Mexican Street Corn Salad
A beautiful blend of sweet and spicy this Mexican Street Corn Salad is essentially deconstructed Elote made off of the cob, ready to serve a crowed, and finished with a dash of smoky seasoning. Making it a truly out of this world side dish idea for any occasion, especially barbecues & potlucks.
Different stroke for different folks, right? In many ways the hubs and I are polar opposites.
The first example that comes to mind being that most days I’m happy living in a ‘neat mess’ while our kids are young, where he needs everything to be a hundred percent spic and span to function properly.
Still after all the years we’ve been together, we have reaffirmed what we found out on our initial blind date, that opposites really do attract.
And with a little bit of effort over the years, they endure and keep on keeping things interesting.
Never a dull moment around here, that’s for sure.
Another thing we are polar opposites on? Condiments, well really mostly mayonnaise. I love it, he hates it.
I’m not talkin’ eat it by the spoonful love, that would even make me gag and probably worse.
But if I’m having a sandwich– a sandwich isn’t a sandwich without some mayo. PB And J’s aside, of course.
The hubs on the other hand, can’t have more than the barest hint just to moisten the bread.
Like you must smooth on a nice even coat, and then pretty much scrape it all off before ‘dressing’ the sandwich.
It makes no sense to me, but he insists it gets the flavor in there without the unbearable texture.
Whatever floats your boat, babe. Just as long as you’re packin’ your own lunches.
It’s weird though, because this aversion doesn’t translate to everything.
I mean, he can go to town on a good potato salad with the best of ’em. He loves it when I pack him egg salad sandwiches for work.
BUT it leaves me with a very fine line to walk between a mayo salad studded with a few bits of potato or egg and whatever else, and trying more for the tid bits of everything else just moistened and loosely held together by a teensy bit of mayo.
Have you ever had Mexican street corn? It’s absolutely delicious, and if you haven’t yet experienced it’s awesomeness, I highly encourage you to go out and do so STAT.
That being said, one of it’s fundamentals is being slathered with a bit of mayo, sprinkled with cheese, and seasoned.
I’m pretty sure my husband wanted to vomit the first time we tried it together and I got a little speck on my chin.
He held it in, and did his best not to let me know since it was pre-marriage and all.
Come to think of it, maybe I should have wondered a bit more why he was so quick to not want to try a bite himself.
Oh well.
Fast forward a decade, and I knew he’d like the flavors if he could really give it half a chance. I just had to keep his mayo-hattin-habit in mind.
Couldn’t have a random drop of mayo hit and land on his tongue and throw the whole thing off.
So I decided to adapt it, and incorporate it into another trick that seemed to please the hub’s palate. Without further adieu, I give you Mexican Street Corn Salad.
This slightly spicy Mexican Street Corn Salad is a creamy, crunchy smooth and tangy side salad all in one yummy bowl.
It easily feeds a crowd, or can be halved to feed a smaller group.
Toasted corn kernels are mixed with salty Cotija cheese, a bit of diced spicy jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.
Stirred in with a lightly seasoned garlic, lime, and mayonnaise-based dressing, this street corn salad is perfect for bringing to parties, for paring with grilled meats, or just for getting that yummy fix you crave– without any mess on your face.
Love corn? Check Out These Other Recipes Too!
- Jalapeno Popper Grilled Corn Salad
- Down Home Milk & Honey Corn On The Cob
- Slow Cooker Cream Style Corn
If you’ve tried this MEXICAN STREET CORN SALAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 14 oz bags of frozen corn
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 8 oz cotija cheese crumbled
- ½ jalapeno diced, seeds removed
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- juice of one lime
- sea salt
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- Pinch of chili powder
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil and toast the corn-- cooking the corn for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.
- In a separate, large bowl stir the mayo, cotija cheese, jalapeno, cilantro, cayenne, and minced garlic together, until evenly combined.
- Slice the lime in half and squeeze the juices from each half into the bowl. Stir until the juice is completely incorporated.
- Stir in the corn until completely incorporated, evenly, into the salad mixture.
- Refrigerate the salad until chilled.
- When ready to serve, spoon the mixture into bowls and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
Notes
Nutrition
Amazing recipe!!!! I made this for our Mexican Christmas dinner. It was a hit!! Everyone LOVED it. Very easy recipe …….. on hand ingredients …….. WIN – WIN!!!!!
I hadn’t thought about making it for Christmas, but I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! I tend to whip it up before picnics & Summer bbq’s. I too love how quick & easy it is!!
This is so much better with the lime juice. I saw where several people omitted so I tried it with and without. The lime juice adds a lot to the mix! Also tried white sweet and yellow whole kernel corn and I believe half and half would be perfect!
Is the jalapeño canned or fresh? I can’t wait to ke this- I know I am going to love it!
fresh 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! But where did you get the tablecloth in the pictures????!!! I LOVE it
It’s not a table cloth actually! It’s a fat quarter (piece of cloth typically for quilting) from Walmart 🙂 I love using them as background pieces though.
My son made this and it was absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to make it again.
That’s wonderful to hear, Peggy! Thanks so much for sharing with me 🙂
I am planning to make this for my mother’s 60th birthday. Out of everyone that has made it -do you believe it tastes better served hot or cold?
I prefer it cold myself, but I know a lot of people like it hot. I have another recipe on the site for esquites that is slightly different and in my opinion tastes much better hot.
Great. Thank you so much for the advice. I think Ill serve it cold for my first attempt. Love your website!
I can’t wait to hear how it goes! Happy early Birthday to you Mom. So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed it- and hope to see you back again soon, Stephanie 🙂
I am going to make this in a large batch and serve it warm with tortilla chips!!
It will be super yummy! I love it with blue born tortilla chips bc it makes a studding presentation 🙂
Making this for a party that will be adults and Children. What can I omit or cut down so its not to spicy for the kids and old timers?
It’s honestly not that spicy Gina, but you could do without the cayenne and make it and separate some to include the jalapeno in and another to serve without.
Amazing! I brought this to a family pot luck and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. I love the flavors and the little bit of heat you get after taking a bite 🙂
I made this for a graduation party. Doubled the recipe, made as written with the exception of using del monte roasted corn – canned. I made it the day before and followed those suggestions. THIS WAS A HUGE HIT! Everyone LOVED it!!
Note: Cojito cheese is difficult to find, and a bit pricey.
Thanks for the recipe! I have already shared with many!
Very good and easy to make!
This has become my most requested recipe! “Will you bring the corn dip?” has become a standard question with my friends. It does not disappoint!
Quick and easy and oh so tasty .