Easy Mexican Corn Salad Recipe

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Lightened Up Mexican Street Corn Salad

Easy and Quick Mexican Corn Salad Recipe

To create a lighter version of traditional Mexican street corn salad I replaced some of the mayo with high-protein Greek yogurt. The flavor is still spot on and I personally like the tiny bit of tang that the yogurt adds. Here are the ingredients you need for this epic salad:

  • corn you can use fresh, sweet corn on the cob or a bag of frozen fire-roasted corn. If you cant find fire roasted you can buy regular frozen sweet corn and sauté in a pan until its slightly browned.
  • red onion
  • jalapeño feel free to adjust the amount of jalapeño pepper you use based on your spice preference. I used 1 seeded pepper.
  • garlic cloves
  • cotija cheese
  • plain Greek yogurt and mayonnaise I used a combination of Greek yogurt and mayo to create a lighter, high protein version of the traditional salad that uses mayo and crema .
  • fresh lime juice
  • seasonings and spices chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper
  • chopped cilantro

Cafe Tips For Making This Mexican Street Corn Salad

Thought for the day:

I waited patiently for the Lord He turned to me and heard my cry.He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in h\Him.Psalm 40:1-3

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! Its so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

Why Youll Love This Mexican Corn Salad Without Mayo

  • No-fuss. This elote salad comes together quickly and easily with just a few ingredients. Using frozen corn saves time and effort, and eliminates the need to fire up the grill.
  • Light, yet flavorful. This salad is perfect for summertime, or any time you want a light, but satisfying dish. The fresh cilantro and lime juice give it a bright flavor, while the cotija cheese and jalapeno add just the right amount of spice.
  • Make-ahead friendly. This salad can be made ahead of time and will keep in the fridge for up to a day. Simply add the jalapeno when youre ready to serve.
  • Flexible. Dont like cilantro? Feel free to swap it out for another fresh herb, such as parsley. Dont have cotija cheese on hand? Feta would be a delicious substitute.

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What to Serve with Mexican Corn Salad:

  • Black Beans: you cant argue with an absolute classic, and black beans with corn salad is for sure a classic. Black beans are great for you and are a delicious side dish that compliments the natural sweetness of the corn salad.
  • Spanish Rice: another classic, Spanish rice is rich, delicious and goes with pretty much anything. Youll also love how easy it is to make.
  • Mexican Stuffed Peppers: stuffed peppers are a main course that is filling, hearty and flavorful. They are also easily dressed up or down depending on what the occasion is.

If you want to try a delicious traditional dessert, check out my recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Delicious Mexican Corn Salad

Mexican Corn Salad

I really love corn and anything that has corn in it and so does my kids. I decided to create this summer fresh salad from my love of corn.

This salad is super simple to make, once all of the chopping is done it comes together in minutes.You can change this salad up a bit to fit ingredients that suit your taste preferences or that you already have on hand. This salad is one of those that is even more delicious the second day, because the flavors have marinated over night. I also love to eat this salad for light lunches using tortillas chips to scoop it right up!

I really like making this salad for meal prepping during the week. I portion the salad out in meal prep containers so it is ready to eat on those days. Just leave the avocado on the side and add it in separately for longer term meal prep.

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Ingredient Substitutions And Variations:

  • Make it spicier and/or hot: You can add various spices such as smoked paprika, ground cumin, and ground coriander to the dressing to make it spicier. You can also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce into the creamy sauce if you like it hot.
  • Change up the fresh veggies: You can swap red onion with green onions. If you are not a fan of jalapenos, you can use bell peppers instead.

Is This Salad Gluten Free

Yes, this salad is naturally gluten free. Remember to look at all of your ingredients before use to ensure the product you bought is gluten free.

I really hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in our house! If your family does not like some of the ingredients in this salad, switch it up with ingredients they do like.

If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you let me know! You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me so that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!

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Mexican Street Corn Salad With Avocado

Mexican street corn salad is for anyone who enjoys shoe peg corn salad or any dense, chunky salad with lots of fresh veggies and tons of flavor.

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Its also an excellent option for bringing plenty of color to the table.

Theres white and yellow from the corn, purplish-red from the onion, green from the cilantro, avocado, and jalapenos, and white from the Cotija cheese.

Despite its chunky heartiness, it has a light, refreshing taste with just a hint of spice from the chili powder.

Pairs Deliciously With So Many Things

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Chopped Mexican Street Corn Salad pairs well with any Mexican entree like enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, carnitas, tamales, etc. but it’s also wonderful with grilled steaks, chicken, shrimp and pork.

I think once you try this delicious salad you’ll find yourself craving the fresh, bright flavors! Bring it to a picnic or potluck and it will disappear in a flash! Put the ingredients on your shopping list and make this Chopped Mexican Street Corn Salad sometime very soon!

P.S. If you enjoy this salad, I think you’ll also love our Mexican Street Corn which is made of primarily corn and served warm.

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Chopped Mexican Street Corn Salad

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This Chopped Mexican Street Corn Salad is a healthy, super delicious rendition of the iconic street food antojito , sold by roadside vendors all over Mexico City!

This Chopped Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe is the result of a visit last week, with our son and daughter-in-law, to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants here in Asheville. We ordered their Mexican Street Corn and I’ve been craving it ever since! I decided to come up with a salad that included all the same flavors, but with an emphasis on lots of fresh veggies.

To Make Elote Corn Salad:

  • Shuck the corn kernels: If you used fresh corn, then after cooking it, youll need to shuck it. Let the ears of corn cool down enough to handle. Then, using a sharp knife, stand the corn upright and cut off kernels as close to the core as possible.
  • Assemble the salad: Like corn, mayo, yogurt, feta, cilantro, lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. No need to make dressing separately and just gently toss to coat.

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How To Make Mexican Street Corn Salad:

To a large pan add the avocado oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the corn and garlic. cook mixing only occasionally until corn is cooked and charred a bit.

Add the peppers, cilantro, corn, onions and beans to a large bowl.

Toss the peppers, cilantro, corn, onions and beans to a large bowl. Top with the feta or cojita cheese and mix well. Cojita cheese is more traditional but not always the easiest to find where I live.

To make the dressing add the sour cream, lime juice, maple syrup, paprika, cumin, cayenne and salt to a small bowl and mix well. Pour over the salad and mix well to evenly coat the salad ingredients.

Mexican Corn Salad Serving Suggestions

Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Dressing

This salad is a great one for making ahead, so bring it to any cookout on your calendar. Its 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:

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Tips For Making Mexican Street Corn With Frozen Corn

  • Dry the corn as thoroughly as possible before cooking. This is especially important if you are using corn thawed from frozen. If the corn is wet, you will need to cook it for a few extra minutes to dry it out before it will start to charand the excess moisture will sizzle when it hits the pan.
  • Dont overcrowd the pan. You want to give the corn plenty of room to move around so that each kernel has a chance to char. If you crowd the pan, the kernels will steam instead of char.
  • Cook over high heat. This is key for getting a nice char on the corn without overcooking it. You want to make sure your pan is nice and hot before adding the corn.
  • Dont forget to season! The key to any good Mexican corn salad recipe is proper seasoning. Be sure to taste your salad and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
  • How To Make Mexican Corn Salad

    This recipe starts off by pan frying the corn in butter and garlic until its tinged with gold, at which point you will need to summon the strength to not shovel spoonfuls of it straight into your mouth because golden brown buttery corn? YES!!!

    But WAIT! It gets even better! While the corn is hot, add in the parmesan, mayonnaise, sour cream and lime and give it a good mix so the dressing melts and mingles with the butter on the corn and coats every kernel beautifully

    And lastly, we give it a hit of freshness with onion and coriander/cilantro, and jalapeño if you want a touch of heat, and finish with a sprinkle of Cotija if you happen to be fortunate enough to get your hands on it or feta, parmesan or goats cheese as a fallback.

    Serve this as a side dish for all things Mexican. Take it to summer BBQs, potlucks, casual lunches, a side dish for dinner tonight.

    Just find any excuse to make it! Because honestly, to say my friends love this corn salad is an understatement. Whenever it makes an appearance, were in a situation where you have to eat fast, or miss out.

    Literally. You snooze, you lose.

    Nagi x

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    Putting Together Street Corn Salad

    The sauce that coats the corn is really delicious. Its crema , mixed with mayonnaise, chili powder, garlic powder, and cilantro. Doesnt that sound delicious?

    When everything is all mixed together, I crumble on cotija or queso fresco cheese and squeeze the whole dish with a little bit of lime. This lime wakes everything up and adds brightness. You cant skip that part!

    The best part about this is that you can serve it hot or cold. If you want to eat it right away, simply serve after you squeeze on the lime juice. If you want to make this ahead of time, pop it in the fridge until youre ready to eat it later!

    How To Make Mexican Street Corn Salad

    Mexican Corn Bread Salad
    • Prepare the corn Cut the corn off the cob, for this street corn salad recipe I used 5 ears to get 4 cups of corn. If using frozen theres no need to thaw the corn before hand! Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat and char your corn stirring occasionally, fresh and canned corn usually takes 3-5 minutes while frozen may take a bit longer. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
    • Prepare your Mexican street corn salad Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir thoroughly. Add salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste. Garnish with additional cheese and cilantro and serve!

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    Can I Use Canned Corn Or Frozen Corn

    If youre in a pinch, you can use canned corn, however, fresh corn is always best. If you need to use an alternative, frozen corn is a better option as it was removed from the cob and flash frozen. Be sure to thaw it and drain it thoroughly of all excess moisture if you choose to go this route. Youll need 4 cups of corn total, which is approximately three 15-ounce cans of corn, drained well, or a little over one 16 ounce bag of frozen corn. The exact amount of corn you use is flexible.

    You may also be interested in these other delicious Mexican recipes:

    Other Favorite Side Salads

    It is a delicious salty, crumbly, Mexican cheese from cow’s milk.

    Can I Substitute Another Cheese?

    Totally! Parmesan, Romano, or feta are great substitutes .

    Do I have to Char the Corn?

    No, not necessarily, but it really does make a difference.

    Not only did all the women of my girls trip love this esquites recipe, but my toddler inhaled it. So if that isn’t a glowing review, I’m not sure what else is!

    By the way, if you loved this recipe, try out our Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos, too!

    Enjoy, friends! Don’t forget if you make this salad or any other recipes from the site, please be sure to let me know on , , , or . I love hearing from you!

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    How Do You Get Corn Off The Cob

    Ive tried some different gadgets, but keep coming back to a very simple method when it comes to removing corn kernels from the cob. Heres what I do:

    Place a cob of corn, small end facing up, in the center of a 9 x 13 cake pan. Then use a sharp serrated tomato knife to cut down the cob, from top of ear to bottom. When cutting, saw back and forth very slightly with the knife as you go down the cob. Rotate the cob until all the kernels are in the bottom of the pan.

    This method isnt entirely perfect, as there are always a few kernels that stray but its the best way Ive found so far. If you have a method that you especially like, Id love to hear from you please leave a message in the comments section!

    The creamy sauce for this salad is pretty darn awesome, an incredibly tasty dressing that is accomplished with very little effort. Feel free to add more heat by increasing the chili powder and smoked paprika!

    Summer Doldrums Are No Match For This Easy Grilled Mexican Corn Salad

    MEXICAN STREET CORN SALAD!!! + WonkyWonderful

    A bright, sunny summer corn salad is just about the best thing there is. When you cant handle even the sight of another bowl of potato salad, sweet-savory cold corn salad is here to perk you back up! We love it because:

    • Our Mexico-inspired street corn salad is a delicious way to use up any leftover corn, which we always seem to have lurking around our fridge in late summer.
    • This Mexican corn salad packs a ton of flavor into one bowl, but uses just a few ingredientsgrilled corn is the star of this eight-ingredient show.
    • AND if you really love this corn esquites recipe, keep it around all year! You can make it in winterwhen you can just barely remember what August felt likeusing frozen corn and itll still taste incredibly good. Creamy, spicy, cheery bites of summer are what get us through winterhow about you?

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    Easy Mexican Salad Recipes

    Ive pulled together this list of ten exceptional Mexican salad recipes because Mexican salads are entirely underrated!

    When it comes to Mexican food, people go for tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, or plain old chips and salsa.

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    Occasionally, theyll even enjoy Mexican desserts like fried ice cream or sopapillas.

    But other than a taco salad here and there, most people dont usually ask for Mexican salads.

    And frankly, thats a shame, because there are some phenomenal Mexican salad recipes.

    Whether youre looking for something chunky and filling, like the black bean salad, or something with a bit of seafood in the mix , this list has you covered.

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