Simple and Delicious Mexican Street Corn Salad is always a crowd-pleasure! It is a quick-and easy recipe that perfectly balances the salty, sweet, and spicy flavors!
Hey, y’all! This weekend we had our housewarming party. Let me tell you, party planning is a lot of work…especially when your mom plans events for a living. I have some pretty big shoes to fill. I decided to do a “Mi Casa es su Casa” theme and have a Walking Taco Bar, a Build Your Own Margarita Bar and Mexican themed dishes. One of my menu items was a delicious Mexican Street Corn Salad.
What is Mexican Street Corn?
Mexican Street Corn is a fabulous dish that is common throughout Mexico. It is grilled corn on the cob coated with a delicious mixture of cotija cheese, mayo, sour cream, chile powder and a dash of lime juice. It is a fabulous combination of sweet corn, salty cheese, tangy lime and spicy chile powder.
If your mouth is watering as you read this proceed with caution, this dish is dangerously addictive. Mexican Street Corn is the perfect dish for barbeques. I decided to play around with this recipe and create an easy to make salad inspired by one of my favorite treats.
My salad recipe uses a short cut that cuts the prep-time down by like 75%. Rather than using corn on the cob (which would have to be grilled or boiled on the stove top), I substitute canned corn which is a gazillion times easier. It requires no husking, de-stranding, cooking, or removing the corn from the husk. All in all this dish takes about 10 minutes to prepare, winning!
The cheese in this dish, Cotija, is typically a salty and dry grating cheese similar to Parmesan. In the US the cheese is typically served in a fresher, softer version similar to feta. If you are unable to find Cotija cheese you can use Feta as a substitute.
Pro-Tip: Toss the avocado in with the salad just before serving so it doesn't turn brown.
This salad is great on it is served by itself and just as delicious when enjoyed with tortilla chips. If corn salads are your jam (and really, how can they not be), you’ll definitely love this dish. Make sure you check out my Redneck Salad and Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon.
My friends tore this stuff up at the party. In fact, I saw a couple people scoop it into cups and sneak it home (my friends have no shame). It looks like I'll be having to whip up another batch for our next shin dig!
What do I serve with Mexican Street Corn Salad?
Tortilla Chips
Fritos
Enjoy it as a salad
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
2 15 oz cans of corn (or 3 cups of corn ), drained (I like to use Mexicorn)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped + more for garnish
1/3 cup red onion, diced
2.5 oz Cotija cheese + more for garnish
1 avocado, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
For the Dressing:
2 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to assemble the dressing. Set aside.
2. Add corn, olive oil, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and Cotjia cheese to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
4. Just before serving, pour 1/2 tbsp of lime juice over the diced avocado and add it to the salad bowl. Gently toss to combine.
5. Garnish with cilantro leaves and cheese.
This fabulous salad is sure to be a hit during the warm months! It's the perfect side-dish to take along to barbecues, parties and picnics.
Be sure to pin this recipe for later, it's a good one! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, quick, and easy recipes like this one. Better yet, subscribe to the blog so the recipes come straight to your inbox. See you soon!
Use #mandmcooks on social media so I can see how your dish turned out!
I’m sharing this amazing family meal over on a few of my favorite weekly link parties. Click the links below to join us for all the fun!