This Mexican street corn salad is a summer staple. It is creamy, spicy, salty, and tangy It’s easy to make and sure to be a hit among family and friends. You may even be tempted to impulse buy a ticket to Mexico… You’ve been warned!
If you’re not familiar with elote street corn, you’ve been missing out! Typically it’s a whole cob of grilled corn that’s been topped with mayonnaise, hot sauce or chili powder, lime, and Cotija cheese, among other things, and sold by street vendors in Mexico. However, we will not be buying this from a cute man behind a vending cart or grilling the corn for this particular recipe. Instead, we will sauté the corn kernels in butter until they are tender and slightly charred.
It’s so easy to make this corn salad recipe! You’ll need fresh, juicy corn, fragrant spices like cumin and paprika, mayonnaise (or vegan mayo), crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese, lime juice, salt for seasoning – and the willpower not to eat it all yourself!
You might even find yourself closing your eyes and envisioning yourself in the heart of Mexico!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Corn Salad
Why should you make this recipe? It’s easy to prepare and super delightful to eat! Below are more reasons why you’ll love this Mexican street corn salad.
- This recipe will only take 20 minutes of your time and will leave you and your guest talking about it for hours. My version of the Elote Salad recipe is simple to make and can be prepared in 20 minutes.
- This corn salad with mayo can be served warm or cold, which makes it an excellent side dish for any summer picnic or barbecue.
- You can use whatever corn is available. You can use a bag of frozen sweet corn or fresh sweet corn on the cob. If none of those are available, canned corn kernels are good alternatives as well.
Ingredients For Your Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Corn Kernels
- Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream
- Cumin
- Paprika
- salt
- White Pepper
- Jalapeno
- Cilantro
- Red Onion
- Cotija Cheese
- Lime
How To Make A Mexican Street Corn Salad
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the corn. Stir and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until fragrant and slightly charred in spots.
- Place the corn in a bowl. If you want to serve chilled, cool before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Stir in most of the red onion, jalapenos and cilantro, reserving some for garnish.
- Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream, then season with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Add cotija cheese and lime juice, then stir until just combined.
- Serve garnished with remaining red onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.
What to Serve/Pair with Your Mexican Street Corn Salad
This corn salad is best served as a side dish to barbecued pork or chicken. When paired with grilled meat, the Mexican street corn salad is absolutely delicious. The salad is a great side dish to grilled shrimp and fish too. They also go particularly nicely with tacos of any variety. Don’t forget to serve with a margarita and homemade chips and salsa!
Mexican Street Corn Salad FAQs
Is it okay to use frozen or canned corn?
What may I substitute cilantro within this salad?
Can I use Feta cheese instead of Cotija cheese?
I have an egg allergy. What’s a good substitute for mayo in this Mexican corn salad?
Other Mexican Inspired Recipes You’re Sure To Like!
- FRESH JALAPENO PEACH SALSA RECIPE
- CILANTRO LIME SHEET PAN SHRIMP TACOS
- SLOW COOKER MEXICAN SHREDDED CHICKEN
- SIMPLE SHEET PAN CHICKEN AND BLACK BEAN QUESADILLA
- ENCHILADA PIE CASSEROLE WITH HATCH CHILES
- MANGO HABANERO GUACAMOLE
- See all our Mexican dishes!
If you have tried this mexican street corn salad or any others on my site? Be kind & leave a comment and rating! Make sure you don’t miss a thing! Follow me on social Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or My Facebook Group! for more incredible recipes!
Mexican Street Elote Corn Salad (with Cotija Cheese!)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Corn Kernels
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 Jalapeno minced (deseeded if desired)
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped
- ½ Red Onion minced
- ⅓ cup Cotija Cheese or more to taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lime Juice to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the corn. Stir and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until fragrant and slightly charred in spots.
- Place the corn in a bowl. If you want to serve chilled, cool before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
- Stir in most of the red onion, jalapenos and cilantro, reserving some for garnish.
- Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream, then season with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Add cotija cheese and lime juice, then stir until just combined.
- Serve garnished with remaining red onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.
Oh, this is something that my sister would absolutely love! I am going to have to share this recipe with her!
Thank you for passing this on to your sister. I hope she enjoys it. Thanks for coming by!
I never knew about this until now and it looks really interesting. I would love to make it because it looks yummy.
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by, Aisasami!
That corn salad looks so refreshing, I would love to try this recipe soon.
I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
I printed this recipe out because I am making tacos tonight with this on the side! Look delicious!
That’s awesome, Michele, perfect timing; I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
I LOVE corn! It is one of those veggies you can add to just about anything and it will taste good!
Fantasic Laura! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
This looks so good. I love how it turned out with the colors and everything. Would love to try it. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
Another yummy recipe to try! I haven’t had Mexican Street Corn Salad before but looking at the instructions as well the ingredients are very doable (I have canned corn in my fridge!!). Thank you, Kim!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by, Polly!
Sounds like a wonderful treat and very easy to prepare! I think my family will love it and thanks for letting us know!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
That looks so good, I am personally a fan of salads. This is new to me and I would love to try it, thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by, Risa!
Yum yum. I do love my elote, but usually on a stick. This looks good, too!
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
This salad looks amazing, the cheese seems really unique too. I have never heard of it. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe.
Aimee, if you look in the sliced cheese section in your local grocery store, you should find it there. You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!
I really miss Mexico and this recipe looks so good that I might try it this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Ukeveryday
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for coming by!