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This easy Mexican Street Corn Salad is a creamy, tangy, slightly spicy Elote salad made with toasted corn, cotija cheese, lime, jalapeño, cilantro, sour cream, and mayo. It has all the flavor of Mexican street corn without the mess of eating it off the cob, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes for BBQs, taco nights, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Elote in a Bowl
- Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Ingredients for Street Corn Salad
- Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Corn
- How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Kellie’s Tips for the Best Elote Salad
- Substitutions and Variations
- What is Esquites?
- What To Serve With Street Corn Salad
- How to Store Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Can You Make It Ahead?
- Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Kellie’s Note
Elote in a Bowl
Summer cookouts always need a few reliable side dishes, and this Mexican Street Corn Salad is one I come back to again and again. It has the creamy, cheesy, limey flavor of Elote, but it’s much easier to serve and eat because everything is tossed together in a bowl.
I love classic corn on the cob, especially when it’s buttery, salty, and a little charred. But traditional Elote can be messy, so I turned those same flavors into a quick salad-style side dish. You still get the sweet corn, creamy dressing, cotija, lime, chili flavor, and fresh cilantro – just in scoopable form.
This easy corn salad recipe is now a summertime staple at all our cookouts and I hope it quickly becomes one of your favorites, too.
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Works with fresh or frozen corn. Fresh corn is wonderful in summer, but frozen corn makes this easy year-round.
- All the Elote flavor, none of the mess. You get creamy, cheesy, limey Mexican street corn flavor in scoopable salad form.
- Ready in 20 minutes. Toast the corn, whisk the dressing, toss everything together, and serve.
- Great for parties. Serve it as a side dish, taco topping, or dip with tortilla chips.
- Easy to adjust. Add more lime, reduce the heat, or swap in feta if cotija is hard to find.
Ingredients for Street Corn Salad
- Corn: Fresh corn gives the sweetest flavor and best texture, but thawed frozen corn works well too. Pat frozen corn dry before cooking so it can toast instead of steam.
- Cotija cheese: Cotija adds the salty, tangy flavor you expect from Mexican street corn. Feta is the best substitute if cotija is not available.
- Sour cream and mayonnaise: This combination makes the dressing creamy without being too heavy. For a tangier option, swap some of the sour cream or mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice brightens the dressing and balances the richness.
- Jalapeño: Remove the seeds for less heat, or leave some in if you like it spicier.
- Cayenne and chili powder: These add warmth and classic street-corn flavor. Reduce the cayenne for a milder salad.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds brightness. Use parsley if you do not like cilantro.
- Green onion and red onion: These add crunch, color, and sharpness to balance the creamy dressing.
Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Corn
- Canned corn: Works in a pinch, but the texture will be softer. Drain it well and pat it dry before adding it to the skillet.
- Fresh corn: Best for peak summer flavor and texture. Cut the kernels off the cob, then toast them in the skillet.
- Frozen corn: A great shortcut. Thaw it first and pat it dry so it browns better.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Toast the corn. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until lightly charred, stirring occasionally but not constantly so the kernels have time to brown.
- Cool slightly. Let the toasted corn cool for a few minutes so the creamy dressing stays thick and doesn’t melt into the salad.
- Combine the salad ingredients. Add the corn, red onion, green onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and cotija cheese to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, cayenne, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss and serve. Pour the dressing over the corn mixture and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust with more lime, salt, chili powder, or cotija if needed.
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Elote Salad
- Do not stir the corn constantly. Let it sit in the hot skillet for a minute at a time so it can develop golden, toasty edges.
- Cool the corn before dressing. A few minutes of cooling helps keep the sour cream and mayo dressing creamy.
- Taste before serving. Add more lime for brightness, more cotija for saltiness, or more cayenne for heat.
- Serve it your way. This salad is delicious warm, room temperature, or chilled.
- Make it creamier if needed. If your corn cobs are large or the salad looks dry, add a little extra sour cream or mayo.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use feta instead of cotija. Feta has a similar salty, crumbly texture and works well in this salad.
- Make it lighter. Swap part of the mayo or sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
- Add avocado. Stir in diced avocado just before serving for extra creaminess.
- Add black beans. Mix in drained black beans to make the salad heartier.
- Make it spicier. Add extra jalapeño, a pinch more cayenne, or a sprinkle of chili powder.
- Make it milder. Skip the jalapeño or reduce the cayenne.
- Make it dairy-free. Leave out the cotija and use dairy-free sour cream or mayo.
What is Esquites?
Esquites is often described as Mexican street corn in a cup. It has the same creamy, cheesy, limey flavor as Elote, but the corn is served off the cob, making it easier to eat as a salad, dip, or side dish.
In the United States, Esquites is often called Mexican Street Corn Salad or Elote Salad. Instead of serving the corn on the cob, the kernels are tossed with a creamy dressing, cheese, lime, chili seasoning, and fresh herbs.
What To Serve With Street Corn Salad
This Mexican Street Corn Salad is one of my favorite summer sides because it works with so many meals.
- Serve it as a side dish with barbecue chicken, ribs, grilled steak, burgers, tacos, chicken enchiladas, or fajitas.
- Use it as a topping for nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls, grilled chicken, or fajita salads.
- Make it a dip by serving it with homemade tortilla chips.
- Bring it to parties for BBQs, potlucks, Cinco de Mayo, taco nights, and summer cookouts.
It’s creamy, fresh, zesty, and just spicy enough to keep everyone coming back for another scoop.
How to Store Mexican Street Corn Salad
Store leftover Mexican Street Corn Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best texture, enjoy it within 1 to 2 days.
You can make this salad up to 8 hours in advance and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. Stir before serving and add a fresh squeeze of lime or an extra sprinkle of cotija if it needs a little brightness.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes, this is a great make-ahead side dish. For the freshest texture, toast the corn and chop the vegetables ahead of time, then toss everything with the dressing closer to serving.
If you need to assemble the full salad in advance, make it up to 8 hours ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator.
If you love this recipe, you should also try this Frito Corn Salad! It’s just as flavor packed with an extra salty crunch!
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Equipment
- bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 ounces Cojita cheese, crumbled, or feta
- 3 tablespoons sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn to the skillet and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally but not constantly, until lightly charred. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer the corn to a mixing bowl. Add the red onion, jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the corn mixture and toss to coat. Taste and adjust with more lime, salt, pepper, chili powder, or cotija if desired. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and cotija before serving.
Notes
- Salad can be made up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Fresh corn gives the best flavor, but thawed frozen corn works well. If using canned corn, drain and pat dry before cooking.
- Feta can be used instead of cotija.
- For a milder salad, reduce the cayenne or omit the jalapeño.
- For a tangier, lighter dressing, swap part of the sour cream or mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I doubled the recipe. The dressing was very limey and watery/thin. I only used 1/8 tsp cayenne, as a tsp can be very hot. I had to add more mayo, sour cream, chili powder and salt to thicken the dressing and reduce the over powerful lime taste. After that, it was very good. .
Hmmm, not sure why the dressing was thin but I’m glad it worked out anyway. Thank you for your comment!
Fabulous! I had to “vegan” it for my husband so didn’t add any cheese and used vegan sour cream and vegan mayo. With all the spices and onions I didn’t even notice the “vegan” part.
Thank you. (Can’t wait to make for my gfs where I can make it as is, but honestly it’s good as a vegan recipe.
I will totally try this “vegan-ized”!!!
Can it be made ahead of time?
Yes, it can be made in advance!
Its “cotija” cheese….sort of a hard and crumbly but very mild Mexican cheese. It’s in a lot of traditional Mexican recipes. Just a little mix up of the T and the J. I cant wait to try this recipe for the 4th of July!
Thank you!
Oh my goodness! Made this for our Cinco De Mayo party tonight and don’t want to share it!! I bought the Trader Joes frozen roasted corn as a time saver. This will definitely go on summer BBQ rotation.
I’m so glad you love it! We make this a ton all summer long.
Love all the fresh flavors going on! This Mexican Street Corn Salad will be a great side for summer barbecues too!
I just cannot wait for summer to arrive but I’m just thankful for the sweater weather after the long drawn out winter. This corn salad is the bomb! I could eat this all up…I can’t wait for summer now ^_^
I can’t wait for summer sweet corn! This salad sounds so good!
I luh-uhve this dish! Nothing beats summer corn (I don’t want to wait, so glad you’ve sharing this now), and this salad looks amazing! Love the zing, too!
What would be a substitute for cojita cheese?
You could use crumbled feta instead.
Thank you! I’ve never heard of cojita so the flavor profile was a mystery to me. That’s the only ingredient I need to make this.
It’s worth searching for it if you can. It’s so good and not quite as salty as feta.
I made it and it is fabulous! This is going to become a family favorite.
YAY!!!! I’m glad you love it! It’s my favorite, too.