Jump to RecipeThis Mexican street corn salad is a perfect side dish for any fiesta! It’s so easy to make,colorful and bright, refreshing and crisp with a light creamy & tangy dressing.
This Mexican street corn salad is my at-home twist on the traditional Mexican street food called “Elotes”. A real Elote that you might get from a street vendor is made with an ear of grilled corn on the cob, slathered with mayonnaise, seasoned with chili powder and fresh lime juice, sprinkled all over with salty Cotija cheese and cilantro. These are absolutely delish- don’t get me wrong, but as you can imagine a little messy to eat!
This Mexican Street Corn Salad packs a similar flavor profile, creamy, tangy, salty, and a bit spicy, yet is a bit more conducive for serving as a side dish at a summer BBQ or Cinco de Mayo party!
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe Ingredients:
- Corn: I used frozen fire-roasted corn kernels for this recipe. You could also use fresh corn on the cob and grill it then cut it from the cob if you are feeling particularly ambitious!
- Red onion: I prefer raw red onion for the color contrast, and also red onions have a sharper and spicier flavor than yellow onions.
- Red bell pepper: Again I chose red for the pop of color in the primarily yellow corn. Any bell pepper would do though.
- Jalapeno: Spices it up a bit, I didn’t include any seeds to make it more agreeable for some, but if your people can handle the heat, include them!
- Scallions: Adds some fragrance and zip!
- Cilantro: A must, I just love the cool, freshness of cilantro.
- Cojita cheese: This is like a Mexican parmesan! Salty, great for topping and garnish. If you absolutely can’t find it, try feta cheese crumbles instead.
- Mayo and Greek Yogurt: This is the creamy base for the dressing. I like to use a combination of both to cut the richness of mayo and add a little tang.
- Lime juice: for acidity to balance the fat. Please always use fresh, no bottled stuff. It’s just not the same!
- Seasoning: garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika: This combination really gives an earthy, smokey, salty balance to the dressing.
How to Assemble Mexican Street Corn Salad:
To make the creamy dressing, simply combine mayo, yogurt, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and smoked paprika in a bowl and whisk. Set aside while you prepare the salad.
Next prepare your corn. If you are using frozen corn, you will need to defrost it by heating olive oil in a large skillet. Add the frozen corn and sautee til completely thawed. There will likely be some water in the pan, you will want to drain that before placing corn in a large mixing bowl. Let the corn cool while you prep your other ingredients.
Add chopped bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, scallions, onion, and Cojita cheese to the bowl with the corn. Toss to combine.
Add dressing and toss again to coat. Cover and store in the fridge until about 30 minutes before serving.
Mexican Street Corn Salad Serving Suggestions:
This salad is a great one to assemble 1-2 days ahead of time, however, I would wait until the day of serving before adding the dressing for the freshest taste! It’s excellent with Mexican or Southwestern style flavors like these recipes:
Chipotle Orange Chicken Tacos with Mango Lime Slaw
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 20 oz frozen corn (thawed and drained) fire roasted corn, if available
- ½ cup red onion minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded (add a few seeds for spicy) minced
- ¼ cup scallion sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ cup Cojita cheese crumbled, or Feta
Dressing
- ¼ cup Mayo
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- ⅛ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp garlic grated or finely minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp corridander
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add frozen corn and sautee til completely thawed, drain whatever water collects in the pan and place corn in large mixng bowl to cool while you prep your other ingredients
- Add chopped bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, scallions, onion and Cojita cheese to the bowl with corn. Toss to combine.
- Add dressing and toss again to coat. Cover and Store in fridge until about 30 minutes before serving.
Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl, whisk to incoportate.
Notes
Nutrition
