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Stop ruining your corn! If you’re just eating it off the cob, you’re missing out. This easy Grilled Mexican Corn Salad takes summer corn to the next level! It’s perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and parties!
Table of Contents
- Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
- What’s Needed for Mexican Corn Salad?
- How to Make Mexican Corn Salad
- Can I Use a Mexican Crema Substitute?
- Can I Use Frozen Corn Instead of Fresh?
- Tips for Making Mexican Corn Salad
- More CORN RECIPES You’re Sure to Love:
- How to Make Elote Mexican Corn Salad Video
- Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Have you ever had Elote? It’s a popular Mexican street food featuring grilled corn on the cob slathered in creamy sauce, topped with crumbled cheese, chili powder, and a squeeze of lime. And let me tell you, if you’re not careful, you might find yourself channeling your inner Nacho Libre while devouring it.
Now, enter Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad! All the flavors of street corn without the mess. Juicy grilled corn, tossed with Mexican crema, cotija cheese, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, fresh lime juice, red onion, and cilantro! Every bite is bold, tangy, and downright addictive.
The key here is charring the corn just right. Too little, and you miss that smoky flavor; too much, and you’re eating burnt disappointment.
We first fell in love with elote at a tiny farmers’ market in Idaho (yes, Idaho!). Now, we make this salad at home all the time. It’s perfect for BBQs, potlucks, or just eating straight from the bowl with a spoon.
Want the best results? Use fresh corn, don’t skimp on the lime juice, and mix while the corn is warm so the flavors really soak in. Oh, and whatever you do—don’t skip the cotija. Trust me, it makes all the difference.
What’s Needed for Mexican Corn Salad?
Stop Bringing Boring Sides to Potlucks! This Mexican Corn Salad Is What You NEED! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Fresh sweet corn
- Crema
- Lime juice
- Spices (cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper)
- Cotija cheese
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro
The measurements for each ingredient can be found on the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Avoid Mushy Corn:
Nobody wants a sad, mushy corn salad! The biggest mistake? Overcooking the corn until it loses its crisp bite. Whether you’re grilling or roasting, cook the corn just enough to get a nice char while keeping it firm.
Tip: Let the corn cool slightly before cutting it off the cob. This helps it stay juicy and keeps your salad from turning into a mushy mess!
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.
If you can’t find Mexican crema near you, use this substitute instead: 3 tablespoons sour cream + 5 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Can I Use Frozen Corn Instead of Fresh?
No fresh corn? No problem. Toss frozen corn straight into a hot, oiled skillet—no need to defrost. Stir occasionally until it gets a little charred, then continue with the recipe. We do this all winter, and it works like a charm.
Tips for Making Mexican Corn Salad
- Want more heat? Add extra chili powder, a pinch of cayenne, or a few splashes of Mexican hot sauce.
- Versatile & Delicious! 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, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, and many other dishes!
- Make Ahead Friendly! 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! Just transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving!
More CORN RECIPES You’re Sure to Love:
- Best Grilled Corn
- Mexican Street Corn – Elote
- Elote Mexican Corn Pasta Salad
- Jalapeno Bacon Elote Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
- Grilled Corn Avocado Tomato Salad
- Grilled Mexican Corn (with Mayo!)
- Fiesta Corn
- Cilantro Butter Corn
- All our SIDE DISHES here!
How to Make Elote Mexican Corn Salad Video
Elote Grilled Mexican Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 6 Ears Sweet Corn, husked
- ⅓ Cup Crema, *see note for substitution
- 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice, (fresh is best)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¾ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, plus more to taste
- ½ Cup Cheese, Crumbled Cotija
- ½ Onion, Red, minced
- ⅓ – ½ Bunch Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium heat. Add the corn, turning occasionally until slightly charred on each side.6 Ears Sweet Corn
- Remove from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Holding the corn cobs by the small end, cut off all of the corn kernels.
- Place the kernels in a big bowl and add all remaining ingredients.⅓ Cup Crema, 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice, ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin, ¾ teaspoons Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ Cup Cheese, ½ Onion, ⅓ – ½ Bunch Cilantro
- Fold gently with a rubber spatula, seasoning with additional salt as needed.
- Serve slightly warm, room temperature, or cold and garnish a sprinkle of cotija and lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I added one fresh grilled jalapeño and jackpot! Of course diced and seeds removed.
Yum! That sounds incredible!
Will this be good made ahead and then reheated to serve warm?
It is much better fresh. If you can’t eat it fresh, I would recommend just eating it at room temperature or cold.
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!
Oh! and yes, – 5 Stars!
Yay! Thank you!!
Hi Penny! Yes, this salad tastes even better the next day in my opinion! So glad it was a hit for your party!
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.
Thanks for the great tip! So glad you enjoyed it!
The Mexican Sweet Corn Salad recipe
Is ASTOUNDING a must try recipe even if you’ve never tried any recipe before
EASY AND DELICIOUS!
THANK YOU Brian!! We sure love it!
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?
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?
Delish
Thank you!
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*
Yay!! Thank you for your feedback!! We sure love this salad in our house!
How much frozen corn did you use to sub the 6 ears?
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!
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.
Yessssss! How was it? And I love it! I’m going to have to tell my teenager about the code word!
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!
Thank you for the feedback Areena! It sure is a yummy salad! Glad it was a hit for your family!