Charred Corn and Bacon Salad

How have I not shared this salad with you yet? It's easily one of our favorites. Whenever I make this salad for dinner, Mike's eyes light up and he says something like, "Awesome! I really like this salad!"

Even though it is technically a salad, it's a hearty and satisfying meal for two. Even better, I usually have all the ingredients in the fridge or freezer, if you don't count the avocado. Avocado is a little pricey, but this recipe only takes one, and it really has a chance to shine in this salad. It could be easily doubled to feed more people as a meal, or stretched to feed more folks as an appetizer.

Charred Corn and Bacon Salad



  • 4-6 slices bacon
  • 1/2 medium or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 1/2 jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • Juice of one lime
  • 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 avocado
  • 4-6 cups mixed greens
  • Salt and pepper to taste


Mix together the cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.

Fry the bacon in a medium-large skillet. Remove from pan and dry on paper towels. Reserve several tablespoons of the bacon grease, and pour the rest into a glass jar, storing it in the fridge for later use.

(You could also use several slices of pre-cooked bacon and bacon grease from your grease jar, if you have one. Just make sure to re-heat the bacon in the skillet so it gets nice and crispy. If you don't have a grease jar, just use a tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of olive oil for the next part.)

Add the onions and the reserved bacon grease to the skillet and saute until soft and beginning to turn golden. Next add the peppers, saute about a minute, then add the corn, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Saute 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.

Put greens on each plate. Chop the bacon and scatter on top of the greens. Peel and dice the avocado and scatter on the greens. Scatter the corn mixture over the salad. Pour the cilantro-lime dressing over the salad, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

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