If you’ve ever wanted to have Elotes (Mexican street corn) without the mess of eating grilled corn on the cob with your hands, this Elote Corn Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad) is for you! You get all of the robust roasted corn flavor with the creamy tang of the elote sauce and spices – in a neat bowl.
If you’ve ever had Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn), you’ll know how delicious that creamy and citrusy grilled corn flavor is. The Mexican crema, lime and tajin that’s prominent in the Mexican street corn, yields one of the creamiest and tangiest flavors to ever pair with warm roasted corn.
Of course, eating this grilled treat is always best straight from the cob – but there are times that you need to avoid being messy, and that’s where this Elote Corn Salad comes in. It’s the fancier, bowl-prepared version of that famous Mexican street corn on the cob.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Grilled Corn On The Cob: Follow my recipe for perfectly grilled corn
- Tajin: This tart and slightly sour spice blend is excellent on elotes
- Mexican Crema: The Mexican style sour cream
The Ingredients for Elote Corn Salad
- 6 Ears of Grilled Corn On The Cob
- 2/3 cup Cotija Cheese
- 1/2 cup Cilantro
- 2 tablespoons Tajin
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Red Onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (melted)
- Mayo Crema Mix
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Mexican Crema (or sour cream)
- 1 Lime (juiced)
The Equipment Needed
- Traeger Ironwood Wood Pellet Grill (or any other quality smoker)
- Wooden Mixing Bowl
How To Make Elote Corn Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Start by grilling your corn cobs, following my Grilled Corn On The Cob recipe.
This recipe will walk you through all the steps to get that perfectly grilled and roasted corn, that’s the base for this salad.
Once you’ve got your grilled ears of corn, stand the cobs on one edge and using a sharp knife, carefully cut the corn kernels off of the cobs. Do this on all sides for every cob you have.
Make your Mayo Crema Mix
In a bowl, combine your mayonnaise, Mexican crema (or sour cream) and your lime juice and give it all a good mix.
Set aside until ready to use.
Putting It All Together
Next, in a large mixing bowl, add in your sliced corn kernels, mayo crema mix, and red onions – and give everything a good toss.
Afterwards, add in your cotija cheese, Tajin, paprika, chili powder and mix once again.
Finally, drizzle on a bit of melted butter, add salt & black pepper to taste, and mix one last time.
Top with minced cilantro and serve with a wedge of fresh lime. Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these too:
Elote Corn Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Equipment
- Traeger Ironwood Wood Pellet Grill, (or any other quality smoker)
Ingredients
- 6 ears Grilled Corn On The Cob
- 2/3 cup Cotija Cheese, (grated)
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons Tajin
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 Red Onion, (diced)
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, (melted)
Mayo Crema Mix
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Mexican Crema, (or sour cream)
- 1 Lime, (juiced)
Instructions
How To Make Elote Corn Salad (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Start by grilling your corn cobs, following my Grilled Corn On The Cob recipe.
- This recipe will walk you through all the steps to get that perfectly grilled and roasted corn, that's the base for this salad.
- Once you've got your grilled ears of corn, stand the cobs on one edge and using a sharp knife, carefully cut the corn kernels off of the cobs. Do this on all sides for every cob you have.
Make your Mayo Crema Mix
- In a bowl, combine your mayonnaise, Mexican crema (or sour cream) and your lime juice and give it all a good mix.
- Set aside until ready to use.
Putting It All Together
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, add in your sliced corn kernels, mayo crema mix, and red onions – and give everything a good toss.
- Afterwards, add in your cotija cheese, Tajin, paprika, chili powder and mix once again.
- Finally, drizzle on a bit of melted butter, add salt & black pepper to taste, and mix one last time.
- Top with minced cilantro and serve with a wedge of fresh lime. Enjoy!
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
What is Elote Corn Salad?
Elote corn salad is the bowled, salad version of Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn). It’s the same Mexican street corn you love, without the mess of eating grilled corn on the cob with your hands.
What is the secret ingredient to elote corn salad?
You want to make sure you have lime, Mexican crema and Tajin to ensure you get that creamy, yet tart citrus taste in your elote corn salad.
Lorens
This Mexican street corn salad is really good! I love the way the tajin and the lime create such a tangy and creamy sauce!
Amy Liu Dong
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Adri
This is such a delicious corn salad. I love the spicy tartness of the Tajin with the sweet, smoky corn. I won’t make elote any other way!
Ieva
Oh my! This was by far the most popular dish at our gathering yesterday. Super delicious! Will be our summer BBQ party staple for sure!
Anjali
This was such a flavorful and delicious side dish, perfect for summer! We took it to a potluck over the weekend and everyone loved it!
Katherine
We loved the big bold Mexican flavors in this salad! So good.
Jackie
This was excellent and easy to make. I was worried because I decided to try Greek yogurt in place of the mayo, but it didn’t matter in this. The splash of Lime juice really makes everything pop. I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you for the recipe!
Elisa
Love this Elote Corn Salad recipe, so creamy and looks delicious. We love corn in our family and coming from a Mexican heritage we always eat corn, so will be making this recipe soon. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Renee
This Elotes salad really captures the flavor and essences of Mexican street corn. Great salad for potlucks and summer picnicking.
Gianne
The blend of creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors was incredibly satisfying, making it a perfect side dish for any summer barbecue. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try if you’re looking to add a delicious and vibrant twist to your usual corn salad.
Jeff
I love the smoky earthy flavour of this salad. A great win at our barbecue.
Ashley
Yum! The perfect summertime side dish. I love elotes and esquites! Can’t wait to try.