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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!
save this recipe!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
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!
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.
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!
Serve It With
This Mexican street corn salad is great on its own or served as a condiment!
- Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos: Filled with good-for-you ingredients, like chopped roasted cauliflower and crispy baked chickpeas.
- Huevos Rancheros: Your breakfast game has never been so good! You can thank me later.
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites Recipe)
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
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.**
- 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!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Fabulous recipe! Healthy and very tasty–added a bit of extra lime juice.
So happy to hear you liked it! 😀
Absolutely can use frozen corn! Just toast it in the splash of olive oil. Cool the corn then add to all of the ingredients.
Thanks for the tip, Sue! 😀 Especially useful for winter months when frozen just what we’re working with.
I used smoked paprika in the dressing , I used this corn salad as a topping for grilled avacados it was a truly amazing beautiful dish !!
OMG this salad + grilled avocado sounds amazing, Sharon!
Really easy to make. Two things I would do different 1) don’t great the cheese, crumble with my hand 2) don’t dress ingredients in advance, wait until serving. Everyone liked it.
Thanks for the suggestions, Yvonne! 🙂
This sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
It IS! 😀 You’re very welcome!
This was an easy receipe, did not find the cheese so I left it out. The dressing was delicious.
I used frozen corn
Great hit to our Mexican night.
Guests added it to their tacos.
So happy you all liked it Ann! I loove it on tacos 🙂 Next time you can try subbing the cotija for feta if you have trouble finding it.
Thanks for the easy & yummy recipe. I helped my daughter make it for her Spanish class potluck party. She gets extra credit for bringing something she made herself!
So happy to hear Stephanie! Tasty food PLUS extra credit? Sounds like a great class 😀
Time for corn salad!!Always look for more recipes for Jersey corn,have put a drop of liquid smoke in.and used smoked paprika.For heat you can add a bit of jalapeno.or red pepper.flakes either way this salad does not hang around long.Good recipe!
I’ve been dying to get my hands on some liquid smoke, but it can be a bit hard to find here. Sounds like it would be great though! Also love the spicy kick idea 😀
We loved your original recipe so much that we decided to add a few items to make it a main course. Adding quinoa, avocado and tomatoes to your recipe created a healthy and filling single dish meal. Yum! Fun to read you are living in Holland. My SO and I are looking forward to our 8th trip to the Netherlands in September. 😀
Hi Lynn! Love your additions, definitely makes it more filling and perfect as a dish by itself. You might also try chickpeas! And so excited that you’re visiting Holland! I’m happy to answer any questions you might have (although with it being your 8th trip, you probably know your way around hahah). Have fun! 😀
Is this served warm? Or cold?
Either! It’s usually room temp-ish right after you make it, which tastes just as good as after you chill it. Your preference 🙂