Meal Type » Appetizers and Sides » Mexican Three Bean Salad

Mexican Three Bean Salad

Name: Mexican Three Bean Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 can kidney beans; 1 can black beans; 1 can cannellini beans; 1 cup chopped red onion; 1 red or green bell pepper; 1 cup halved grape tomatoes; 1 cup corn; 1 avocado; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 2-3 tbsp hot sauce; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp maple syrup or honey; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp mexican chili powder; 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

May 21, 2020 / by Claire Cary

3 ReviewsJump to Recipe

Loaded with good for you ingredients, this Mexican three bean salad is an easy gluten free and vegan side dish for your next summer barbecue! This made from scratch recipe is ready in just 10 minutes and full of protein.

mexican bean salad with tomatoes, beans and dressing on the side

You can probably tell by now but I’m a sucker for a good easy bean salad. Chickpea tuna salad, chickpea avocado salad, mediterranean chickpea salad!

I think I have all the chickpea bases covered, so I wanted to mix it up this time around.

This is a crowd pleasing, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, Mexican bean salad that you can whip up in just about 10 minutes! Sign me up.

This Mexican bean salad is just begging to be served at your next pot luck, Summer barbecue, or beach trip. It’s perfect next to a Chickpea Burger with one of my blueberry pie bars for dessert. Ugh, yum.

Key ingredients

This Mexican bean salad is Mexican inspired as the name suggests, so we’re going to be using certain beans, veggies and spices to give lots of authentic flavor.

This recipe calls for canned beans to make things easy, but freshly cooked beans work just as well if you have that. I used black beans, kidney beans and cannellini beans, but you can really use whatever you have on hand.

The remaining ingredients consist of grape or cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, corn, red onion, cilantro and avocado.

Then it’s finished off with a simple dressing made from olive oil, hot sauce and a few different spices. It’s so simple but packs so much flavor.

How to make a Mexican bean salad

The best part about this recipe is definitely how good it tastes, but also because of how easy it is to make! The first step is to drain and rinse all of the beans until the water runs clear and then add to a large bowl.

Chop the onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, and defrost the corn if necessary and add to the bowl.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and pour on top of the salad, then toss to combine.

Top with the avocado and cilantro and let marinate for about 15 minutes to allow all of the flavors to blend together.

Enjoy as is, as a side dish or even a dip with your favorite tortilla chips!

How to store

Once prepared, this three bean salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. You’ll know it’s bad because it will really start to smell. Unfortunately, beans do that!

ingredients for the mexican bean salad in a bowl with cilantro on top

Frequently asked questions

Is it spicy?

It can be! The amount of hot sauce you use will depend on a) the brand you use, and b) your spice preference.

I’m a self proclaimed spice wuss, so I don’t like too much, but don’t be afraid to load it in there if you really like spice! You can also add in some red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeno if you like spice.

Why do you need to rinse beans?

You want to be sure to rinse the beans well before adding them to the salad. You can add all three cans to a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.

This is to ensure the salad isn’t soupy from excess liquid and some say it can help with digestion of beans!

Do you serve it hot or cold?

This Mexican bean salad is best served cold, but you can also heat it up and add it to a burrito or tacos if you’d like!

It’s honestly delicious no matter how you have it. I’ll sometimes cook up some ground beef or turkey with taco seasoning and serve it with rice and this salad and it’s so filling and delicious.

mexican three bean salad in a bowl with avocado

Try these salads next!

If you make this Mexican bean salad, leave a comment below and let us know how it turns out! As always, be sure to follow me on instagram for more recipes!