August. Summer lives on! :)
Does anyone have a brand recommendation for a good-quality corn tortilla that doesn’t totally fall apart? My fiance and I always preferred flour tortillas (the corn torts always seemed to crumble on us!), but he’s now on a low sodium diet due to kidney stones, and almost all flour tortillas have an insane amount of sodium. So we’re back to corn, but feeling frustrated by the crumbling! We’d appreciate suggestions!
Hmmmm. My favorite corn tortillas are from Trader Joe’s (the thicker corn/wheat variety). Be sure to gently warm up corn tortillas on the stove before your try to bend them—otherwise, they’ll crack for sure. You could also double up on thin tortillas.
I made this for dinner last night…wonderful, wonderful recipe! We LOVED the corn salad and the addition of feta is so spot on! The creamy bits of salty cheese with the crunch of sweet corn is perfect. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Thanks, Caroline! :)
Ahh! I’ve never thought to put radishes in my tacos before! I’ve only ever eaten them with dip or roasted. Totally putting them in my tacos next time for extra spice :) Great idea :D
I think you’ll love radishes in tacos!
I just made these tacos with my friends. We all fell in love at first bite. They were the perfect mixture of fresh and spicy, perfect for a summer night dinner. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
Yay! Thanks, Christina!
Do you cook the corn first?
No, it’s raw!
I made these for dinner tonight and my husband wanted seconds! I had to sub one can of cannelloni beans. We are eating cleaner and you have some great recipes that we will be trying.
Thank you, Dee! So glad you both enjoyed these.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SOOO good! I really like your blog and I always get so inspired when I visit :)
Thank you so much, Anne! :)
Hi Kate! Hi Cookie!
I came across your blog looking for new recipes and was instantly drawn to so many of your dishes! This was my first one to try and it was unbelievable! I was hoping to have some leftovers for lunch, but that didn’t happen. This was even a hit with a notoriously picky eater! I am loving your blog, thank you so much!!
Hey Benjamin! Thank you for your note! I’m so glad you enjoyed these tacos. Hope you love the others, too!
Hi, Kate! I am so, so excited to have found your site and have been spreading the word amongst family, friends, and co-workers! I made these tacos for dinner a few nights ago and they were an instant hit! I even took the leftover corn salad to lunch the next day on a bed of spinach. Soooo good, and thanks for posting.
Hi Tim! Thanks for saying hello and sharing my blog! I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed these tacos! I could go for one right about now.
Your taco recipes always impress!! I made these tonight for my husband and I and we both loved them! So light and fresh, my only regret was discovering them at the end of summer. :)
Thank you, Quinn! Glad you both enjoyed them.
I made these tacos a couple of weeks ago and loved them! Instead of Feta in the corn salad, I used Queso Fresco Casero cheese. I also used the Trader Joe’s corn tortillas, which in my opinion are the best corn tortillas out there. The corn salad can also be served as a side dish — so yummy.
Thanks, Ginger! Your version sounds great. Love TJ’s tortillas!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I love it! Have already made it twice, now excited for summer to come around again so I can make it again.
Thanks, Nancy! So glad you’re enjoying it!
These are amazing – but I made one substitution that takes them to the ultimate yum level. Use Mexican cotijja cheese instead of feta – same crumbly texture but salty and ah.may.zing. Even my 16 mo old was chowing down. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks, Kelly! I wish cotija cheese was easier to find. So good!
I made these last night and they were WONDERFUL! I loved the flavor; the lime adds a lot. I followed the recipe exactly and they are fabulous the next day for lunch!
Thank you, Laura! Delighted to hear it!
These were fantastic! My first recipe from your website! Excited to try more.
Hooray! Thanks for saying so, Anne. Hope you enjoy the others just as much!
I made this for my family for dinner last night. Even with using frozen corn, leaving out jalapenos and radishes (to accommodate different palates in the family, aka picky eaters), and accidentally leaving out the avocados :( , everyone in the family thought it was fantastic!
Wow! Today’s blog on what to cook in July is awesome! Can’t wait to try almost everything you have shared…especially the avocado recipes…and yes…the bounty of berry recipes!!! Thank you for creating wonderful and nutritious recipes!!!
The corn salad is genius! Perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty and tart. And so pretty! The radish slivers really dress it up.
another home run, Kate!
I really really love this recipe! Super tasty! Thank you.
Greetings from The Netherlands. :)
Simple and so delicious!
Made this tonight and it was SO delicious! I’m a physician assistant student (which means there’s no such thing as being done studying) and I have an 8 month old. Basically, I don’t have time to eat, let alone cook. This was healthy, easy, and incredible – definitely going into the regular rotation! Thanks!!
Hey Kate! You sound like quite a busy lady. So glad you loved these tacos!