This Elote Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad) is one of the best side dishes ever. It’s full of street corn goodness, and it’s the perfect combination of creamy, sweet, salty and spicy.
Street corn is a family favorite. Two more recipes we love are my Mexican Corn Casserole and my Elote Chicken Bowl.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe is a Keeper
I love this elote corn salad recipe because not only is it quick and easy, it’s also incredibly delicious. It’s a great recipe to try this summer for BBQs and picnics.
- Easy Side Dish: Comes together quickly with simple delicious ingredients.
- Big Flavor: Tangy lime, creamy dressing, and salty cheese make every bite irresistible.
- Perfect for Entertaining: Easy to make in larger scales for parties and potlucks.
- Flexible Ingredients: Works with fresh, frozen, or canned corn. It’s a great recipe to turn leftover Grilled Corn on the Cob into.
- Serve With: Serve this Mexican street corn salad with Tortilla Chips or on Steak Street Tacos.
What is the Difference Between Mexican Street Corn and Mexican Corn Salad?
Mexican street corn is generally served on the cob, while Mexican street corn salad is served as a dip with dippers.
What Reader’s Are Saying…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found this in 2020 when I suddenly had offspring move home and also needed to cook more. This corn salad was a giant hit. This has become a staple in our home. Delicious, fresh and lovely flavors.”
~ Sue
Ingredient Notes for My Esquites Recipe
You’ll love this recipe because you only need a few simple ingredients and they’re all pretty easy to find at the store.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Corn on the Cob: You will need about 4 ears of corn to make this perfect side. Fresh sweet corn is in season towards the end of summer, so this is a good late-summer recipe.
- Queso Fresco: I prefer to use this Mexican cheese to make any kind of Mexican street food inspired dish.
- Lime: It’s always better to use fresh squeezed lime juice.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Corn Salad
This perfect side dish is so versatile. Make this salad unique to you by switching up the flavors with new ingredients.
➡️ Add Heat: Stir in diced jalapeño or extra chili powder when you add corn to a large bowl. It adds more than plain salt and pepper.
➡️ Swap Cheese: Use feta cheese or salty cotija cheese if queso fresco is unavailable.
➡️ Make It Smokier: Add smoked paprika with the seasonings to the summer sweet corn.
➡️ Turn It Into a Meal: Add grilled chicken or black beans. Make a little extra mayo dressing to coat the protein too.
➡️ Corn: If fresh corn isn’t in season, you can use canned corn to make this classic Mexican street food.
Kitchen Tools To Make Elote Salad Easier
You will need a couple different kitchen items to successfully make this delicious Mexican street dip recipe.
- Corn Kernel Stripper: A corn kernel stripper makes cutting the corn kernels off the cob super easy.
- Large Skillet: Make sure you use a big enough skillet to hold all of the ingredients, plus enough room to mix.
How to Make Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
This Mexican salad comes together in just 3 quick and easy steps. This delicious and easy to make elote salad recipe is so good, I make it throughout the summer.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep Veggies: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook and until corn starts to char. Remove corn from skillet when there is char on the corn, and add in the red onion, jalapeno and garlic. Cook until fragrant then add to a bowl with the corn.
- Make the Dressing: Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder and All Purpose Seasoning in a separate bowl.
- Assemble the Salad: Pour the dressing over the vegetables in a large bowl, and stir to coat. Add the queso fresco and cilantro before serving.
Prep Ahead and Short Cut Tips for this Mexican Recipe
I like to prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time to cut down on assembly time.
➡️ Prep the Corn Early: Cook the fresh corn and refrigerate up to a day ahead. It’s also nice to have cut the corn off the cob ahead.
➡️ Mix the Dressing Ahead: Keep dressing separate until serving for the freshest texture.
➡️ Use Frozen Corn: A great shortcut that still delivers good flavor to the Elote Salad.
➡️ Chop Garnishes Last Minute: Keeps cilantro and toppings fresh-looking.
Alternate Cooking Methods for Elote Salad
There are a couple other ways you can prepare the corn. Try it grilled, from frozen or cooked inside.
- Grill the Corn: Grill the sweet corn before you add the charred corn. If you use a grill to char the corn, it’ll bring extra smoky flavor. You can brush the corn with olive oil before grilling so it doesn’t stick as bad.
- Use Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn: Saves time while still giving charred flavor.
- Cook Indoors: A hot skillet works well when grilling is not possible.
Is Mexican Corn Salad Served Hot or Cold?
This recipe is best served cool, or chilled, rather than warmed.
How to Store and Use Leftover Elote Salad
- Storing: Store leftover corn salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving since dressing may settle.
- Reheating: Do not reheat this recipe as it is not as good as it is chilled.
- Using Leftovers: Use leftovers in taco bowls, wraps, burritos, or as a topping for grilled chicken.
Expert Tips for Making the Best Mexican Corn Salad with Lime Dressing
➡️ Dry Thoroughly: Excess moisture on the corn can water down the dressing.
➡️ Char in Batches: Overcrowding the skillet prevents proper browning.
➡️ Season Gradually: Cotija adds saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt.
➡️ Serve Slightly Chilled: Cold straight from the fridge can mute the flavors.
➡️ Add Cilantro Last: Keeps the herb bright and fresh for the Elote Salad.
We Recommend You Try These
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Elote Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Video
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 5 ears Fresh corn , cooked and removed from the cob
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Red onion, diced
- 2 Tablespoons Jalapeno, finely minced
- 2 cloves Garlic , finely minced
- 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Sour cream
- 1 Lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- ¼ cup Queso Fresco
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add corn and sautee until golden and slightly charred, about 10 minutes.
- Remove corn from the pan and place in a large bowl.
- Add onion, jalapeno, and garlic to the skillet and saute for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Remove vegetables from pan and place in bowl with corn.
- In a bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, and All Purpose Seasoning Blend.
- Whisk until combined.
- Pour dressing over the corn and stir to combine.
- Add Queso Fresco and cilantro and serve immediately.
Christina’s Notes
- Avoid Watery Salad: Pat dry the corn to absorb any excess moisture. Extra wetness can thin down the creamy dressing.
- Char in Batches: Char the corn a little at a time so that every piece has a chance to get nice and brown.
- Serve Cooled: Salad that came straight out of the fridge can have muted flavors. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes so the flavors can come back to life.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
Love this!!!
I found this in 2020 when I suddenly had offspring move home and also needed to cook more. This corn salad was a giant hit. This has become a staple in our home. Delicious, fresh and lovely flavors.
Help when is the house seasoning added?
Step 6…I just updated the recipe 🙂