Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

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5 from 3 votes
Published: May 12, 2021Updated: April 26, 2022Author: Camille Beckstrand
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This Mexican Street Corn Salad is out of this world good. It is so easy to make and full of flavor. It only takes a few minutes to throw together and will blow your mind. And it's way better than eating it off the cob.
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

My husband and I recently found a little local restaurant that serves amazing Mexican food including Mexican Street Corn Salad.

They also had an all-you-can-eat salsa bar, which is pretty much heaven to me. I could eat salsa for every meal and never get bored of it.

My husband ordered an amazing combination plate that had a little but of everything on it- including a piece of Mexican Street Corn.

He took a bite of it and immediately handed it to me so that I could try it too. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Where had this been all my life?

It’s was cheesy, creamy, and loaded with flavor. Hands down the best corn on the cob I had ever tasted.

I came home and googled it, which then pulled up Mexican Street Corn Salad, brilliant. So much easier than coating each cob of corn individually- you just toss it all together in a big bowl and serve. Perfecto.

Related Recipe: Looking for another Corn side dish?! Try our Parmesan Ranch Corn!

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What could I use in place of the Cojita Cheese in this Street Corn Salad?

I personally could not find cojita cheese at the store the other day when I was making this recipe, so I replaced it with feta cheese.

You could also use a goat cheese if you don’t like cojita or feta.

If you don’t like any of those options, you could also used strained cottage cheese, or simply omit the cheese all together.

Should I serve this Mexican Street Corn Salad warm or cold?

I like to serve this warm, but you could also serve it cold. I know my sister likes it cold when she dips her tortilla chips in it, but when I serve it for dinner, I microwave it for a little to get it warm.

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Serves: 6

Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

5 from 3 votes
In many Mexican restaurants, street corn is one of my favorite dishes. Throw all the ingredients together in a bowl for this delicious salad!
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 16 ounces frozen corn 1 bag
  • 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used light)
  • 4 ounces Cotija Cheese crumbled, (could also use feta cheese)
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice (fresh is best)
  • 1 Tablespoon jalapeno pepper finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons red onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium heat. Add frozen corn and let cook until corn starts to char, stirring occasionally (it took about 7-8 minutes before my corn was lightly charred).
  • While the corn is cooking, mix together mayonnaise, cheese, lime juice, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When corn is done, gently fold it in with other ingredients.
  • Serve immediately and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

  • You can also use 3-4 cups fresh corn in place of the frozen corn.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 187 kcal · Carbohydrates: 21 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 11 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 18 mg · Sodium: 271 mg · Potassium: 265 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 227 IU · Vitamin C: 11 mg · Calcium: 101 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Mixing Bowl

Recipe Details

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican


Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

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Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Salad

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  1. Erin @ Simple Sweet & Savory says:
    July 10, 2014
    I am obsessed with roasted corn and this salad looks so amazing! Thanks for sharing.
    Reply
  2. Ashton says:
    July 10, 2014
    Hi. My name is Ashton and I?m addicted to eating corn. And Mexican food. Which means I need this in my life, like, NOW! Pinned :)
    Reply
    • TARA says:
      February 16, 2020
      I’ve been making this for years. I also make it like a dressing and cover our corn on the cob with it and sprinkle with the cheese before eating. Delish.
      Reply
  3. Happy Valley Chow says:
    July 10, 2014
    A great way to use one of the best things about summer...CORN! Can't wait to try :) Happy Blogging! Happy Valley Chow
    Reply
  4. Leisa says:
    July 11, 2014
    This sounds really good, but I really dislike mayonnaise. Do you think plain greek yogurt would work for this? Thank you!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      July 14, 2014
      You could add greek yogurt instead, but the taste would be altered.
      Reply
      • Carlisa Burt says:
        June 17, 2015
        I can't eat cheese right now. Should I wait to make this or try it without the cheesy creamy goodness?
        Reply
        • Cyd says:
          June 20, 2015
          I would wait to make this when you can follow the recipe as written and enjoy all the ingredients.
          Reply
    • Regina says:
      July 27, 2016
      I bet you could substitute Ranch dressing here, and it would compliment the dish just fine.
      Reply
    • Regina says:
      July 27, 2016
      I imagine you could also use Ranch dressing as substitute in this dish. Should compliment the flavors just fine.
      Reply
      • Joyce Carter says:
        June 11, 2019
        You could use Miracle Whip Salad Dressing. I always substitute Mayo with it.
        Reply
  5. Peggy says:
    July 19, 2014
    Is this served warm, cold or room temp? I'd like to bring it to a picnic. Thank you, Peggy
    Reply
  6. Andrea Funk says:
    July 24, 2014
    Could you use canned corn? And how about when you serve it, could it be warm or cold? We are camping this weekend, and I wanted to try this salad. Thanks!!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      July 27, 2014
      You can use canned corn and it can be served hot or cold!!
      Reply
    • Ts says:
      July 22, 2020
      Do you use mayonnaise or miracle whip?
      Reply
  7. Carrie says:
    July 27, 2014
    I needed a change from the same old sides. Made this tonight and it's now my absolute favourite!!!!
    Reply
  8. Kaye says:
    August 28, 2014
    I had some extra corn on the cob so I looked on Pinterest for a corn salad recipe and came across your recipe. I roasted my corn on my gas grill. I did not have any Mexican cheese or Feta in my frig so I used grated parmesan. I also just eyeballed the ingredients which was easy to do. I will definitely make this salad again. Thank you!
    Reply
  9. Kristen says:
    September 4, 2014
    instead of feta as a substitute, I would use grated Parmesan. Cotija has a sharp taste much like parm or asiago. there is a mexican restaurant n tucson that makes a street corn salad much like this. :)
    Reply
  10. Renee says:
    September 13, 2014
    THIS. IS. AMAZING! I also substituted Parmesan instead of Cotija. Soooooo YUMMY!
    Reply
  11. Daphne says:
    December 15, 2014
    Awesome recipe!! I won a contest with it. It's so easy and sooooo good. Have patience pan roasting your corn. Well worth it. I use thawed frozen corn and it was perfect. This is not just a summer dish. Try it with taco seasoning in place of chili powder. YUM!!
    Reply
    • Melody says:
      February 27, 2020
      Can you share your recipe you won with ?
      Reply
  12. T. Miller says:
    December 24, 2014
    I was wondering if you have the nutrition information for this recipe? I track my food intake daily on MyFitnessPal, and need the info for the recipe so I can enter it in the app...any information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 1, 2015
      To find any nutritional information on our recipes, just click on the MAGIC button under the picture, then click on the little NUTRITION bullet on the top left corner. You can find this info on all of our recipes!! The calories will be less if you get more servings than listed on the recipe.
      Reply
  13. Kate says:
    April 27, 2015
    Ok - so I see this is an older recipe but I had to comment. I LOVED IT!! I left out the jalapeno and used feta. I ate a few bites warm and a bunch chilled with lunch and now it's in my fridge.... shhhh, can you hear that? It's calling to me. Mmmm! Thanks for the recipe!
    Reply
  14. Nancy G says:
    April 28, 2015
    I made this over the weekend. This has to be absolutely the best thing I ever ate!! I will DEFINITELY be making it again! I added chopped avocado on top -- delicious!
    Reply
  15. Amber says:
    May 5, 2015
    Amazing! Just finished making this and I had to stop myself from inhailing it all. I used a mixture of the feta and parm cheese and it was yummy! Easiest and most delicious thing I've made from pinterst in a long time.
    Reply
  16. Kathy ThakurDas says:
    May 9, 2015
    My family went nuts over this! I am making it tonight for the THIRD time this week!! Thank you!
    Reply
  17. Megan says:
    May 19, 2015
    My family and I enjoyed this for dinner tonight! We made it with Parmesan and served it warm, and it was so great that we are thinking of excuses to make it again. Thank you so much for the recipe :)
    Reply
  18. Gina says:
    June 7, 2015
    This is an instant family favourite. Full of flavour and delicious. I used feta and it worked a treat!
    Reply
  19. Karla says:
    June 16, 2015
    I just took a bite of this hot off the stove, and it was sooo good! And that was without cheese - trying not to have dairy - so I can even imagine how much better it is with cheese! My changes: 2 jalapeno peppers, quarter of a sweet onion, juice from 1 lime, and only 1/4t chipotle chili powder (it's got kick to it).
    Reply
  20. Shraddha Patel says:
    July 7, 2015
    Tried this recipe yesterday and packed it to hubbs for lunch. He loved it and so did I. Absolute keeper. Have shared the recipe on my blog as well and have linked to here and your website. https://lifescribblesovercoffee.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/mexican-street-corn-salad/ Thank you for sharing!
    Reply
  21. sandy janca says:
    July 20, 2015
    I have made this salad but I call mine deluxe as i add one can black beans drained and rinsed, two small zucchini with seeds removed and cut small. Green pepper and used 1/2 again the lime juice and the hot peppers. everything I added was cut to a size close to the corn size but the hot peppers were even smaller, very small. I let it sit overnight and added more sea salt and pepper to taste. I was so amazed how great this went over. The guests used it as a dip and also as a side dish and than went back for the rest. instead of mayo I used a salad dressing. It is a little sharper a flavor.
    Reply
  22. Charlene B says:
    July 30, 2015
    Once corn comes into season, I am going to put a hurting on this recipe! This is SO YUMMY! It was good with the frozen corn, but I bet it will be amazing when fresh corn is in peak season. I made the following substitutions based on the time when I lived in TX, and I had street corn there: Mexican Crema for the mayo (most grocery stores have this in either the cold section of the Mexican aisle, or by the cheese), roasted the jalapeno on my gas stove then put in a container for about 15 minutes to soften - roasting mellows the jalapeno a bit. I like things spicy, so I added the whole jalapeno, but removed the seeds. Keeper definitely....perfect different side dish for our Taco Tuesdays! Hubby actually put it ON his tacos, and he loved it!
    Reply
  23. Camille says:
    September 2, 2015
    This salad is so good. I had to make a double batch 2 days in a row since it went so fast the first day. You would think it would be really spicy but it has just the right amount of heat. So good. Thanks for posting this recipe.
    Reply
  24. Food, Faith, and Other Fabulous Finds says:
    September 8, 2015
    This was one of the most incredible salads I've ever eaten. Thank you SOOO much for sharing the recipe.
    Reply
  25. Sherry K says:
    October 12, 2015
    I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I have made this about once a month for the last 6 months, maybe more! It is my new comfort food! I never stray from the recipe. I have made it with the Cotija and I have made it with the feta cheese. I prefer the feta. Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  26. Scott says:
    October 28, 2015
    So good, my wife and I are obsessed with this recipe and make it about twice a month cause we can never get enough of it. We even double the recipe so that we can eat off it for a couple of days. Thanks so much for sharing!
    Reply
  27. Sean John says:
    January 1, 2016
    Just like other Mexican food such as Mexican sandwiches and Mexican rolls, I think this Mexican Street corn salad will also be delicious. I will make this salad this weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    Reply
  28. Gretchen Cannon says:
    January 25, 2016
    I adapted your recipe last week and posted it to my blog. Thank you so much for posting this, mine came out so good! I love Mexican street corn! http://gretchcannon.blogspot.com/2016/01/mexican-street-corn-recipe.html
    Reply
  29. Kristen Carpenter says:
    March 19, 2016
    Hi there! I made this and it was DELICIOUS! I am trying to Pin it to be sure that I have the recipe to make again, but every time I try to do so Pinterest tells me that it cannot fetch the image....any idea why this is happening? Thank you for your help!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 21, 2016
      We switched servers and are still trying to work out a few bugs. One of those being the Pin It button. Hopefully fixed soon. Thanks for your patience.
      Reply
  30. Lindsey C. says:
    July 21, 2016
    Cojita =/= feta. You could use queso fresco if you don't like or can't find Cojita, but feta is not a good sub for Mexican smelly foot cheese. A sprinkle us all you need of Cojita to get the savory essence in there.
    Reply
  31. Kelly says:
    July 22, 2016
    This looks delicious! Do you use fresh jalapenos or pickled?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      July 27, 2016
      You could use whatever you like. We used the canned jalapenos.
      Reply
  32. Regina says:
    July 27, 2016
    Hello: Could you not use roasted frozen corn - i.e. frozen corn that has already been roasted - in order to skip the cooking process? Just curious.
    Reply
  33. Lori says:
    November 9, 2016
    Wow! This is an absolutely awesome side dish. I was looking for something different to go with the pork street tacos we were having for dinner tonight. My family LOVED it. I used Queso Fresco instead of Cotija. Definitely a "keeper"!
    Reply
    • TL says:
      May 2, 2020
      I used Queso Fresco as well & used green pepper instead of jalapeños (we don't like them). It was amazing! Took this cold to a party & used as a chip dip & it got rave reviews!
      Reply
  34. RonL says:
    November 22, 2016
    No one in my family has made corn for Thanksgiving in years so I will be making this x5! I hope this recipe multiplies well. It'll also be my first time making it! No Pressure!
    Reply
  35. Meg says:
    April 26, 2018
    I know this was posted a while ago, but can this be made the night before and serves next day?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 26, 2018
      You could make it the night before and serve the next day. That's how we eat the leftovers. You could also char the corn the night before and put in an airtight container in the fridge. Then the next day the prep would be minimal. Just mixing the other ingredients together and then mix in with the corn. We hope this helps!
      Reply
  36. Brie says:
    June 16, 2018
    Is this best served warm or cold?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 18, 2018
      You can serve it immediately after preparing it and then it's warm. It's also delicious at room temperature.
      Reply
  37. Margaret says:
    June 23, 2018
    I just discovered this recipe. It is amazing. Made it just as written, definitely my new go to salad for the summer!
    Reply
  38. Travis collinson says:
    August 18, 2018
    How much does this recipe yield?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 20, 2018
      It serve 6 people.
      Reply
  39. Melanie Hokanson says:
    September 7, 2018
    Hello, I also have the question of whether or not you could use frozen grilled corn like can be found at Trader Joe's and just thaw it. Thanks! Melanie
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      September 14, 2018
      The frozen grilled corn at Trader Joe's would be amazing in this recipe!
      Reply
  40. Mindy says:
    December 16, 2019
    Was wondering if you could cook this dish in the crock pot?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 19, 2019
      You could keep it warm in the crock pot or slow cooker. But you would not be able to charr your corn in a slow cooker.
      Reply
  41. SheSighedYes says:
    February 27, 2020
    Do you Charr the frozen corn or do you defrost it first?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 27, 2020
      Heat oil over medium heat. Add frozen corn and let cook until corn starts to char, stirring occasionally (it took about 7-8 minutes before my corn was lightly charred).
      Reply
  42. Carol says:
    May 23, 2020
    I didn’t see in the directions where it said to add the jalapeño?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      June 2, 2020
      Thanks so much for catching that! We fixed the recipe.
      Reply
  43. Julie says:
    July 11, 2020
    What do you think about using queso fresco instead of the other cheese you suggested. I'm not a fan of Feta. Can't wait to try this with your chicken flautas recipe
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      July 17, 2020
      Queso Fresco is a great substitute for Feta cheese.
      Reply
  44. Lauren says:
    November 9, 2020
    Super yummy and easy to throw together! Everyone in the family loved it. Next time I’ll soak my red onions in water for 15 minutes to cut back on their flavor, they were just a little too strong! I’ll totally be making this again though!
    Reply
  45. Jaime says:
    May 13, 2021
    Just made this for lunch! So yummy! Can’t wait to make it again with some fajitas!

    5 stars

    Reply
  46. Alex Darling says:
    August 11, 2021
    I made this with feta cheese and put it on top of my shrimp tacos. It was amazing!

    5 stars

    Reply
  47. Erin says:
    November 7, 2021
    I see the serving is 6. What is the size per serving?
    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      November 9, 2021
      It's around 1/2 cup.
      Reply
  48. Lauren Thomas says:
    May 7, 2022
    I have made this recipe SOOOOOOO many times, it is past time I left a review. This is my go-to potluck dish and it is always a hit. Lots of people will tell you they like a dish, but the absolute most genuine compliment is when people ASK for the recipe! Everyone always asks for this one and I am always happy to share the link. I actually prefer it with feta versus cotija cheese (even though I love cotija). Thank you so much for this recipe!

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Momma Cyd says:
      May 9, 2022
      Thanks Lauren! You just made our whole week! So glad you love the Mexican Street Corn Salad.
      Reply
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