• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Mexican Recipes

Mexican Corn Salad

By:Nagi
Published:7 Dec '21Updated:7 Dec '21
248 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Mexican Corn Salad is a wonderful fresh corn salad made for summer BBQ’s and Mexican feasts! It’s a giant salad form of Esquites, a corn street snack sold in cups on the streets of Mexico. Corn kernels are sautéed in butter and garlic until golden brown, then dressed in a creamy lime dressing and finished fresh coriander/cilantro and a hint of zing from Jalapeño. It’s outrageously and insanely good!

Overhead photo of Mexican Corn Salad

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!

Close up of the best Mexican Corn Salad

What goes in Mexican Corn Salad

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

Ingredients in Mexican 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.

Pan fried golden corn

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 cut corn kernels off the cob

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.

How to make Mexican Corn Salad
Mexican Corn Salad on a plate ready to be served

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

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Close up of Mexican Corn Salad

Mexican Corn Salad

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Side Dish
Mexican
4.98 from 93 votes
Servings6 – 8 as a side
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 423
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

  • 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

Instructions

  • 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.
  • 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).
  • Season corn: Add salt and pepper halfway through cooking corn.
  • 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.
  • 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: 120gCalories: 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
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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….. 😂

SaveSave

Previous Post
Baked Mac and Cheese
Next Post
Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Freshly made One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

Mushroom quesadillas from RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi

Mushroom Quesadillas

Baja fish tacos from RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi

Baja Fish Tacos

More Mexican Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




248 Comments

  1. Ellen says

    January 9, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    5 stars
    OMG this salad is amazing. Sooo much flavour. I served it with some grilled chicken that I had marinated in a smokey paprika seasoning and avocado. Wholly – this salad is next level. Nagi, how do you do it – every recipe is a winner!!!!

    Reply
  2. Kara says

    January 5, 2023 at 10:36 pm

    4 stars
    Great recipe! Nice to have a different side salad. Everyone loved it.

    Reply
  3. Natalie says

    November 15, 2022 at 12:50 am

    5 stars
    This is incredible, you wont be able to stop yourself from licking the plate, such great flavour, a wonderful recipe.

    Reply
  4. Joanna says

    October 2, 2022 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    Even my 20 year old who’s “not really a fan of corn…” loved this. Winner.

    Reply
  5. Gina says

    September 11, 2022 at 7:33 am

    5 stars
    This is so yummy. I have saved this recipe in my saved section 🙂

    Reply
  6. Peg Westcott says

    August 29, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    5 stars
    Love corn and this is one hell of a yummy recipe. Adding the cheese, mayo, sour cream and other fresh ingredients make a scrumptious yet simple meal with the added low cal bonus. Cheers Nagi

    Reply
  7. PATRICIA ZAG says

    August 17, 2022 at 10:55 am

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday for a side dish. Everyone loved it. It is so full of flavour! I made it again today. It is going to become a summer staple recipe for us.
    Thank you Nagi,

    Reply
  8. Saravana Balaji says

    August 10, 2022 at 12:43 am

    5 stars
    How long it can stay in the refrigerator?
    any suggestions to keep it long?
    I want to make a big batch of it and have it over a week as a dinner side!
    TIA

    Reply
  9. Beth says

    August 1, 2022 at 3:06 am

    5 stars
    Had never tried anything like this with corn before – it was so good I couldn’t stop eating it!

    Reply
  10. KR says

    July 14, 2022 at 12:32 pm

    Really, really good. I knocked this together with no red onions or cilantro on hand, so I used yellow onion and put about a teaspoon of cumin in the dressing. I also tossed in a chopped tomato for the missing color.

    Still a home run!

    Reply
  11. Deanne says

    July 9, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    Yum!

    Reply
  12. celia says

    July 8, 2022 at 4:56 am

    5 stars
    Had to make it with olive oil instead of butter and yogurt instead of sour cream, but nevertheless- amazing result!!
    How can such simple ingredients add up to such magic? Nagi you are a wizard!!

    Reply
  13. Marilyn says

    June 28, 2022 at 9:38 am

    Can this be eaten cold? Out of the frig?

    Reply
    • Verenise says

      June 29, 2022 at 2:11 am

      Marilyn, yes you can eat this salad cold. It’s delicious! Don’t leave it out in the heat for too long, it contains dairy and mayo.

      Reply
    • Jana says

      August 5, 2022 at 6:00 am

      Awesome! I’m making it again today! Thanks Nagi!💕💕

      Reply
  14. Kay Kelley says

    June 25, 2022 at 6:12 am

    It’s NOT very authentic using feta.

    Reply
    • Desiree says

      October 21, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      That would be because cojita is not readily available here in Australia. Feta is a substitute that is very readily available here. ‘Authentic’ or not, it’s freaking delicious. Try it.

      Reply
  15. JoAnn says

    June 12, 2022 at 5:40 am

    Hosting a family reunion? Can this be made ahead? Your recipes are the best

    Reply
  16. Dee says

    June 8, 2022 at 11:36 am

    Is this able to be made ahead at all?

    Reply
    • Jane Thompson says

      June 11, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      Made this for my husband’s birthday in April along with beef ribs. It was awesome & keeps well for 2-3 days. I will make it again for a bar-b-que tomorrow & I know my friends will love it too. I appreciate you so much b/c
      you explain everything so clearly that the dish is never disappointing.

      Kudos to Nagi from Canada’s west coast!

      Reply
    • Jane says

      June 11, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      In my house, we think this corn salad tastes even better the next day.

      Reply
      • Desiree says

        October 21, 2022 at 6:28 pm

        5 stars
        It’s also lovely on top of a baked potato with some extra sour cream 🙂

        Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top