Mexican Street Corn Salad is a take on the popular Elotes recipe; delicious corn smothered in a spicy sauce and popping with lime flavor!
Elotes is a popular Mexican dish which is an ear of corn drenched with dressing and toppings. For me, it's difficult to bite into an ear of corn, so making it into an easy salad to eat with a fork is more ideal. Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites in Spanish), is a simple dish, with pops of vibrant flavors.
Serve this salad alongside Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos or Mexican Pizzas for the perfect meal!
Mexican Street Corn Salad is inexpensive since it only calls for a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients needed for Mexican Street Corn Salad:
- corn - I encourage you to grill the corn for this salad, if you don't have time, frozen corn works just as well
- Mayonnaise - I like to use low fat mayo for this recipe
- Greek yogurt - I like plain non-fat Greek yogurt. Sour cream can be used as well.
- chili powder seasoning
- lime juice - freshly squeezed but bottled can be used as well
- cilantro - freshly chopped
- green onions - freshly chopped
- cotija cheese - found in the hispanic foods area in the dairy case at the grocery store (You can see what it looks like here.)
How to make Elotes style Mexican Street Corn Salad:
- Cook the corn - on the grill, in the instant pot, in the air fryer, or use bagged frozen corn. Remove kernels from the cob and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add mayonnaise, greek yogurt, chili powder, cilantro, green onions, and lime juice; mix using a fork to combine.
- Add the corn; fold in to combine.
- Serve with lime wedges.
How to store the salad:
Add the Mexican street corn salad to a sealable container and refrigerate up to 3 days. The dressing might get watery in that time, but just mix to re-combine.
Can I freeze the salad?
I do not recommend freezing the salad. The dressing will turn very watery and the cheese will have a weird consistency. This dish is best served fresh.
Meals to serve this Mexican Street Corn Salad with:
- Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
- Mexican Baked Eggs (One Skillet)
- Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas
- One Pot Cheesy Mexican Pasta
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Mexican Street Corn Salad is a take on the popular Elotes recipe; delicious corn smothered in a spicy sauce and popping with lime flavor!
- 4 large fresh cobs of corn **or just use a package of frozen corn - about 4 cups
- 2 TBS light mayonnaise
- 2 TBS fat-free Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ lime , juiced
- 1 TBS cilantro , minced
- 2 green onions , chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- lime wedges for serving
-
Cook the corn - on the grill, in a stock pot, or use bagged corn. Remove from cob and set aside.
-
Place mayonnaise, greek yogurt, chili powder, cilantro, green onions, and lime juice into a large bowl; mix using a fork to combine.
-
Add the corn; fold in to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld.
-
Serve with lime wedges.
Recipe Video
Originally published April 2017. Updated April 2023.
Megan
I saw this on pinterest and it looks amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
arzea
Thank you for coming by! I hope you enjoy it, let me know!
Glenn and Emily
Just wanted to let you know I tried this recipe last night and we loved it--even our pickiest child said she liked it! I made some minor adjustments to incorporate items we had on hand. The flavors were dee-lish! Thank you for sharing. We will make it again.
arzea
You are welcome!!! What kind of changes did you make? I would be interested in trying it some different ways as well. I am glad it was a hit for your guys!!
Glenn and Emily
We used feta instead of cotija, parsley instead of cilantro, and kefir instead of Greek yogurt. We grew some sprouts recently too and have been adding them to recipes whenever the opportunity arises, so I added a handful of those too for nutritional value and a little different texture. Yum!
Lauren
I just made this and it was delicious!
Cynthia Jaramillo
Cotija is close to parmesan cheese, I add a couple drops Texas Pete to give it a little kick
Jane
Looks delicious. Is this be made ahead. I like to have simple dishes ready the day before entertaining.
Allyson
Yes for sure, just give it a good stir before serving!
Riki DiAnn Carter
I made this for dinner last night, I used frozen corn (thawed) and threw it into a hot skillet to char it. It was a hit. Can't wait for corn on the cob to be in season to try it that way, too.
Allyson
So glad to hear that! Corn is the bomb!
Beth
That looks so good. I love street corn, so this is perfect for me. It's so much easier to eat, too.
jess
I love this recipe! I always want to eat Elote, but I have a strong adversion to really messy hand food, so making this in a salad form gives me all the pleasures of street corn without being super messy! thank you for sharing this recipe
Allyson
This is me too, I hate getting messy! This salad is the perfect solution!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
Looks amazingly delicious! I'm excited to try this!
katerina @ diethood.com
I can't wait to try this!! It looks and sounds amazing!
Sandra
This is such an amazing recipe!! I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Olivia
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! It's so quick and easy to prepare, and the flavors are incredible!!
Catalina
My daughter loves everything corn so she will love this salad! It looks amazing!