Step 1 — Prep Your Ingredients Rinse the black beans thoroughly under cold water and drain them well in a colander. Drain your canned or thawed corn and pat dry with a paper towel. Dice your bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño, and roughly chop the cilantro.

Step 2 — (Optional) Char the Corn For incredible smoky flavor, heat a dry cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the corn kernels in a single layer and let them sit undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until they begin to char and caramelize. Stir once and cook another 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Step 3 — Make the Dressing In a small bowl or directly in the large mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined.

Step 4 — Combine Everything Add the drained black beans, corn, diced bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro to the large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top.

Step 5 — Toss and Taste Gently toss everything together until evenly coated in the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more lime juice for brightness, more salt if needed, or a pinch of cayenne for extra heat.

Step 6 — Rest and Serve For best flavor, let the salad rest for at least 10–15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. If adding avocado, fold it in just before serving to keep it from browning. Serve chilled or at room temperature.