Mexican Street Corn Salad skips the taco truck and lands a perfect corn side dish right on your plate.
Under 15 minutes for a tangy simple salad that is perfect for pot luck, this Mexican Street corn salad combines the tangy flavors of corn, lime, and delicious cheeses – goes great along side grilled chicken too!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Everyone loves Mexican street corn on the cob, but did you know you can also have it as a salad?
This perfect Mexican side dish will blow your mind with its perfect flavors but, at the same time, act as a dip, appetizer, or salsa if you want. Its probably one of the easiest dishes to make, but it is also underused.
Let’s change that today and make corn salad a staple in your home!
Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions, so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone.
Ingredients
- frozen corn
- real mayonnaise ( I only use Hellmann’s
)
- crumbled feta cheese
- jalapeno, seeded and diced
- fresh cilantro, diced
- minced garlic ( I like fresh!)
- One lime (use a lime squeezer
)
- salt
- cayenne pepper
- black pepper
- serve with homemade easy tortilla chips
RELATED MEXICAN FLAVORS: Mexican Chicken Casserole, Mexican Ground Beef Casserole, Cheesy Beef and Tortilla Casserole Recipe
Dip Tip: My frozen corn was frozen. So I microwaved it to cook/thaw it.
If you have to do that, the corn will be warm. This would be a great warm dish or cold; it’s versatile.
Changing up the Cheese
This Mexican Street Corn Salad reminds me of an appetizer that is really hot but good if they’ve sat out for hours at a party.
Not everyone loves feta, and there are certainly other options in the cheese family.
You can use crumbled queso, cotija, or even ricotta if you feel feisty.
Notes on the Corn Salad Video
I made a video of the corn salad, you will notice the video varies slightly from this recipe. I used more mayo, skipped the jalapeno, and instead of fresh cilantro, I only had dried, so I added that instead.
It still tastes delicious and gives you an idea of the recipe, so feel free to change things up depending on what you have in the house. The one thing you shouldn’t skip is the cayenne- its a nice flavor!
How to make Corn Salad – Instructions
Add corn, mayonnaise, cheese, jalapeno and cilantro, and mix well.
Add garlic, lime, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
Mix all ingredients really well.
Refrigerate this amazingly delicious Mexican side dish recipe until ready to serve.
TIP: You can also serve your corn dip with chips or cut up tortillas
This dish makes a great potluck or picnic side but is also a complement to other inspired dishes like Mexican Chili and Mexican Chicken Casserole.
Need more Dip Ideas?
One of my favorite dips is this cucumber dip, which is delicious with vegetables or dip.
You can also try this super simple chicken enchilada dip recipe (I eat that one for dinner a lot!), some fresh mango salsa that goes great on tacos, or this similarly spiced Jalapeno Popper Dip.
Comments & Reviews
Natalie says
Mexican street corn is made with Parmesan cheese. Have you made the dish this way instead of feta? I’m wondering if it’ll still be good?…
Trisha says
I havent but I bet Parmesan would be delicious. I just like some variation, trust me its good!
Carol says
Can the Mexican Corn Salad be made a day or two in advance?
Trisha says
There is no reason you cant make this a day in advance, just give it a good stir. I wouldnt make it more than a day or so. Corn (to me) has a shelf life of moisture.
pam says
Love this! Just made it for a potluck and of course had to taste it first. I can’t wait to taste it after it has chilled until this evening. I did substitute a couple of things: Cojita cheese rather than feta although I’m certain either wold work well; parsley instead of cilantro because there are some in this group who “hate” cilantro; added black beans ’cause I had them; and grilled the corn kernels a touch.
Thanks for posting this!
Trisha says
hi Pam, I love the idea of the Cojita cheese! Also, who hates cilantro? Ack! I LOVE it!!! Thanks for coming back to let me know you enjoyed this corn salad!
Dan says
I used sour cream instead of mayo and it is great…. be creative..
Trisha says
That does sound great – Im a big fan of sour cream!
Katrina says
Can I use canned corn.
Trisha says
You could use canned corn, just make sure its really well drained so your salad isn’t watery.
Laverne says
This sounds delicious, was wandering if you have ever used fresh corn instead of frozen.
Trisha says
I have not, but I have a little gadget I got from amazon that shreds the fresh corn right off the cob, so I think its a great idea. There is something special about fresh corn if you have the time!
SuzieG says
I used grilled fresh corn. It’s delicious!
Janice says
I usually do but have also used frozen… I think fresh is better 🙂
Diane Mason says
I just made this with 3 ears of freshly picked Silver Queen NC corn. Used shredded mozzarella cheese (@4-5oz). This is the BEST corn salad I have ever had. Probably used more cayenne than the recipe, but we like it spicy. Thanks for the great recipe!!! It will certainly be in my favorites from now on.
Amparo Galeana says
In Mexico is not a salad. It is a street snack. We don’t use Parmesano nor Feta cheese. It is a fresh type cheese.
Trisha says
I know – which is why I also suggested that you can use queso fresco or cotija. In this recipe (like millions of recipes) its an interpretation of a similar, not meant to be an exact. Thank you for visiting my site!
Jewel says
Great recipe! I dubbed minced poblano for the jalapeno for a slight smoke flavor, added minced red onion and grilled fresh corn because they were 4 years for a dollar, and more smoke flavor! Really great salad alongside grilled chicken.
Alicia says
Just made this and 1/2 cup mayo seems like way too much. I added more corn but still seems like not a good ratio of corn to mayo. Mine looks nothing like the picture on the recipe card. Any advice?
Trisha Haas says
Did you add all the ingredients in it first? It should be fine once everything is added. I haven’t had this feedback before on the recipe so I am unsure what went wrong?
Trisha