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Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad

Charred corn is tossed with a creamy lime dressing, cotija cheese, cilantro, and chili seasoning for an esquites-inspired salad that is bright, smoky, and satisfying.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn
  • 6 ears or 5 ears or cups Fresh corn, husked, or frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon Neutral oil, such as avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
Creamy Lime Dressing
  • 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup Sour cream or Mexican crema
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Smoked paprika or regular paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
Finishing Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small Small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
For Serving
  • as needed Lime wedges
  • optional Tajín or extra chili powder

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Cut the kernels from the fresh corn cobs. If using frozen corn, thaw it completely and pat it very dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the corn in a fairly even layer and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender with browned or lightly charred spots.
  3. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the corn cool for several minutes. This keeps the dressing creamy instead of making it overly thin.
  4. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream or crema, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl.
  5. Add the warm corn, cotija, cilantro, and jalapeño, if using, to the bowl. Toss until the kernels are evenly coated and the cheese and herbs are distributed throughout.
  6. Taste the salad and adjust the lime juice, salt, chili seasoning, or cheese as needed. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled with lime wedges and optional Tajín or extra chili powder.

Notes

Pat thawed frozen corn very dry before cooking so it browns instead of steaming. Cotija is salty, so taste before adding more salt. For a lighter salad, replace part or all of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. Store covered in the refrigerator and serve within 2 days for the best texture.