Mexican Street Corn Salad

Name: Mexican Street Corn Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
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

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79 Comments

5 from 36 votes

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This Mexican Street Corn Salad takes a few minutes to put together with frozen corn, Cotija Cheese, lime juice, and jalapeño peppers.

This Mexican Street Corn Salad is an easy side dish only takes a few minutes to put together with frozen corn, Cotija Cheese, lime juice, and jalapeño peppers.

When you use the delicious Mexican cheese mixed with simple ingredients, you can get a delicious salad recipe that is perfect to serve on hot summer days for your summer potlucks. You can serve this great side dish with tacos or burrito bowls. Mexican street corn salad is the perfect balance of savory flavors mixed into a creamy lime dressing.

A cast iron skillet with corn in it. Several ingredients needed to make Mexican Street Corn Salad surrounding the skillet.

Pouring seasoning into a small bowl with other ingredients and a spoon inside the bowl.

Recipe Ingredients Notes

To make this Mexican street corn salad, you need the following ingredients:

Olive Oil
Frozen Corn
Mayonnaise
Cotija Cheese Crumbled: Feta Cheese also works as a substitute.
Lime Juice
Jalapeno Peppers
Fresh cilantro
Red Onion
Garlic
Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

A small bowl with cotija cheese and other seasonings and a spoon inside the bowl.

Pouring the cotija cheese mixture from the small bowl on top of the cooked corn in a large serving dish.

How to Make Mexican Corn Salad Recipe

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. 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.

A bowl of corn salad with chopped herbs, crumbled cheese, and lime wedges. A whole lime is blurred in the background.

A white serving bowl filled with Mexican Street Corn Salad with a wooden spoon lifting a scoop out of the bowl. Lime sliced in half in the background.

Recipe Tips

You can use whatever type of corn for this salad recipe, including frozen, canned, or fresh. Either way, you will get the most delicious elote salad. You can even use ears of corn cooked on an outdoor grill or fire-roasted corn for a smoky flavor.
You can also customize this recipe with the following toppings or add-ins: black beans, lime zest or fresh lime juice, chopped red bell pepper, hot sauce, sour cream, green onions, or cayenne pepper.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mexican street corn?

Mexican street corn is an actual authentic dish from Mexico. They take corn and rub a creamy mayo mixture on it. It is usually found being sold on the side of the street, in small shops or carts – hence the name Mexican Street Corn.

What is a good substitute for Cotija cheese?

I personally could not find the salty cotija cheese at the store the other day when I was making this recipe, so I replaced it with feta cheese, another type of crumbly cheese. You could also use goat cheese if you don’t like cotija or feta.
If you don’t like any of those options, you could also use strained cottage cheese, or simply omit the cheese altogether.

Do I serve this salad warm or cold?

You can serve the salad either way. Our personal preference is to serve it warm. When we serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, we tend to let it cool down. When we serve it for dinner, we serve it immediately after mixing it together so it is still warm.

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Store any leftovers of this classic Mexican street corn in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is not a recipe I would suggest freezing.

Enjoy More Delicious Side Salad Recipes

Want to add more veggies to your meals? Browse our comprehensive list of salad recipes.

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Questions & Reviews

Erin @ Simple Sweet & Savory says:

I am obsessed with roasted corn and this salad looks so amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Ashton says:

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 :)
Happy Valley Chow says:

A great way to use one of the best things about summer...CORN!
Leisa says:

This sounds really good, but I really dislike mayonnaise. Do you think plain greek yogurt would work for this? Thank you!
Cyd says:

You could add greek yogurt instead, but the taste would be altered.
Peggy says:

Is this served warm, cold or room temp? I'd like to bring it to a picnic. Thank you, Peggy
Andrea Funk says:

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!!
Carrie says:

I needed a change from the same old sides. Made this tonight and it's now my absolute favourite!!!!
Cyd says:

You can use canned corn and it can be served hot or cold!!
Kaye says:

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!
Kristen says:

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. :)
Renee says:

THIS. IS. AMAZING! I also substituted Parmesan instead of Cotija. Soooooo YUMMY!
Daphne says:

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!!
T. Miller says:

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
Kate says:

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!
Nancy G says:

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!
Amber says:

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.
Kathy ThakurDas says:

My family went nuts over this! I am making it tonight for the THIRD time this week!! Thank you!
Megan says:

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 :)
Gina says:

This is an instant family favourite. Full of flavour and delicious. I used feta and it worked a treat!
Karla says:

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).
Carlisa Burt says:

I can't eat cheese right now. Should I wait to make this or try it without the cheesy creamy goodness?
Cyd says:

I would wait to make this when you can follow the recipe as written and enjoy all the ingredients.
Shraddha Patel says:

Tried this recipe yesterday and packed it to hubbs for lunch. He loved it and so did I. Absolute keeper.
sandy janca says:

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.
Charlene B says:

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!
Camille says:

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.
Food, Faith, and Other Fabulous Finds says:

This was one of the most incredible salads I've ever eaten. Thank you SOOO much for sharing the recipe.
Sherry K says:

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!
Scott says:

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!
Sean John says:

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.
Gretchen Cannon says:

I adapted your recipe last week. Thank you so much for posting this, mine came out so good! I love Mexican street corn!
Kristen Carpenter says:

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!
Cyd says:

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.
Lindsey C. says:

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.
Kelly says:

This looks delicious! Do you use fresh jalapenos or pickled?
Cyd says:

You could use whatever you like. We used the canned jalapenos.
Regina says:

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.
Regina says:

I bet you could substitute Ranch dressing here, and it would compliment the dish just fine.
Regina says:

I imagine you could also use Ranch dressing as substitute in this dish. Should compliment the flavors just fine.
Lori says:

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"!
RonL says:

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!
Meg says:

I know this was posted a while ago, but can this be made the night before and serves next day?
Cyd says:

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!
Brie says:

Is this best served warm or cold?
Cyd says:

You can serve it immediately after preparing it and then it's warm. It's also delicious at room temperature.
Margaret says:

I just discovered this recipe. It is amazing. Made it just as written, definitely my new go to salad for the summer!
Travis collinson says:

How much does this recipe yield?
Cyd says:

It serve 6 people.
Melanie Hokanson says:

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
Cyd says:

The frozen grilled corn at Trader Joe's would be amazing in this recipe!
Joyce Carter says:

You could use Miracle Whip Salad Dressing. I always substitute Mayo with it.
Mindy says:

Was wondering if you could cook this dish in the crock pot?
Cyd says:

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.
TARA says:

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.
Melody says:

Can you share your recipe you won with ?
SheSighedYes says:

Do you Charr the frozen corn or do you defrost it first?
Cyd says:

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).
TL says:

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!
Carol says:

I didn’t see in the directions where it said to add the jalapeño?
Cyd says:

Thanks so much for catching that! We fixed the recipe.
Julie says:

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
Cyd says:

Queso Fresco is a great substitute for Feta cheese.
Ts says:

Do you use mayonnaise or miracle whip?
Lauren says:

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!
Jaime says:

Just made this for lunch! So yummy! Can’t wait to make it again with some fajitas!
Alex Darling says:

I made this with feta cheese and put it on top of my shrimp tacos. It was amazing!
Erin says:

I see the serving is 6. What is the size per serving?
Momma Cyd says:

It's around 1/2 cup.
Lauren Thomas says:

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!
Momma Cyd says:

Thanks Lauren! You just made our whole week! So glad you love the Mexican Street Corn Salad.
[email protected] says:

Do you add small amount of sour cream also?
Momma Cyd says:

We just follow what's in the recipe.
Anne Marie says:

This was excellent, and very easy to make. My family loved it!
Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

Hi Helen - Thank you so much for pointing out that error! It was a mistake in the description. The correct recipe does not include those ingredients. We have updated the post to reflect that. Thanks again!
Laura Whitlock says:

I can't eat corn!😕 Can it be left out or what would be a good substitute? I know that sounds crazy. But corn causes me digestive issues.
Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

That's tough one since the corn is the star of this recipe and it's designed around it, You could play with adding beans or chickpeas perhaps. Keep us posted!
Miranda Cripe says:

Great recipe! Next time, though, I will leave off the garlic - it was very strong. I also used feta as cotija cheese isn’t available at my grocery store. Also very strong flavor and took away from the street corn taste. Next time, I think I’ll just use grated Parmesan? Loves the flavor charring the corn brought.
Jeanette says:

We had it cold as a side to tacos and leftovers went into burritos . Delicious