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With almost 200 5-star ratings, this Mexican street corn salad is a foolproof side dish for summer barbecues, backyard potlucks, and more! It’s a healthy, simple take on elote, the delicious Mexican street vendor version of corn on the cob!

Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl with a spoon
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Your New Summer Salad

Elote is grilled Mexican corn on the cob that’s slathered with a sour cream/mayo sauce and rolled in cotija cheese. It’s basically heaven in food form.

But today we’re recreating this snack perfection in potluck-ready form, throwing in a few add-ins and lightening up the sauce with Greek yogurt! This healthier Mexican street corn salad can be thrown on literally everything.

Eggs, tacos, chips, toast, burritos, salad, spoon…they’re all perfect vessels with which to inhale it. After countless recipe tests, I can’t wait for you to try this hearty, satisfying salad.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“OMG, just had this with dinner and it was FANTASTIC. I’m in love with the dressing! Have only just finished dinner, but have already shared the recipe with a couple of friends.” —Anna

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Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl with a spoon

Grab These Ingredients

All in all, this Mexican corn salad is a quick recipe with simple ingredients (some classic, some less traditional) that are easy to find! Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements and substitutions.

  • Dressing: Traditional elote is served with mayonnaise, but we’re lightening it up by using plain Greek yogurt for a quick spiced dressing. (Sour cream can also be used.)
  • Corn: Use fresh corn on the cob or canned corn kernels, whatever is easiest! We’ll briefly cook it to develop those toasty charred flavors.
  • Black Beans: Black beans are great, but you could sub any canned bean you have on hand (kidney and pinto beans also work well).
  • Bell Pepper: A diced bell pepper adds freshness and crunch to our salad.
  • Red Onion: Finely chopped zingy onion brightens things up. For a milder taste, try sliced green onion.
  • Cilantro: Don’t skimp on the cilantro, which adds that distinctly Tex-Mex flair (you cilantro haters can leave it out if need be).
  • Cotija Or Feta Cheese: Use crumbly cotija cheese for the perfect taste and texture, though feta is a good substitute for cotija cheese.
  • Flavor Makers: Garlic, lime, and salt bring it all together for elote salad bliss. You can even throw in other spices, like chili powder or Tajin, for a kick!
Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl with a spoon

how to make street corn salad

Jump to the recipe for the full printable instructions.

Step 1: Mix The Dressing
Mix up the dressing ingredients first (this can even be done hours or days in advance).

Step 2: Cook The Corn
Heat oil (or butter) over medium/high heat in a large saute pan, and then add your garlic and corn. Cook it for about 15 minutes, flipping frequently, until the corn begins to char a bit. Gently toss the mixture with lime juice and salt.

Corn in a pan
Cooking the corn will create a great grill flavor that totally levels up the salad.

Step 3: Serve The Salad
In a large bowl, combine the corn mixture, black beans, pepper, onion, cilantro, and cheese. Drizzle the sauce over and enjoy!

Ingredients for Mexican corn salad in a bowl
You can serve this Mexican street corn salad warm (from the grilled corn when you first make it), but it can also be chilled and served cold (perfect for bringing to potlucks!).
Pouring sauce into a bowl of elote salad
Drizzle a few tablespoons of sauce to start, then mix it and add more as needed.
Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl with a spoon
It’s perfect over tacos, as a chip dip, or by itself!

Serve It With

This Mexican street corn salad is great on its own or served as a condiment!

Mexican street corn salad in a white bowl with a spoon
Pouring sauce into a bowl of elote salad
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Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites Recipe)

4.62 from 196 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
With almost 200 5-star ratings, this Mexican street corn salad is a foolproof dish for summer barbecues, backyard potlucks, and more! It's a healthy, simple take on elote, the delicious Mexican street vendor version of corn on the cob!

Ingredients 

Dressing

  • ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt*, 80 g
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice, 15 mL
  • 1 tsp honey, 5 g
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cumin

Salad

  • Splash of oil
  • 4 ears corn, about 3 cups, 285 g of kernels, shucked and kernels removed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice, 30 mL
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup canned black beans, 200 g, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup chopped red onion, 35 g
  • ½ cup packed fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup cotija cheese, 88 g, crumbled, can sub feta
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Instructions 

  • Dressing: Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside.
  • Cook Corn: Heat oil over medium/high heat in a large saute pan, then add garlic and corn. Cook for about 15 minutes, flipping frequently, until corn begins to char a bit. Gently toss with lime juice and salt.**
    Corn in a pan
  • Serve: In a large bowl, combine corn mix, black beans, pepper, onion, cilantro, and cheese. Drizzle sauce over and serve either warm or cold. Perfect over tacos, as a chip dip, or by itself!
    Pouring sauce into a bowl of elote salad

Notes

*If using Greek yogurt, add a dash of milk to thin it out.
**Alternative corn cooking option: Cook the ears of corn on the grill, then remove kernels and mix into garlic, lime juice, and salt.
Storage: You can keep this salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s also great to make a day in advance. This gives the flavors time to marinate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.6g | Protein: 8.8g | Fat: 4.6g | Sodium: 192mg | Fiber: 5.8g

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

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4.62 from 196 votes (143 ratings without comment)

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190 Comments

  1. Patricia says:

    5 stars
    I made this today, May 2, 2016. The flavours are just wonderful. I zested the limes for even more flavour. Yummy!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Really great idea, Patricia! So happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂

  2. Wilko says:

    4 stars
    Hi Sarah, I don’t know where in the Netherlands you live but there are Mexican restaurants enough, though maybe not within a 10 minute walk.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hey, Wilko, thanks! I’ll definitely seek one out! But I suppose Holland makes up for having less Mexican eateries by having some super lekker Greek restaurants 🙂

  3. Christine says:

    Have you made this with a good quality frozen corn?

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hey, Christine! I haven’t tried this with frozen corn but I imagine if you thaw and drain it well then throw it on the grill in a grill basket (or on a skillet on the stove), you would get similar results 🙂 It’s a pretty flexible dish so swapping a few things shouldn’t have a huge impact.

    2. Gretchen says:

      Is this salad an ok one to make the day before or better the day of?

    3. Sarah says:

      Hi Gretchen, this is definitely okay to make the day before, it gives the flavors a chance to really mix and mingle 🙂 Just store it covered in the fridge until ready to serve!

  4. Yese says:

    Looks delicious. But this is not Mexican street corn. Looks like a delicious corn salad.

    Reply
  5. Not a Cook says:

    Do you cook the corn first and then remove the kernels and put in a pan?

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      I usually remove the kernels then cook in the pan, but you could also grill the corn on the cob then remove the kernels. This is a pretty flexible recipe 🙂

  6. Faye says:

    sounds easy and similar to what I grew up eating

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Hey Rob, I’m so happy to hear I could help. And thanks so much for sharing the picture with me! It looks really great! 🙂 Do you mind if I share it on the LEL Facebook page?

    2. Rob says:

      Hey Sarah, more than happy for you to share it on your Facebook 🙂 Will be on the lookout for more great recipes in your future posts, thanks again.

  8. Carole says:

    5 stars
    A friend brought this to have with dinner the other day and my husband and I fell in love with it.

    We could have just ate this as the meal and been happy. I I think I went back for 3rds.

    This is seriously delicious and it tasted so fresh! Anyone who is thinking of making it, you won’t be disappointed.

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      So happy you liked it, Carole, and thanks so much for all your kind words! No shame in eating it for the whole meal 😉

  9. Kristin says:

    5 stars
    This was excellent!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Thanks Kristin! You’re very welcome! 🙂

  10. Denise says:

    Just made it. Really yummy!! Next time I will add minced jalopenos. I needed some heat. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
    1. Sarah says:

      Good idea, Denise! Happy to hear you like it! 🙂