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    Mexican Street Corn Salad

    Updated May 15, 2024 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    This Mexican corn salad recipe takes the flavors of elote — fresh sweet corn, lime juice, cojita cheese, and creamy dressing — and turns them into a beautiful summer salad.

    mexican street corn salad made with radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija, lime juice, salt, pepper and chipotle mayo

    Our Best Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

    Elote — so-called Mexican Street Corn, which is slathered with mayo, chipotle and lime — becomes esquites when you take that lovely corn and turn it into Mexican street corn salad. Bursting with flavor and texture — an easy, creamy dressing with fresh lime, plus sweet corn and crisp radish — this beautiful salad is perfect for making ahead and will wow everyone at all your summer cook-outs.

    corn, radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija, lime juice, salt, pepper and chipotle mayo in prep bowls

    Mexican Corn Salad Ingredients

    • Corn (boiled, grilled, or frozen)
    • Radishes
    • Green onions
    • Fresh cilantro
    • Cotija cheese
    • Lime
    • Chipotle Mayonnaise
    corn on the cob being cooked on the grill

    How To Make Mexican Street Corn Salad

    1. Cook six ears of corn. Throw them on the grill (for extra smokiness), boil the corn in a big pot, or you can even use frozen corn.

    2. Whip up a batch of chipotle mayo dressing. Creamy, easy and so good, there is no better cold corn salad dressing on earth.

    3. Slice, dice and toss! Grab your favorite knife and get chopping. Chop up the veggies that will take this from a bowlful of sweet corn with mayo (not that there’s anything wrong with that) to the true culinary joy that is fresh corn salad.

    4. Toss the vegetables and corn with your chipotle mayo and a little more chipotle powder, a squeeze of lime juice and plenty of crumbly cotija cheese.

    5. Chill (if you’d like to) until you’re ready to serve. The chill is not a must, but it’s nice to give the flavors a little time to meld.

    6. Serve up that beautiful salad! This beautiful, easy corn salad recipe is ideal for bringing to barbeques and picnics, because it is wilt-proof. Serve it with Carnitas, Cilantro Lime Rice, and fresh Pico De Gallo for a seriously delicious Mexican feast.

    corn on the cob being cooked on the grill
    grilled corn, radishes, green onions, cilantro, Cotija cheese, lime juice, salt, pepper & chipotle mayonnaise in a bowl
    a bowl of Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema made with radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija and lime juice
    a bowl of Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema made with radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija and lime juice

    How To Store + Tips

    • Leftover corn salad can’t be frozen, but it does keep well in the fridge for a few days. You can even plan to let it chill a bit, which means it’s a terrific make-ahead recipe for picnics and pool days alike.

    • You can make this Mexican corn salad recipe using frozen corn and it’ll still taste incredibly good. Creamy, spicy, cheery bites of summer are what get us through winter—how about you?

    a bowl of Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema made with radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija and lime juice

    More Easy Corn Recipes

    Nothing Corny About How Much We Love This Salad

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    Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

    Updated May 15, 2024

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  15 min
    • Calories:  129
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    Ingredients

    • 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 6 ears corn)
    • ⅓ cup diced radishes (about 4-5)
    • 4 green onions, chopped
    • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
    • ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice (from 1 lime)
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ⅓ cup Chipotle Mayonnaise
    • ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)

    Method

    1. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the corn on the grill. Cover and cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, until kernels are tender, about 15 minutes total. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly.

      corn on the cob being cooked on the grill

    2. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cobs. Transfer the corn kernels to a large bowl. Add the radishes, green onions, cilantro, Cotija cheese, lime juice, salt, pepper, and chipotle mayonnaise and toss to combine.

      grilled corn, radishes, green onions, cilantro, Cotija cheese, lime juice, salt, pepper & chipotle mayonnaise in a bowl

    3. Garnish with additional Cotija cheese, cilantro and chipotle chili powder, if using.

      a bowl of Mexican Street Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema made with radishes, green onions, cilantro, cotija and lime juice

    Notes

    To make this salad with Boiled Corn:

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and bright yellow, 5-6 minutes. Drain the corn and let cool slightly, then do steps 2 & 3 above.

    To make this salad with Frozen Corn:

    Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the corn and spread out into a single layer. Allow the corn to cook, undisturbed, until it begins to brown, 4-5 minutes. Stir the corn and cook for another 2 minutes, until warmed through. Remove from heat and allow the corn to cool slightly, then do steps 2 & 3 above.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 129
    • Protein 2 g
    • Carbohydrates 19 g
    • Total Fat 15 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 0 mg
    • Sodium 200 mg
    • Total Sugars 5 g

    Mexican Street Corn Salad

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Anna

      Any suggestions for a dressing substitute for the chipotle mayo? My family won’t eat creamy dressings or sauces with mayo.

      Some sort of cilantro lime vinaigrette would work well. Hope you enjoy Anna.

    • Judy

      Can this be made the day before?

      Absolutely!

    • Kate

      can you make ahead and refrigerate or should this be served warm or right away

      I love this salad cold and it can definitely be made ahead of time!

    • Josh

      This recipe is amazing. I make this every time we smoke a pork shoulder. My family demands it. Thank you!

      That's so great to hear, so happy your family loves it. Thanks Josh!

    • Jenn

      This was perfect I loved the crunch from the radishes!

      Thanks Jenn!

    • Tresa

      I love this corn salad, it is so good and I always get so many compliments. I bring it to my family 4th of July picnic every year!

      yay, that's great to hear!