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.
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 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:
- Rainbow Veggie Fajitas
- Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas
- Grilled Avocado with Veggie Ceviche (Stuff the corn salad into the avocados instead of the ceviche!)
- Jamaican Jackfruit Vegan Tacos
- Avocado Sweet Potato Tacos
- Or any of these 11 best vegetarian taco 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!
More Favorite Summer Salads
If you love this Mexican corn salad, try one of these summer salad recipes next:
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Rainbow Orzo Salad
- Asian Slaw
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Or any of these 37 best salad recipes!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Equipment
- Grill Pan (This one from Staub is great for grilling vegetables)
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn, husked
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
- 1½ tablespoons mayo, or vegan mayo
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- â…“ cup chopped scallions
- ¼ cup crumbled Cotija, or feta cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, or chili powder
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced*
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
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
This is delicious! While I do have vegan feta I opted to sub it for an avocado and put it on a tostada. Highly recommend!
Hi Sheri, what a delicious serving idea! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This was outstanding! I brought it to a BBQ yesterday and everyone loved it! There were 10 of us, so I used 9 ears of corn and doubled all the other ingredients. It came out perfectly and it was plenty for 10 people. Will definitely make again!
Absolutely delicious. I added a bit of sour cream as well.
Had this at a dinner party, loved it and make now all the time. Used pecorino because couldn’t find cojita and tasted great!
This turned out so delicious!! Made it for a summer gathering and everyone LOVED it…
Hi Angela, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Fabulous! Fresh tasting. I added some black beans. Can easily be used as a delicious salsa. Adding it to the rotation.
Hi Maria, so glad you loved the recipe!
Amazing! I used frozen corn (3/4cup=1cob)and toasted it in a skillet ,no need to thaw. Took to a cookout ,had several people ask for the recipe.
Hi Josie, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Thanks for that , I was thinking frozen corn too but not sure , love to have it in winter but no fresh corn , thanks again
I made this today. Since I am not a fan of mayo, I used Mexican crema. This is now going to be a bbq staple!
Sounds delicious, Lauren. So glad you loved it!
Can this salad be made the day before and refrigerate??
I came to ask the same question but someone said it tasted even better the next day!
Hi Kelly, yep! It can.
4th salad
This is absolutely delicious! I love the flavors. Perfect for a BBQ! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it!
How many servings does that recipe make? I need to make it for a baby shower and wondered if I should double the recipe?
Hi Nicole, the recipe serves 4 as written. I’d double it for a larger gathering!
I used Parmesan cheese as a substitute. It was really good. Served it with a grilled steak. It was hot today and this was a refreshing salad/side dish.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so much better the second day. I didn’t feel the flavors had melded enough to pull it together. The second night it was so much better. It’s a bit labor intensive but definitely a keeper for company.
Will this still be good if made a day in advance?
yep!
Made this last night and it turned out great! I forgot to add the cilantro, so will have to try it again. Also, I grilled the jalapeno along with the corn, as we are not huge fans of it raw. Overall, 5 star recipe!
Hi Sandyk, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This sounds delicious. Can you provide the nutrition profile per serving?
How is this if made the day prior and refrigerated overnight?
Hi, it’s still great the next day! Just season to taste with more lime, salt, etc. before serving.
It’s not corn season. Can I use frozen roasted corn kernels? How many cups are 4 ears?
1 cup of corn (estimated) per ear of corn. It takes about 7 ears to fill a quart size freezer bag.
If I use frozen corn, will you please let me know the quantity needed? TY
I doubled the recipe and used about 1 1/2 bags of S&W White corn.
Did you roast the frozen corn on the grill?