This Mexican Corn Salad is a vibrant, fresh, bright, and crowd-pleasing side dish! Inspired by the popular street food esquites, this salad is bursting with bold flavors from charred sweet corn, creamy sour cream and vegan mayo, tangy lime, and just the right kick of chili.
Whether you’re hosting a barbecue, planning a picnic, or want a flavorful veggie dish to spice up your weeknight dinner, this Mexican Corn Salad is quick to make, endlessly customizable, and always a hit.
Jump to:
Flavorful Easy Mexican Corn Salad
I've always loved Mexican flavors-they remind me so much of the bold, vibrant tastes of Indian cuisine. Back home in India, especially during the monsoon season, street vendors line the roads with smoky, grilled corn. It’s typically served hot off the fire, generously sprinkled with salt and red chili powder, then finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Simple, spicy, and utterly delicious!
So, when I first tried making the Mexican Street Corn Salad, it immediately reminded me of back home. It brought the taste and memories of those rainy days. If you like charred or grilled corn, this salad is a must-try.
The salad consists of perfectly charred sweet corn, creamy from sour cream and Mayo, tangy from lime juice, slightly spicy, and earthy with loads of cilantro.
This Mexican Corn Salad can be enjoyed as a side dish, light lunch, dip with tortilla chips, or accompanied with any Mexican dish.
Why You Will Love This Salad
- This Mexican Corn Salad is vibrant, creamy, fresh, and flavorful.
- It is easy to make with only a few pantry staple ingredients.
- The salad is bursting with flavors from charred corn, spices, and herbs.
- It can easily be customized to be vegan.
- The salad is perfect for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or as a side dish.
Ingredients and Notes
- Corn: I highly recommend using fresh corn for the best flavor.
- Butter: You can use any neutral-flavored oil as a substitute for butter.
- Salt and Pepper: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Sour Cream: I like to use low-fat sour cream to keep the salad light and low-calorie. However, you can use full-fat sour cream or even plain yogurt.
- Vegan Mayo: Mayo makes the salad creamy and flavorful. However, if you can not find vegan Mayo, add more sour cream. Alternatively, you can use tahini instead of mayo.
- Lime Juice: Lime juice makes the salad bright, fresh, and vibrant. Add the citrus juice to taste.
- Paprika: I like to add paprika for some color and flavor to the dish. You can use hot or sweet paprika. Red chili powder can also be used instead of paprika. If you like spicier salad, add cayenne pepper.
- Ground Cumin: Cumin adds a delicious, earthy flavor to the salad. I prefer using roasted ground cumin for a richer flavor.
- Bell Peppers: You can use any color of bell peppers.
- Jalapeño Peppers: Add jalapeños if you prefer your salad with some spiciness. You can also add other choices of green chilis instead of Jalapeños.
- Cilantro: Add freshly chopped cilantro for the best flavor.
How To Make Mexican Corn Salad
Cut off the Corn Kernels
- To cut the corn from the cob without making a mess, set a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl.
- Place your corn vertically on top of the smaller bowl and run your knife straight down the sides of the cob.
- The kernels will fall right into the larger bowl.
Charring the Corn
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Spread the corn evenly over the bottom of the pan and let it sit undisturbed to char for 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, stir, and cook for an additional 2 minutes without disturbing.
- Continue cooking and stirring in this manner for 7-8 minutes, until you achieve golden brown bits and the corn is tender and cooked through.
- Transfer the corn to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
Making the Dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, vegan mayo, lime juice, paprika, and ground cumin.
Making the Mexican Corn Salad
- To the bowl with corn, add bell peppers, cilantro, and jalapeños and mix well.
- Add the dressing and toss to mix well.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lime juice if needed.
- Top the salad with cheese, paprika, and cumin and serve.
Substitutions
Fresh Corn: You can use frozen corn if fresh is not available. However, frozen corn will not brown easily as compared to fresh corn.
Butter: Use light olive oil or any choice of neutral-flavored oil instead of butter.
Red Bell Pepper: You can use any other colored bell pepper or green peppers.
Vegan Mayo: If you do not have vegan Mayo, you can use more sour cream, Greek yogurt, or tahini.
Sour Cream: Use plain or Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Jalapeño Peppers: You can use any choice of green chilis instead of jalapeños.
Serving Suggestions For Mexican Corn Salad
Serve this delicious Mexican Corn Salad as a side with any Mexican dish.
It can be served as a dip and can be enjoyed with tortilla chips.
I like to have this salad when I want a light and yet filling lunch.
You can enjoy it for summer BBQs, potlucks, or as a side at a dinner party.
Storing Suggestions
This Mexican Corn Salad is best enjoyed on the same day it is made. However, leftovers can be refrigerated for two days.
Helpful Tips For Mexican Corn Salad
Corn: Fresh corn provides the best texture and taste. But you can also use frozen corn, and the salad will still be delicious.
Paprika: You can skip paprika if you want. Or, use red chili powder for some color and spiciness.
Cheese: Traditionally, Mexican cojita cheese is used for this salad. But I don’t find this cheese, and I use crumbled Feta cheese. Sometimes, I also use crumbled paneer or ricotta.
Make It Vegan: Use vegan butter or oil and vegan sour cream or yogurt to make vegan Mexican Street Corn Salad. You can skip cheese or garnish with any vegan cheese substitute.
Variations: You can add finely chopped celery or cucumber to the salad. Use any other fresh green chili instead of jalapeños. If you do not prefer cilantro, swap it for parsley. You can also add finely chopped baby spinach.
Dressing: This salad is not heavily coated with dressing. But you can add more or less dressing to your taste preferences.
More Mexican Style Recipes
Mexican Corn Salad
Ingredients
For the Charred Corn
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 4 cups corn cut from the cob (~ 4 medium ears)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground roasted cumin
For the Salad
- Charred corn
- 1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeños (I used pickled jalapeños)
For Garnish (Optional)
- Cotija or Feta cheese
Instructions
Cut off the Corn Kernels
- To cut the corn from the cob without making a mess, set a small bowl upside down inside a larger bowl.
- Place your corn vertically on top of the smaller bowl and run your knife straight down the sides of the cob. The kernels will fall right into the larger bowl.
Charring the Corn
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Evenly spread the corn over the bottom of the pan and let the corn sit undisturbed to char for 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, stir, and char for another 2 minutes. Continue cooking and stirring in this manner for 7-8 minutes, until you achieve golden brown bits and the corn is cooked.
- Transfer the corn to a mixing bowl and set it aside.
Making the Dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, vegan mayo, lime juice, paprika, and ground cumin.
Making the Salad
- To the bowl with corn, add bell peppers, cilantro, and jalapeños. Add the dressing and toss to mix well.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lime juice if needed. Top the salad with cheese, paprika, and cumin and serve.
Storing Suggestions
- This Mexican Corn Salad is best enjoyed on the same day it is made. However, leftovers can be refrigerated for two days.
Notes
- Corn: Fresh corn provides the best texture and taste. But you can also use frozen corn, and the salad will still be delicious.
- Paprika: You can skip paprika if you want. Or, use red chili powder for some color and spiciness.
- Cheese: Traditionally, Mexican cojita cheese is used for this salad. But I don’t find this cheese, and I use crumbled Feta cheese. Sometimes, I also use crumbled paneer or ricotta.
- Make It Vegan: Use vegan butter or oil and vegan sour cream or yogurt to make vegan Mexican Street Corn Salad. You can skip cheese or garnish with any vegan cheese substitute.
- Variations: You can add finely chopped celery or cucumber to the salad. Use any other fresh green chili instead of jalapeños. If you do not prefer cilantro, swap it for parsley. You can also add finely chopped baby spinach.
- Dressing: This salad is not heavily coated with dressing. But you can add more or less dressing to your taste preferences.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.