When I first tried this healthy Mexican street corn salad, I just knew that it was going to become a new household favorite. It’s got all the incredible flavor of iconic Mexican street corn, but with a few fun twists to turn it into a refreshing and wholesome salad.
Elote and Esquites are popular Mexican street food options that feature corn. If you aren't familiar with the terms 'Elote' and 'Esquites', let’s go through a quick run-down.
Elote is essentially a boiled or roasted corn on the cob that is smothered in a cheesy, lime-scented, chili-flaked sauce. Esquites, as it’s colloquially known, is basically the salad version of Elote. The ingredients are the same, the only difference being that the corn has been cut off the cob.
This less messy, easier-to-eat variation of the Elote is the inspiration for our healthy Mexican street corn salad. It’s smoky, sweet, and spicy for a glorious combination of flavors that will leave your taste buds beyond satisfied.
The best part is that it's totally customizable! Like it cheesier? Add as much cheese as your heart desires. Want more spice? Kick up the heat with some cayenne pepper or extra chili powder. No matter what twist you take, this flavorful Mexican salad is guaranteed to blow your mind every time.
Key Ingredients
To bring this delicious Mexican street corn salad to life, you’ll need the following key ingredients:
- Corn: This recipe calls for corn, and plenty of it too! You can use fresh, frozen or even canned corn. While fresh tastes best during peak corn season, frozen tastes just as good any time of the year.
- Cotija cheese: Using cotija cheese is the best way to keep things authentic. The slightly salty flavor and dry, crumbly texture of cotija is similar to feta cheese, so feel free to swap it out for feta if needed.
- Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt: I’ve used a mix of mayo and Greek yogurt to create a lighter, protein-packed version of the more traditional mayo base. It helps the spices stick to the corn and gives the salad a deliciously creamy texture. To lighten it up even further, feel free to opt for a low-fat mayonnaise.
- Lime juice: The acidity from the lime juice adds an irresistible brightness to the dish, while enhancing all of the amazing flavors at the same time.
- Fresh cilantro: A staple ingredient in many Mexican dishes, fresh cilantro adds a ton of fresh flavor. If you aren’t a cilantro fan, feel free to leave this out.
- Garlic: The pungent and sharp flavor of the garlic is a beautiful contrast to the natural sweetness of the corn.
- Chili powder: You can’t have good elotes without some chili powder! Feel free to add or take away depending on your flavor preference.
- Smoked paprika: This ingredient adds a delicious layer of smoky flavor to the dish.
- Jalapeno: If you aren’t a fan of heat, remove the seeds before chopping the jalapeno peppers. If you like your food on the spicier side, feel free to leave them in.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Here are some of my favorite recipe tips and substitutions to help you make the best healthy Mexican street corn salad:
- Char your corn. For an extra depth of flavor, I like grilling or sauteing my corn until it’s lightly charred. Doing this gives the corn a slightly smoky taste and helps to bring out the natural sweetness.
- Fresh vs frozen. While there’s nothing that can beat the texture and sweetness of fresh corn during peak season, frozen sweet corn tastes delicious too. Just make sure to thaw and dry it first.
- Play with textures. This healthy corn salad already has some amazing textures going on like the creamy texture of the dressing and the crunch of the corn. For even more of a crunch, feel free to add extra veggies like finely chopped bell peppers and onions.
- Add some protein. Transform this delicious side dish into a well-rounded meal by adding grilled chicken breast or a lean cut of steak.
What to Serve with Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad
You’ll usually find a variation of this street corn salad served on the streets of Mexico in small disposable cups. Taking a cue from them, you can eat this salad straight out of the bowl and it’ll taste just as wonderful.
If you want to switch things up, here are some of my favorite ways to serve this dish:
- Tacos. Try stuffing this street corn salad into a tortilla with your favorite toppings for some delicious tacos. Some of my favorite pairings include these Black Bean Tacos or my Grilled Chicken Tacos.
- Grains. As a general rule, you can’t go wrong by serving this with a bowl of grains like this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice or this flavorful Mexican Cauliflower Rice. It’s a delicious pairing that’ll be a surefire hit at potlucks and parties.
- Pasta salad. Esquites meets pasta to create an out-of-this-world pasta salad. Simply toss some pasta with the corn salad and serve cold.
- Lettuce wraps: Grab some butter lettuce and use this Mexican corn as a filling. I like to create some extra condiments for the lettuce wraps including black beans, cooked protein, or chopped carrots.
- Quesadillas: Adding this to a quesadilla with some melted cheese creates something magical. It becomes like a hot corn dip combined with melted cheese. It's delicious. Trust me.
- Make it an entree salad: Grab a big bowl of greens, slice some tomatoes, add a big serving of this corn salad, and top with chicken, shrimp, tofu, or black beans.
How to Store Corn Salad
Whether you’re left with some leftovers or simply planning to prepare this salad ahead of time, you’re in luck. This corn salad is a breeze to store. You’ll just need to prepare the corn and dressing in advance, then store them separately in airtight containers.
You can store this dish in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Because this recipe uses a dairy-based dressing, I don’t recommend storing it in the freezer. However, the corn can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.