This Mexican Street Corn Salad is going to be the new star at all of your cookouts and potlucks.
When everyone else shows up with yet another pasta or potato salad, the crowd will gather around these amazing flavors that come from just a few simple ingredients.
Give this easy salad a try and see why Mexican street corn is taking the world by storm…
Summer is fast approaching. That has me excited because it’s almost… corn season!
I love corn any which way, but lately I have been crazy about this Mexican street corn, aka elote, trend.
It seems to have appeared out of nowhere (well, Mexico actually) just a few years back. Now you can find recipes for everything from elote dip to soup to pizza to ice cream… well, you get the idea.
For our first crack at elote flavors for GypsyPlate, we’re going with something a little more conventional: an easy summer salad.
What is Mexican Street Corn?
In it’s original form, Mexican street corn is fire roasted ears of corn seasoned with lime juice, mayo, cotija cheese and chili powder.
If you’ve never tried the combination, it may sound a little unusual. But trust me, it is A-mazing!
Why You’ll Love this Elote Salad
- It’s really quick and easy. No heating up the kitchen to boil noodles or potatoes, like your typical potluck salad.
- Simple ingredients. Even cotija cheese is available in many grocery stores these days.
- You can enjoy it hot or cold. Seriously, I’m not sure which way I prefer.
- It holds up well for days. With only a very minimal dressing, nothing really gets soggy. No one at the cookout will know you made it two days back 😉
Ingredients
- Corn – You can use fresh, frozen or canned. Today we are using fresh.
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Jalapeño
- Dressing – sour cream, mayo, lime juice
- Cotija cheese – you can substitute feta
- Seasonings – chili powder, paprika, salt
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
First we’re going to give the corn a little color. While you can certainly grill it or oven roast it, we’re going to use a simple pan roast method.
Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. While it’s heating up, cut the corn kernels off of the cobs.
One the skillet is nice and hot, add in the corn and sauté it for a few minutes, just give it a hint of caramelization.
While that’s on the burner, go ahead and chop your onion, cilantro and jalapeño.
Put everything in a bowl, reserving a little cotija cheese and the paprika for garnish. Toss well, and add your garnishings. How easy was that?
How to Serve This Elote Salad
As I mentioned, it’s equally good hot or cold. That being said, here are a few serving suggestions:
- Alongside your cookout favorites, like BBQ or burgers.
- As a dipper for some tortilla chips.
- Use it to top tacos or nachos.
- Have it on a bed of lettuce and top with grilled chicken or shrimp for a light and healthy lunch or dinner.
- Fill a bowl and chomp it down all by itself!
The next time you’re in the mood for a great summer salad, go the Mexican street corn way… the elote way!
Enjoy summer’s great bounty with this fresh, simple, yet incredibly tasty salad. You’ll be glad you did.
Mexican Street Corn Salad, in our Gypsy Bowl… enjoy!
Try these other great salad recipes!
Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad with Pesto
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Israeli Couscous Salad
Spanish Pipirrana Salad
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Balela Salad
Gado Gado
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad, AKA Elote Salad, is an easy and tasty side dish that will be the new star at all of your cookouts and potlucks.
Ingredients
- 5 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 4-5 cups of kernels)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 1.5 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1.5 tbsp sour cream
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add corn kernels and sauté for a few minutes, till they start to get brown highlights.
- Toss corn with remaining ingredients, reserving a little cotija cheese and the paprika for garnish.
- Add paprika and remaining cotija on top. Serve hot, or chill and serve cold.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 179Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 13mgSodium 265mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 5g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
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