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Mexican Corn Salad Search Recipes...

By Nagi Maehashi 352 Comments Share

Published 7 Dec '21 Updated 12 Jun '25

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with
Mexican Corn Salad is a wonderful fresh corn salad made for summer BBQ’s everyday ingredients even if you’re short
and Mexican feasts! It’s a giant salad form of Esquites, a corn street snack on time and cost conscious. You just need

sold in cups on the streets of Mexico. Corn kernels are sautéed in butter and to cook clever and get creative!

garlic until golden brown, then dressed in a creamy lime dressing and READ MORE

finished fresh coriander/cilantro and a hint of zing from Jalapeño. It’s

outrageously and insanely good!

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Mexican Corn Salad

This recipe generated a tizzy of excitement among my group of friends when
I first started making it a few years back! Something a little different to the
usual steamed-butter-slathered corn on the cob (and there is nothing wrong
with that!!), it’s bright and colourful, and it’s a brilliant dish for sharing.

Mexican Corn Salad is essentially the giant salad form of Esquites which is a
popular Mexican Street corn that is sold in cups by street vendors. And in
fact, Esquites is the “off the cob” version of Elotes, the famous Mexican Street
corn where cobs are grilled over charcoal before being slathered in a
creamy-spicy sauce then rolled in crumbled cheese!

Great fares for new adventures

What goes in Mexican Corn Salad

Here’s what you need to make this corn salad:

The creamy dressing for Mexican Corn

Salad
The dressing is a creamy mayonnaise based dressing with a lovely tang from
lime juice and a savoury flavour boost from parmesan (this is the secret
ingredient that gives this dish the wow factor!!).

You’ll find many versions use a lot more mayonnaise than I do. I prefer to use
a mix of mayonnaise and sour cream to lighten it up a touch whilst still have a
good amount of creamy dressing. This way we get the best of both worlds –
lots of dressing but not overly rich! I use this for most of my mayo-based
dressings, such as Coleslaw, Macaroni Salad, Broccoli Salad.

Fresh corn vs canned and frozen corn

This recipe will work with any type of corn BUT it is definitely best made with
fresh corn because it browns the best when you sauté it in the butter and
garlic.

How to cut corn off the cob

Here’s a tip for an easy way to cut corn kernels off the cob without the
kernels flying everywhere! Just place an inverted ramekin in a large bowl OR
use a bundt pan. Stand the corn cob on the ramekin then use a knife to cut
the kernels off. The walls of the bowl / bundt pan will stop the kernels flying
all over your counter!

How to make Mexican Corn Salad

This recipe starts off by pan frying the corn in butter and garlic until it’s tinged
with gold, at which point you will need to summon the strength to not shovel
spoonfuls of it straight into your mouth because golden brown buttery corn?
YES!!!

But WAIT! It gets even better! While the corn is hot, add in the parmesan,
mayonnaise, sour cream and lime and give it a good mix so the dressing
melts and mingles with the butter on the corn and coats every kernel
beautifully…

And lastly, we give it a hit of freshness with onion and coriander/cilantro, and
jalapeño if you want a touch of heat, and finish with a sprinkle of Cotija
(Mexican cheese like feta) if you happen to be fortunate enough to get your
hands on it (which I am not) or feta, parmesan or goats cheese as a fallback.

Serve this as a side dish for all things Mexican. Take it to summer BBQ’s,
potlucks, casual lunches, a side dish for dinner tonight.

Just find any excuse to make it! Because honestly, to say my friends love this
corn salad is an understatement. Whenever it makes an appearance, we’re in
a situation where you have to eat fast, or miss out.

Literally. You snooze, you lose.

– Nagi x

Watch How To Make It

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Mexican Corn Salad

Author: Nagi Prep: 10 mins Cook: 10 mins Total: 20 mins Side Dish
Mexican

4.98 from 147 votes

Servings 6 – 8 as a side
Tap or hover to scale

Print

Recipe video above. A Can't-Stop-Eating-It delicious way to serve corn, this is a giant
salad form of the famous Mexican Street food Esquites, a corn salad sold in cups
that you can eat as you wander the streets! I love the way the creamy lime dressing
melts into the hot corn as you toss it all together.

I urge you to use fresh corn if you can, but this is still super made with frozen corn.
Wonderful side dish, especially for Mexican or South Western themed menus!

Ingredients
Cups Metric

5 cups corn cut from the cob (~4 large ears) (or frozen corn, not thawed, Note 1)
2 tbsp / 30g butter
2 garlic cloves , minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise (can cut down to 2 tbsp)
1/4 cup sour cream (or yoghurt)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated (Note 1)
1 tbsp Jalapeno , deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 cup coriander / cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
1 cup green onion , finely sliced (~2 stems)
1/2 red onion , finely chopped
2 – 3 tbsp lime juice , fresh (plus more to taste)

GARNISHES
60g / 2 oz Cotija or Feta , crumbled (optional) (Note 2)
Jalapeno slices, coriander/cilantro leaves, lime wedges , optional

Cook Mode Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions
1 Cut off kernels: Cut the corn
off the cob (see photo in post
or video for how I do this
without getting corn
everywhere!) If using frozen,
do not thaw.
2 Brown corn: Melt butter in a
large skillet over high heat.
Add garlic and stir for 10
seconds. Add corn and cook
for 5 minutes, stirring every
now and then, until you get
lovely golden brown bits and
the corn is cooked and sweet
(don't stir constantly, harder to
brown).
3 Season corn: Add salt and pepper halfway through cooking corn.
4 Toss with dressing: Transfer corn into large bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour
cream, lime juice and parmesan. Toss well to combine – heat will "melt"
dressing. Add coriander/cilantro, red onion, green onion and jalaepno. Toss
again.
5 Serve: Transfer to serving bowl. Crumble over cotija/feta and garnishes of
choice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
1. Corn – you’ll get the best results using fresh corn because it’s raw and it browns
better. But it is still REALLY delicious made with frozen corn – cook from frozen.
Canned is not as good because it’s so wet, it doesn’t brown as well but can work –
dry it off as best you can!

2. Cotija is a Mexican Cheese which is not available in Australia (to my knowledge).

It’s like Feta but not as salty. It’s just a garnish, so it’s not essential.

3. Chipotle or Chili Powder – A touch of Chipotle or US Chili Powder would not go

astray here. I don’t add them because I think this is super tasty as it is, but a little
sprinkle mixed through or on top would be lovely.

4. Variations – Don’t feel obliged to strictly follow the recipe for the add ins. You
could use normal onion instead of red (but cut it down a bit because it’s sharper)
or eschallots, or just use more shallots/scallions. If you are one of those people
who cannot stand coriander/cilantro, swap it for parsley. Jalapeño is optional, and
you can sub with canned if you prefer. Or even use another spicy fresh chilli!

5. Light on dressing! This recipe is not meant to be coated thickly with mayo, like
potato salad. Because the mayo and sour cream are added while the corn is hot,
they melt and become a dressing. Feel free to increase/decrease the amount of
mayo and/or sour cream if you want more/less!

6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
Serving: 120g Calories: 215cal (11%) Carbohydrates: 23g (8%)
Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)
Cholesterol: 19mg (6%) Sodium: 327mg (14%) Potassium: 296mg (8%)
Fiber: 3g (13%) Sugar: 6g (7%) Vitamin A: 720IU (14%) Vitamin C: 14mg (17%)
Calcium: 98mg (10%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

Keywords: Corn Salad, fresh corn salad, mexican corn salad, mexican side dish

D ID YOU MAKE THI S REC IP E?

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Originally published March 2017. Updated with new video and photos!

Life Of Dozer
Keeping this from the original publication date because it’s an adorable photo
of him!

Whenever I take a photo of Dozer running, all I can think is that there’s a lot
of flapping. Ears, giant tongue, mouth flap, that feathered tail.

I know how he feels. I have quite a bit of flappage when I run too…..

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352 COMMENTS
Janet
JULY 30, 2025 AT 6:11 AM

This was really good. I had to practice patience when browning the corn. I
was stirring too much and it wasn’t browning. I am thinking it would be really
tasty with some cooked meat or black beans in it and then it would be a
complete meal. Definitely will be making this again,
REPLY
 Cary
JULY 25, 2025 AT 5:02 PM

Could I use natural greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

REPLY

Caroline
JULY 24, 2025 AT 10:13 PM

Loved this so much made it again today! Remembered the chilli this time.
This a keeper.
REPLY

Caroline M
JULY 23, 2025 AT 9:50 PM

I’m not normally a fan of sweetcorn, but have just started using it in recipes! I
absolutely loved this; I think it is particularly good using proper fresh
sweetcorn. Will definitely be making again! Thank you
REPLY

Rebecca
JULY 15, 2025 AT 11:43 PM

How long will this keep ?

REPLY

Diane Adams
JULY 12, 2025 AT 3:45 AM

Recipe calls for 1 cup green onion and says that’s about two stems. 1 cup of
green onion slices would be about 9 stems. Or, is it just two stems?
REPLY

Jennifer Pikor
JULY 9, 2025 AT 6:06 AM

I brought this to a friend’s 40th birthday (which the main dish was carnitas),
and it was such a hit! Thank you!
REPLY

Marble
JULY 7, 2025 AT 3:54 AM

Well, I made the mistake of being gracious and letting someone take the
leftovers… This is truly a win. I sprinkleld Tajin over it for some extra pop.
REPLY

Sheri
JULY 6, 2025 AT 5:07 PM

I just made this and both my husband and I loved it. I added chicken
seasoned with hatch chili and elbow pasta to make it a dinner meal. Thanks
so much for sharing
REPLY

Amber
JUNE 30, 2025 AT 9:14 AM

Delicious! I added a few dashes of cumin. Next time I will double the corn (I
used 4 ears) because it shrinks when cooked. Would also be good with raw
chopped red bell peppers or cucumber or shredded napa cabbage for
added crunch.
REPLY

Tahlia
JUNE 4, 2025 AT 11:06 PM

What would be the best type of feta to use please?

REPLY

cheriede
MAY 19, 2025 AT 1:58 PM

This salad was delicious. There were only two of us eating so I tried to scale
it down. (Two pieces of corn, etc.,) Wish I had not done that, because I
wanted to eat this for breakfast. So, so good. I’m making this for our annual
4th of July party. I did add halved cherry tomatoes to the corn mix after it
cooled down a bit. Thank you for a great recipe (as always). Making your
chicken gyros tomorrow.
REPLY

Kim
MAY 14, 2025 AT 12:43 AM

Threw this recipe together last minute and totally loved it! My kids went back
for 2nds and 3rds. This is will become a summer fave for sure. Thank you!
REPLY

Trevor J Russell
MAY 5, 2025 AT 6:45 PM

So easy,so cheap,I love it:)

REPLY

Shawn
MAY 4, 2025 AT 11:08 AM

This is soooo good. I can see myself making this often during the upcoming
summer months. I made carne asada with cilantro lime rice, pinto beans and
this salad. I originally was going to make actual street corn on the cob but I
was a) lazy lol and b) bought corn already shucked. Found this recipe and so
glad I did! It was delish!! Didn’t add the jalapeno because of kids but will try it
next time. Thanks!
REPLY

Elaine
APRIL 3, 2025 AT 5:46 PM

I’ve been making this recipe for several years and it’s always enthusiastically
received. Definitely one of the best things I’ve ever made. It’s also a great
appetizer; scoop it up with tortilla chips!
REPLY

Amber
MARCH 12, 2025 AT 12:29 PM

Great recipe!
REPLY

Sarah A
MARCH 2, 2025 AT 7:46 PM

Oh my goodness this is delicious! Did it as a side with the bbq and it was so
good, will definitely be making it again. Also easy to make it ahead of time
and just construct it as needed.
Used the reduced amount of mayo, no jalapeño as didn’t have any but added
the chipotle at the end on the top and it was great
REPLY

Jessica
FEBRUARY 16, 2025 AT 11:12 AM

Hello, I was wondering does this recipe keep well for a period of time after
the dressing is added in the fridge? Thanks, Jess
REPLY

Sammy
FEBRUARY 3, 2025 AT 7:35 PM

This is absolutely delicious – I made it with last nights left over Mexican
Shredded Beef and couldn’t fault it. Definitely dinner party worthy!
REPLY

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