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hyper-realistic Mexican street corn salad in a large white ceramic serving bowl on a white marble kitchen counter, charred golden corn kernels tossed in a creamy lime dressing, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, tiny red onion pieces, diced jalapeño, dusting of chili powder, fresh lime wedges on the side, bright white kitchen background, soft natural window light, crisp editorial food photography, realistic creamy texture, fresh summer cookout side dish, no people, no text, no watermark

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad has lightly charred corn, creamy lime dressing, cotija, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño. It’s fresh, tangy, a little smoky, and perfect for tacos, grilled chicken, cookouts, or tortilla chips.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups corn kernels from about 6 ears fresh corn
  • 2 16- ounce bags frozen corn thawed and patted dry, if using frozen corn
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Creamy Lime Dressing
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder plus more for topping
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese crumbled
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1 small jalapeño seeded and finely diced

Method
 

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the corn in an even layer, then leave it alone for 2 minutes.
  3. Stir and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until browned in spots.
  4. Move the corn to a large bowl and cool it for 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  6. Add the dressing to the warm corn, then stir gently.
  7. Fold in cotija, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño.
  8. Taste, then add more lime, salt, or chili powder if needed.
  9. Sprinkle extra cotija and chili powder on top before serving.

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