This Mexican Bean Salad is packed with three kinds of beans, fresh vegetables, and a zesty homemade dressing. Easy to make ahead and perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or a simple side dish!
I love anything with a Mexican twist! For some of our other favorites, try this Pico de Gallo or Taco Salad.
I’m always a fan of a good make ahead salad, especially one that gets even better after the flavors have had a little time to mingle.
This Mexican Bean Salad checks all the boxes—it’s colorful, fresh, packed with three kinds of beans and crunchy vegetables, and tossed in a simple homemade dressing. It’s the kind of recipe I love having in the fridge for an easy lunch, a quick side dish, or when I need something simple to bring to a gathering.
And the best part? It’s easy to make ahead, so there’s no last-minute fuss!
Ingredients
- Oil: I will typically use olive oil, but have also used avocado oil. You could sub in another neutral oil, as well.
- Vinegar: I love the flavor of red wine vinegar in this dressing. You could also use apple cider vinegar.
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice will give you the best flavor.
- Garlic: You can either mince or grate the garlic.
- Spices: To spice up the dressing, I use cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. You could use regular paprika instead, but I love the smoky flavor from smoked paprika.
- Beans: I like to use 3 kinds of beans – black beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas. You can easily sub in another bean for any of these beans. I have also used cannellini beans, and really, any white bean would be great.
- Bell Pepper: You can use any color of bell pepper.
- Corn: If you have fresh corn, feel free to use it, but I typically just use thawed frozen corn,
- Onion: I used red onion, but for a more mild flavor, you can use green onions.
- Cilantro: I like a lot of cilantro, so I will usually use half of a bunch of cilantro and mince it. You can add more or less to taste.
- Jalapeño: If you like things spicy, leave the seeds and the ribs of the jalapeño. To keep some of the heat out, just remove the seeds and ribs.
How to Make Mexican Bean Salad
STEP 1: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake until everything is combined.
STEP 2: Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add as much of the dressing as desired, then stir to coat everything evenly. If you aren’t serving right away, refrigerate the salad.
Tips and Tricks
I like this salad best once it has been refrigerated for a couple hours. So I will typically make it earlier in the day.
This salad is great for meal prep! Serve it alongside some grilled chicken, or even just eat the salad as lunch during the week.
The dressing will settle at the bottom of the bowl, so make sure to re-stir before serving.
More Salad Recipes
Grilled Corn Salad
Southwest Chicken Salad
Mexican Corn Salad
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Mexican Bean Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño diced (seeds and ribs removed for less heat)
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously until combined.1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, Salt and pepper
- In a large bowl, combine the beans, bell pepper, corn, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Add as much of the dressing as desired, and stir to coat.1 (15 oz) can black beans, 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, 1 bell pepper, 1 cup frozen corn, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 jalapeño
- Serve right away, or refrigerate until needed.
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