Mexican Street Corn Salad

My healthy version of Mexican Street Corn Salad. It is summer-y, sweet, creamy, cheesy and easy. Enjoy warm or cold, as a dip or a salad.

Love corn in salads? Check out our corn avocado salad and healthy taco salad.

Mexican Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad is my healthy version of elotes – grilled corn slathered in mayo, crema (something between American sour cream and French crème fraîche – in Ukraine), cotija cheese, cilantro and chile (chili) powder (anyways, something red).

We saw elotes sold on every major street corner while living in Cabo for a month. Can we call it esquites? Um, yeah, probably not since mature corn boiled in salted water and then sautéed in butter is not involved.

Let’s just say this Mexican corn salad is summer-y, sweet, creamy, cheesy, easy healthy corn salad. It will disappear fast at any gathering!

Corn Salad Ingredients

• Corn: I recommend fresh corn. Frozen wouldn’t be the same. It’s a summer salad, for sure.
• Feta cheese: I live no near Mexican store. I can assure you feta cheese is a great substitute and adds essential creaminess and saltiness to this Mexican street corn salad.
• Yogurt and mayo: I added just the right proportions of mayo and yogurt because Mexican street corn salad recipe is not complete without mayo. And too much mayo makes it unhealthy and too much mayo-ey.
• Spices: Cayenne pepper, lime, salt and pepper. Make salad as spicy as you like.

Tip: You can absolutely add a few diced avocados. They add more creaminess. Also juicy tomatoes would be s good. Especially in July-August when corn is at its prime.

How to Pick Best Corn at the Store

I make Mexican corn salad recipe only in summer. There is nothing better than local juicy, sweet, plump and bright yellow corn. I would not recommend to use frozen corn.

• Check corn for quality right at the store – shucking a bit at the top or completely. Many stores provide garbage bin solely for this purpose.
• Look for corn that is wrapped tightly in its green husks.
• Silk should be soft, perky and moist.
• Pick only good looking ears with white or yellow kernels in tight rows that are plump.

3 Ways to Cook Corn on the Cob

Mexican street corn salad can be made with grilled, charred, roasted or boiled corn.

1. Cook corn by boiling it for 15 minutes.
2. Make Instant Pot corn. It takes 2 minutes, keeps house cool and is completely hands off method.
3. Grill corn without the husk on medium heat for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so.

How to Serve Mexican Street Corn Salad

Only with turkey meatballs and spaghetti! Only! There is no other way! Just kidding. That’s what I made that day.

With cilantro lime chicken, grilled chicken breast, shrimp skewers or baked chicken breast. Mexican corn salad is a great accompaniment to any protein.

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips.

Because it’s a summer dish and you love salmon, try with cedar plank salmon or easy baked salmon.

Warm or Cold?

I love this salad both warm and cold.

But probably warm a tad bit more. Hot corn melts the feta cheese adding to the creaminess of the dressing with delicious spices. Yum! Makes me feel like I’m eating a jar of mayo but we are not.

However, leftovers taste just as good cold.

Make Ahead and Leftovers?

You can definitely prepare this easy Mexican corn salad ahead. In fact, the longer salad sits, more flavorful it becomes.

If you like salad warm, refrigerate all ingredients in a bowl covered for up to 48 hours. Add warm cooked corn right before serving and toss. If you don’t mind cold Mexican corn salad, you can refrigerate salad assembled but not stirred for up to 48 hours.

Leftovers will keep well for up to 48 hours in the fridge. I feel like this easy Mexican corn salad is very hard to mess up. Firm outer shell corn kernels are so forgiving and there are no soggy vegetables involved.

More Healthy Recipes with Corn

• Corn avocado salad
• Chicken zucchini and corn
• Vegetarian quesadilla
• Healthy chicken tacos

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

Healthy Mexican Corn Salad with 3 options how to cook corn. Enjoy warm or cold, as a dip or a salad.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Mexican

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 6 large ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 large lemon or 1 lime, juice of
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2+% fat
• 3 tbsp mayo (I used avocado)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook corn by boiling it for 15 minutes or by grilling on medium heat for 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Or even better – make Instant Pot corn in 2 minutes! Let cool until safe to handle.
2. Using sharp chef’s knife remove corn kernels off the cob by cutting lengthwise. And Ukrainian in me cleaned up those ears pretty clean afterwards – so much food would have been wasted.
3. In a large salad bowl, add corn, cilantro, feta cheese, lemon or lime juice, yogurt, mayo, salt, cayenne and black pepper to taste.
4. Stir gently and serve warm or cold. Welcome to the streets of Mexico!

Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.

Make Ahead: If you like salad warm, refrigerate all ingredients in a bowl covered for up to 48 hours. Add warm cooked corn right before serving and toss. If you don’t mind cold Mexican corn salad, you can refrigerate salad assembled but not stirred for up to 48 hours.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

1 cup2129.9 g392.1 mg10.9 g3.5 g0 g27.7 g2.9 g6.8 g20 mg

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