Mexican Street Corn Salad is super creamy with tons of flavor – it’s everything you love about the street corner classic roasted corn in a yummy salad. It’s a delicious side dish that just screams summer!
The first time I had Mexican Street Corn I think I was about 17 years old. My friends and I were at the annual street fair in our city, walking around aimlessly like teenagers do, deciding what to eat. After all, these are the types of places to get the good stuff like nachos, fried oreos, ice cream, strawberry shortcake…and Mexican Street Corn.
When my friends suggested the street corn, I thought, sure I like corn. Plain corn on the cob with a little salt and butter. Yeah, that stuff’s good! But that’s not what this was. What came out that window was a giant ear of golden yellow corn, smothered in this white stuff with some kind of red powder and white powder.
Obviously I had no clue what I had gotten myself into.
When my friend told me what was actually on the corn (mayonnaise, chili powder, Mexican cheese and lime juice) I was reluctant to try it. But holy goodness Batman was that THE BEST corn on the cob I’d ever tasted!
Mexican Street Corn is typically grilled on the cob. If you have access to a grill, that’s the best way to start this salad. However, if you don’t, you can get that nice charred flavor by cooking the corn kernels in a hot cast iron skillet. I add chili powder and garlic powder, plus a little melted butter to get some nice flavor onto each and every kernel.
The dressing for the Mexican Corn Salad is crazy easy – mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, chili powder, garlic powder, cilantro and salt. Now, you might notice that I used parsley. If you’re one of the millions of people who is adverse to cilantro (like me!) parsley will give you that freshness without the soapy cilantro taste. The final touch is a generous helping of cotija cheese, which is a nice salty cheese, similar to Feta.
Mix all these things together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
If you need a salad that pretty much goes with everything from burgers to steak to tacos, this Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad will be your new favorite!
Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6-8 servings
Mexican Street Corn Salad is super creamy with tons of flavor - it's everything you love about the street corner classic roasted corn in a yummy salad. It's a delicious side dish that just screams summer!
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups of grilled or cooked corn kernels (for seasoned corn, see below)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley)
- zest of one lime
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
Seasoned Corn
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut corn from the ears. (If using grilled corn on the cob, go to step 3).
- To make the seasoned corn: Heat a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Melt a tablespoon of butter, then stir in corn and 1 teaspoon each or garlic and chili powders and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until corn is slightly charred and golden; 8-10 minutes. Spoon into a large bowl and cool. (Can be placed in the fridge for quicker cooling time - this too less than 10 minutes for me).
- Stir chopped cilantro or parsley into the cooled corn.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice, lime zest and a pinch of salt.
- Stir the mayo mixture into the corn mixture. Stir in cotija cheese.
- Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with more Cotija cheese and chopped cilantro/parsley.
- This is also delicious as a dip served with tortilla chips!
Courses side dish, appetizer
Love this Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad? Try these other popular summer side dishes:
Red White and Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Parmesan Zucchini & Corn Skillet
Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad
For all salads go HERE, for all side dishes go HERE and for the Recipe Index go HERE.
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