Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad is one of my all-time favorite summer sides. Fresh, bright, lightly creamy & spicy, it's easy to make and sure to please.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad is my at-home version of all the elotes we ate in Austin. Creamy, tangy, and a bit spicy, it’s one of my favorite ways to showcase summer sweet corn. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that fresh corn is one of my all-time favorite foods. Crisp, juicy, and sweet, you just can’t beat it. Of course, I’ll always love it straight off the cob, but this Mexican corn salad takes it to a whole new level.

Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe Ingredients

If you’re not familiar with them, elotes are Mexican grilled corn topped with mayonnaise, hot sauce or chile powder, lime, and Cotija cheese. I used them as inspiration for this spicy, crisp, and creamy Mexican corn salad. It only has 1o ingredients, so each one adds something essential. Here’s what’s in it:

  • Grilled corn is my starting point. It’s sweet, lightly charred, and juicy – delicious!
  • Mayo gives the corn a lightly creamy coating.
  • Lime juice and zest make it bright & zingy.
  • Garlic & scallions add sharp, oniony accents.
  • Cotija cheese dots it with tangy, salty pops of flavor. If you can’t find Cotija, use feta instead.
  • Cilantro adds freshness.
  • Smoked paprika underscores everything with a smoky depth of flavor. Chili powder works too!
  • Jalapeño spices it up. Try pickled jalapeños for a fun variation!
  • And sea salt ties it all together.

To make this salad, grill the corn on the cob and mix together the mayo, lime juice and zest, and garlic in a small bowl. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add them to a bowl along with the scallions, Cotija cheese, cilantro, smoked paprika, and jalapeño. Fold in the dressing, and it’s ready to go.

You can serve this Mexican street corn salad just after you make it, although I love it best after it chills for a bit. Consequently, it’s a great make-ahead option for cookouts and picnics!

Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

Mexican Corn Salad Serving Suggestions

This salad is a great one for making ahead, so bring it to any cookout on your calendar. It’s excellent with classic picnic fare like veggie burgers, BBQ sandwiches, black bean burgers, or portobello burgers.

It would also be a good addition to a Mexican-themed dinner. Serve it with any of these recipes:

If you have leftovers, add them to a DIY burrito bowl with cilantro lime rice and dressing, guacamole, black beans, pico de gallo, and mango or tomatillo salsa. Don’t forget the margaritas to drink!

corn salad

More Favorite Summer Salads

If you love this Mexican corn salad, try one of these summer salad recipes next:

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Mexican Street Corn Salad

rate this recipe:
4.99 from 83 votes
Serves 4
This easy Mexican street corn salad is the ultimate summer side dish! Lightly creamy, spicy & bright, it's a recipe you'll make again and again.

Equipment

  • Grill Pan (This one from Staub is great for grilling vegetables)

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes per side, or until char marks form. Remove from grill and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the mayo, garlic, and lime zest and juice. Slice the kernels off the corn and add to the bowl along with the scallions. Stir to coat, then add the cheese, cilantro, smoked paprika, jalapeño, and salt. Season to taste and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Notes

*Roast the jalapeño alongside the corn if you'd like.
Make this recipe vegan by omitting the cheese.

 

144 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Kim Parham
    11.22.2023

    Hello. I’m am so looking forward to tryint this, but first I’d like to ask a quick question. Grilling is not that convenient for me. Can the corn be cooked in the stove or in an air fryer instead?? THanks in advance.

  2. susanne
    09.26.2023

    Hi, I found your cilantro lime dressing and wondered what you thought of using that instead with a variation of you grilled corn salad below adding halved cherry tomatoes to your scallions, feta, and roasted jalapeno? They just sound like a perfect combo for a side dish for a Mexican themed party I’m going to this weekend. BTW, I sooo appreciate all your delicious recipes and posts! Thank you. 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.27.2023

      I think that combination sounds delicious!

      • Susanne
        10.05.2023

        5 stars
        It was a hit! Thank you.

  3. Karley
    09.17.2023

    How long is this good in the fridge for? Hoping to make this for lunch for a couple days, if you think it’ll stay good for 2 ish days after preparing?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.20.2023

      Hi Karley – yep, it’s great for at least 3 days in the fridge

  4. Karen
    09.11.2023

    5 stars
    This was a HUGE hit! Served with smoked pork butt.I added extra jalepeno (seeded) but otherwise followed the recipe using grilled corn on the cob.This stay on the side dish rotation!

  5. PamH
    09.03.2023

    5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious. I used ears of corn that had been in my fridge for several days, and it was still amazing. I will be making this again, every year when corn is in season. The flavors are fabulous.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.05.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  6. Joann
    09.01.2023

    5 stars
    Everyone loved it! Do you think I can still use it after two days in the fridge?

  7. Mari D.
    08.26.2023

    5 stars
    This dish was the hit of my in-office party and honestly I wish I had doubled the recipe. It’s so delicious and I’ll be making it again – probably for a labor day party we’re hosting and I’ll at least double it.

    Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.26.2023

      I’m so glad it was such a hit!

  8. Lesia Butler
    08.25.2023

    5 stars
    We all loved this corn salad. It is going to be my new go to recipe for cookouts!! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.26.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  9. Scott
    07.31.2023

    5 stars
    This is one of the best variations of Elote that I have found! I have made it for several gatherings and everyone loved it. Because the heat of Jalapenos vary you might start with 1/2 of one and taste.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.01.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  10. Tina
    07.28.2023

    5 stars
    Made this to accompany chicken fajita kebabs and avocado crema. It was great and everyone loved it!
    Has anyone ever tried it with tomatoes?
    Thank you!!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      07.28.2023

      Hi Tina, I’m so glad you loved the salad! We haven’t tried it with tomatoes, but I think they’d be a great addition.

  11. Mary McSorley
    07.26.2023

    5 stars
    This is one of those dishes where you don’t taste individual ingredients, you just taste something delicious! I can’t handle cilantro so I used some fresh basil as my herb. Perfect use for leftover corn on the cob too. Thanks, this will be a regular summer side for us!

  12. Annette Ozbat
    07.22.2023

    5 stars
    This is an excellent dish. I make this for a dinner group. Everyone loves it. It’s easy and so good. Thank you.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.24.2023

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  13. Jeannette
    07.18.2023

    5 stars
    I made a personal size serving with just one cob of corn, i heated up cast iron with a little left over bacon grease, cut the corn off the cob, and blackened the corn that way. After that followed the recipe, using 1/4 of the amount, it was a perfect side dish to my left over steak and baked potato!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.19.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  14. AV
    07.16.2023

    5 stars
    So easy to make, and was delicious.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.17.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  15. Q Ali
    07.07.2023

    5 stars
    This was wonderful! We added 3/4 cup of green salsa for heat.

  16. Jennifer
    07.05.2023

    5 stars
    Good recipe. I doubled and substituted with red onions and oregano. I also added some red pepper. Lots of options.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.06.2023

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  17. Teri
    07.04.2023

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! I used Trader Joes fire roasted corn that I thawed in a colander. Did not cook it at all, just thawed and mixed with remaining ingredients. Also used Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote seasoning in it!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.06.2023

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’ve been wondering how that Everything but the Elote seasoning is, thanks for sharing!

  18. Mary
    07.04.2023

    5 stars
    Excellent! Served at a summer BBQ and they practically licked their plates.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.06.2023

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  19. Kayla
    06.11.2023

    5 stars
    Loved it, perfect compliment to tacos

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.11.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  20. Brie
    05.30.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe, will definitely make again!

    • Priyanka Singh
      12.15.2023

      Never heard of this before but I’ve absolutely got to try it

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.