Description
A bold, creamy, and smoky side dish that captures the essence of Mexican street corn. This 5-ingredient salad is ready in 15 minutes, making it the perfect Labor Day or summer cookout side.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 ears fresh corn, husked (or frozen corn, thawed and dried)
- 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil for dairy-free)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and melt, or oil the grill grate.
- Cook corn ears for 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until charred in spots and tender. If using frozen corn, sauté in the skillet for 5 minutes until heated and browned.
- Let corn cool slightly. Stand an ear upright in a large bowl and slice down the side to remove kernels. Repeat for all ears to yield about 6 cups of corn.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and lime zest (if using) until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the warm corn and toss gently to coat. Add crumbled cotija cheese and chopped cilantro, tossing again.
- Fold in diced jalapeño if using.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and corn to cool.
- Serve chilled with extra cotija and cilantro on top.
Notes
For the best flavor, ensure the corn gets a good char. Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled for brightness. If using feta instead of cotija, pat it dry to prevent a watery salad. This salad tastes better after chilling for a few hours and can be made up to 3 days in advance. Do not freeze as the texture will suffer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
Keywords: elote salad, grilled corn, labor day side dish, mexican street corn, summer salad, vegetarian side, quick recipes