Love eating grilled corn in the summer? Step up your game by making this easy Grilled Mexican Corn Salad! It’s perfect for potlucks, bbqs, and parties!
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Our post on Grilled Sweet Corn has been going absolutely nuts this summer, so if you haven’t made it yet I really hope you will. This Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad should also be on your list. It’s juicy grilled corn that’s been cut off of the cob and tossed with Mexican crema, spices and crumbled cotija cheese, along with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Good mercy it’s good!! Don’t worry, I’m going to explain all of those ingredients, read on!
Every summer, Cade and I visit Rexburg, Idaho. My parents have relocated there where they enjoy a home that fits our big family’s needs, an incredible, huge yard and just as big garden. It is so peaceful to head to Idaho and spend time with my parents. If we time it right, we get to enjoy a small farmers’ market where the food trucks also gather, including one for elote.
We’ve discovered that many farmers’ markets around the country also bring in elote, or Mexican corn. Look one up by you, or you can make our’s at home, Mexican Street Corn.
This elote grilled corn salad is an easy to eat version of Mexican street corn. You’ll make it just the same, but add some red onion, cilantro, lime juice and toss it all together in a bowl instead of eating it on the cob. This street corn salad is a great salad to take to a potluck or bbq!
What Does Elote Taste Like?
Elote tastes like really buttery grilled corn with a dash of spice from the chili powder and that creamy, salty cheese. It’s literally a mouthwatering corn on the cob.
Where Does Elote Come From?
Elote comes mostly from Northeastern Mexico, but corn itself has come from many places like Honduras etc.
What’s Needed for Mexican Corn Salad?
If you’re in need of a Mexican side dish for a potluck, this is it! Here’s what you’ll need to make this Mexican roasted corn salad:
- Fresh sweet corn
- Crema
- Lime juice
- Spices (cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper)
- Cotija cheese
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro
What’s the Best Cheese for Elote Corn Salad?
What cheese should you use for elote corn? Oh boy, this is a tricky question because to be honest, even if there’s one that’s usually used, Chihuahua cheese or Cotija Cheese, not everywhere sells it. We most often use Cotija cheese because it’s available in all Utah stores, but if you can’t find either we recommend parmesan cheese in the can or fresh parmesan, or even a mild Feta.
read more: Looking for easy potluck sides? Try our BBQ Baked Beans as well!
How to Make Mexican Corn Salad
This elote salad comes together quickly and requires minimal prep. Here’s how we make this street corn salad:
- Grill the corn until slightly charred on all sides. Carefully cut the corn off the cob.
- Mix together the grilled corn and remaining ingredients.
- Serve warm, or refrigerate for later.
Can I Use a Mexican Crema Substitute?
Crema is the Mexican version of French crème fraîche, a little bit tangy and creamy. Both crema and crème fraîche are slightly soured and thickened cream, milder and less thick than American sour cream as it’s a thin cream instead.
Can I Use a Cotija Cheese Substiute?
Cotija Cheese is a Hispanic-style cheese that was named after the town of Cotija in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It is a hard, crumbly cheese that’s made mostly from cow’s milk. It is white, fresh, and salty so as to resemble feta cheese, but it does not taste exactly the same.
Grated parmesan, a mild feta, and chihuahua cheese are all acceptable substitutes for cotija cheese. I would personally sample them, which many stores with a gourmet cheese section will let you do before you purchase it. Start with cotija and snack on something in between samples to cleanse the palate.
Can I Use Frozen Corn Instead of Fresh?
If you can’t get your hands on fresh corn on the cob, don’t panic. You can use frozen corn instead of fresh corn.
Start by placing the frozen corn in a skillet that has been heated to medium high along with a drizzle of oil. Do not worry about defrosting the corn first, just add it to the skillet.
Stir occasionally until it begins to char slightly and remove from the heat. Proceed with the recipe as normal! And yes, we really do this all winter long when we can’t get corn on the cob, so it does totally work. 🙂
Tips for Making Mexican Corn Salad
For a spicier Mexican street corn salad, use extra chili powder or add a few dashes of Mexican hot sauce to the mixture.
This grilled corn salad can be enjoyed as is, or it can be eaten as a dip. It’s also great for topping nachos, tacos, and many other dishes!
This Mexican corn salad can be prepped in advance and eaten later. The corn doesn’t release much moisture, so you can snack on this for days!
How to Make Elote Mexican Corn Salad Video
More CORN RECIPES You’re Sure to Love:
- Best Grilled Corn
- Elote Mexican Corn Pasta Salad
- Jalapeno Bacon Elote Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
- Cheesy Zucchini Corn Casserole
- Grilled Corn Avocado Tomato Salad
- Grilled Mexican Corn (with Mayo!)
- Fiesta Corn
- Cilantro Butter Corn
- Grilled Corn Salad with Black Beans and Rice
- All our SIDE DISHES here!
Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad
Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 6 Ears Sweet Corn, , husked
- 1/3 Cup Crema , *see note for substitution
- 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice, (fresh is best)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 3/4 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt, , plus more to taste
- 1/2 Cup Cheese, Crumbled Cotija
- 1/2 Onion, Red , minced
- 1/3-1/2 Bunch Cilantro, , chopped
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium heat. Add the corn, turning occasionally until slightly charred on each side.
- Remove from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Holding the corn by the small end, cut off all of the kernels.
- Place the kernels in a big bowl and add all remaining ingredients.
- Fold gently with a rubber spatula, seasoning with additional salt as needed.
- Serve slightly warm, room temperature or cold.
Notes
- *Crema is like a Mexican sour cream, and is found usually by the meat department with Hispanic items or the cheese. If you can't find it, you can substitute 3 tablespoons sour cream and 5 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Nutrition
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JME
Is Nestle Media créma the right type of créma for this recipe?
Sweet Basil
Hello! No, you want a Mexican crema. The brand we use is Cacique. It will be in the refrigerated section next to the other cheeses.
Marilyn Bara
This recipe is So So So Good! I’ve made it several times, always a big hit. I use sour cream instead of crema, queso fresca instead of cotija. It’s great!
Sweet Basil
Wonderful! Thank you so much Marilyn! And thank you for sharing your substitutions!
Claire
So good!!! Made with mayo and Greek yogurt, not crema. Also used feta instead of cotija. Was extremely delish
Sweet Basil
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking time to leave feedback Claire!
Terri
Delicious and refreshing! I added a minced jalapeño and due to a lactose intolerant family, subbed probiotic yogurt and mayo for the crema, but I don’t think the subs are noticeable and the entire family loved this taste of summer salad. Thank you for the recipe!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much and thank you for sharing your substitutions! So glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Bill Elmore
I added one fresh grilled jalapeño and jackpot! Of course diced and seeds removed.
Sweet Basil
Yum! That sounds incredible!
Susan
Will this be good made ahead and then reheated to serve warm?
Sweet Basil
It is much better fresh. If you can’t eat it fresh, I would recommend just eating it at room temperature or cold.
Penny
Fantastic for a crowd! We had 90 folks for a “chipotle style” buffet dinner. This fit in very nice.
Only substitution were bottled lime juice & frozen corn. Served it cold & it went over very well. When I tasted it still warm, immediately after making it, I though ” It’s ok, but nothing spectacular.” They next day however, after all the flavors melded – the red onion, lime and cotija cheese flavors had brightened up. It was really amazing! I will definitely be making this again!
Penny
Oh! and yes, – 5 Stars!
Sweet Basil
Yay! Thank you!!
Sweet Basil
Hi Penny! Yes, this salad tastes even better the next day in my opinion! So glad it was a hit for your party!
Paige B.
Absolutely delicious! I used a vegan mayonnaise as I can’t eat eggs and didn’t have any crema on hand and it turned out fabulously. Will definitely make again.
Sweet Basil
Thanks for the great tip! So glad you enjoyed it!
Brian
The Mexican Sweet Corn Salad recipe
Is ASTOUNDING a must try recipe even if you’ve never tried any recipe before
EASY AND DELICIOUS!
Sweet Basil
THANK YOU Brian!! We sure love it!
Shelly
I’m guessing I won’t get a reply in time, but I’m making this now and it seems like the sauce is going to be awfully runny. Like a vinaigrette. Is it supposed to be like that or should it be creamier?
Sweet Basil
Hey Shelly! I’m so sorry I didn’t see this earlier! Yes, it should be a little creamier. Did you use the Mexican Crema? It will be about the same creaminess as that. How did it taste?
Jink
Delish
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
Katie Casabella
Just made this to serve today at my brother and his wife birthday party with leftover cilantro sauce and the crema sub and frozen corn. I made it last minute so the subs were necessary. Superb. “That can’t be healthy” my husband said haha. If it’s this good with frozen roasted corn I can’t wait to try it true to the recipe! Thank you for sharing? 5*
Sweet Basil
Yay!! Thank you for your feedback!! We sure love this salad in our house!
Katie Cygan
How much frozen corn did you use to sub the 6 ears?
Sweet Basil
Hi Katie! Of course it is going to vary depending on the size of your corn cobs, but one cob generally equals about 3/4 cup. You’ll want about 4.5 – 5 cups of frozen corn for this recipe. Enjoy!
Andrea Sundahl
I LOVE elote, and I LOVE all the detail you go into explaining it so people can really understand how fantastic it is! Around my house everyone loves it so much, my teenage daughters refer to cute boys as “elotes” as a code.
Thanks for posting this recipe, it’s the most comprehensive and authentic I’ve seen. I’m going to try it out tonight to accompany my slow cooker carnitas for Taco Tuesday.
Sweet Basil
Yessssss! How was it? And I love it! I’m going to have to tell my teenager about the code word!
Areena
Made this using frozen corn and it was great. I added a diced orange bell pepper and used a shallot instead of red onion. I appreciate the sub for crema because I didn’t want to go to the store for 1 ingredient when I had sour cream & mayo in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe! My hubby loved it!
Sweet Basil
Thank you for the feedback Areena! It sure is a yummy salad! Glad it was a hit for your family!
Lisa C
This salad is amazing!!! Got fresh ohio sweet corn from Farmer’s market yesterday. So delicious and a great side dish. The dressing would even be good on a salad.
Sweet Basil
Isn’t it so dang good?! We just can’t get enough of it this summer! Thanks for the feedback!
Lisa
I just made it this for our party later. It is so delicious!! I can’t stop thinking about it now, and cannot wait to eat it later and get all the compliments! Thank you for sharing this.
Sweet Basil
Thanks Lisa!! I hope you are digging into it soon!
Aidan K
About how many servings does this recipe yield
Sweet Basil
Hi Aidan! About 6 servings. Enjoy!
Carrie G
I just made this recipe with fresh corn that I sliced off the cobb before cooking it in a cast-iron pan. Holy smokes! It is delicious.
Sweet Basil
Yesssss!! Isn’t is so dang good?! So happy you enjoyed it!
Chantel
My new favorite side dish. This is so delicious!! You have to make this people!
Sweet Basil
You’ve made our day Chantel!! Thank you!
Christin N Prenovost
How much frozen corn equals 6 cobs?
Sweet Basil
On average, one cob of corn yields 3/4 cup of corn. So you would want about 4 1/2 cups of corn. Great question!
Liz @ Books n’ Cooks
Served this for a Memorial Day BBQ and it was a huge hit! I did the sour cream / mayo substitution because I couldn’t find crema. We’ll be making this again (and I passed on the recipe to our guests)!
Sweet Basil
Yahoo! We love hearing that! Glad it was a hit! Thanks, Liz!
Naomi Terzi
If using frozen corn how much should you use?
Sweet Basil
Great questions! 4-5 cups for this recipe
Reese
Your Elote Corn recipe is sooo delicious 😋
Sweet Basil
Thank you, Reese!!
Brittany Audra @ Audra’s Appetite
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this with grilled corn…that would add so much flavor!