This versatile Mexican Three Bean Salad is delicious all on its own, tossed in a big green salad, or stuffed inside tortillas with grilled chicken or shrimp.
I’m always happy to find new ways to incorporate beans and veggies into family-friendly meal and this Mexican Three Bean Salad is a truly delicious way to do it.
But it doesn’t stop there.
This make-ahead dish can be used in a variety of ways which means leftovers are never a problem.
The Ingredients:
It starts with canned beans, frozen corn, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and jalapeno.
A variety of beans would work really well in this recipe but I went with black, white, and garbanzo beans. Switch it up and add your favorites – kidney, pinto, or cannellini beans would all work well.
Once the veggies are diced and the beans are rinsed and drained well, just toss everything together in a large mixing bowl.
The dressing is based on dressing I do for my classic Homemade Three Bean Salad but I threw in a little Mexican flair with a touch of cumin and fresh lime juice.
The salad is at its best after it marinates in the vinegary, slightly sweet dressing for a couple of hours.
Since I’ve got a bunch of cilantro lovers I tossed some in before letting it chill. The cilantro really drives home the Mexican flavor profile and pairs perfectly with the dressing, but you can opt for fresh Italian parsley for an herby boost if you’ve got cilantro objectors on your hands.
How to Serve Mexican Three Bean Salad
- As an appetizer with tortilla chips for dipping.
- Along with grilled chicken, steak or seafood for an super easy, wholesome dinner.
- Tossed into a big green salad and drizzled with Ranch dressing.
- Spoon out as much as needed, add some chopped tomato and avocado, and stuff it into tortillas with grilled chicken or shrimp for AMAZING tacos.
Colorful, flavorful, and versatile.
Mexican Three Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned white beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces canned garbanzo beans, (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro or fresh Italian parsley
For the dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons sugar, for a sweeter dressing use 3 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onion, bell peppers, and jalapeno pepper.Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or measuring cup and stir to combine well. Add as much as desired to the bean mixture (it should be well saturated) and toss to coat the ingredients well. Sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley and stir again.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.It will keep well for several days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
We’ve made this 3x and it gets better every time!!
The only difference we made was using red kidney beans instead of white beans. The first time we added an avocado as well but it was eaten all in one day. The second time we didn’t because there weren’t as many people, so we ate it for 3 days straight. Unless you plan on consuming it all in the same day (it makes a lot) I would avoid adding the avocado. Its a great go to recipe for any event, gathering or dinner.
How long can this be stored and have you tried freezing it? We are empty nesters and with 3 cans of beans this sounds like a large amount of food for two …
I have tried freezing it. The vinegary dressing should keep it fresh for well over a week if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
We made it on a Saturday evening for 3 people when we were out of town staying at a family members house.
It lasted 3 days (9 meals total as a side dish) and there was still some left over when we had to leave on Tuesday. But it was so good that she asked us to leave the rest there 🙂
P.S She has a special diet and is a picky eater too.
Added dried parsley*
This was unexpectedly delicious! I didn’t have black beans, cilantro or peppers though. I subbed the peppers with cucumber, used the other two beans and added cucumber. Followed the dressing per recipe and it was absolutely delicious!
I think cucumber is a fabulous addition! So glad it worked out for you, Kassie. 🙂