Mexican Street Corn is a creamy corn side dish made with grilled corn on the cob, lime juice, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and seasonings. This easy summer side dish is perfect for cookouts, tacos, grilled meats, and potlucks.
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- Mexican street corn salad is made with grilled corn, creamy dressing, cotija cheese, lime, and spices
- Easy summer side dish for tacos, steak, chicken, seafood, and BBQ dinners
- Fresh grilled corn gives the best flavor and smoky char
- Serve warm or chilled for cookouts, potlucks, and Taco Tuesday
- Ready in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients
Easy Summer Salad
Grilled corn salad is an easy and fun salad to pull together while grilling steaks, chicken, or seafood outside.
The smoky grilled corn and creamy dressing make it perfect for backyard dinners, cookouts, and casual weekends with family and friends.
Ingredients
See recipe card below for quanitities.
- Fresh corn, husked
- Butter or olive oil
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Lime
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Mix-Ins
- White or yellow onion
- Crumbled feta or cojita Mexican cheese
- Chopped cilantro or parsley
- Jalapeño or habanero peppers
For Serving
- pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika
- lime wedges
- extra cheese
How To Make Corn Salad
- Heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush the corn lightly with butter or oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the corn for about 10 minutes, turning often, until tender and lightly charred. If you hear popping, that's normal. The kernels can pop slightly as they roast over the heat.
- Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool slightly.
- Break the corn in half, then slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife into a large bowl. Breaking the corn makes it easier and less messy to cut.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Add the warm corn and toss well.
- Stir in the onion, cheese, cilantro, and peppers if using.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice or salt if needed.
- Chill before serving for the best flavor.
- Sprinkle extra cheese and a pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika over the top before serving.
Serving Ideas
We love this Mexican street corn salad with grilled red snapper, grilled mojo chicken tacos, or just on it own, it makes a great snack.
- Spoon it over sliced steak
- Serve with tacos, burrito bowls, or quesadillas
- Use it as a dip with tortilla chips
- Add diced avocado before serving
- Top with extra cotija cheese and a pinch of chili powder or Tajín
- Great for cookouts and summer BBQ dinners
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Stir before serving.
FAQ
Cotija cheese is a salty Mexican cheese often used on tacos, street corn, and beans. It has a crumbly texture and strong flavor similar to feta cheese. If you cannot find cotija, feta works well in this recipe.
It can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled. Most people prefer it cold for summer cookouts, BBQs, and potlucks.
Yes. This salad tastes even better after chilling for a few hours because the flavors have time to blend together. Add extra cheese, avocado, and cilantro right before serving for the freshest look.
Fresh grilled corn gives the best flavor, but frozen and canned corn works too. Cook it in a hot skillet until lightly browned before mixing with the dressing.
This salad pairs well with grilled meats, tacos, burgers, pulled pork, barbecue chicken, grilled fish, and steak. It also works well alongside avocado dishes, rice bowls, and summer cookout foods.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ears fresh corn husked
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix-Ins
- ¼ cup finely diced white or yellow onion
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 jalapeño or 2 habanero peppers finely diced (optional)
For Serving
- lime wedges
- extra cotija cheese
- pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush the corn lightly with butter or oil.
- Grill the corn for about 10 minutes, turning often, until tender and lightly charred. If you hear popping, that's normal. The kernels can pop slightly as they roast over the heat.
- Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool slightly.
- Break the corn in half, then slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife into a large bowl. Breaking the corn makes it easier and less messy to cut.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Add the warm corn and toss well.
- Stir in the onion, cheese, cilantro, and peppers if using.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more lime juice or salt if needed.
- Chill before serving for the best flavor.
- Sprinkle extra cotija cheese and a pinch of chili powder or smoked paprika over the top before serving.
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