How to make scrumptious grilled elote, or Mexican street corn, salad for summer!
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During the summer months, I like to make recipes and do photoshoots that compliment the warm weather and the gathering of friends or family for a good meal. For this particular photoshoot, I wanted to make something simple, scrumptious, and that would look beautiful on camera, so I decided on Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad (or Elote Salad).
Mexican corn salad is a great appetizer or side dish for large groups, a family lunch, cookouts, or even just a quick snack since making it is an extremely easy process! I like to make this recipe by cooking ears of corn on the grill, but you can use frozen corn fried in a pan for a time crunch. I prefer the taste of the grilled corn though. Plus, grilling the corn also gives me a chance to get some nice outdoor shots on the grill.
One thing about the traditional recipe is that it calls for the use of Mexican Cotija cheese, but I just use parmesan or goat cheese since it’s easier to find. The rest is as easy as chopping up onions and peppers, mixing everything together with the sauce, and preparing the meal with chips, tortillas, and whatever else sounds good!
Really you can take this recipe and mix n’ match flavors to fit whatever your taste preferences are. Sounds like a dreamy dish? That’s because it is! Here’s how I make summer satisfaction with my simple grilled Mexican street corn salad!
To make grilled Mexican street corn salad, all you need is: corn, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, green onions, a jalapeno, an avocado, seasonings, lime juice, sour cream, mayo, cheese, and some grilling and mixing utensils. First, shuck, butter, and grill the corn until it starts to char. Let it cool then cut it from the cob into a large mixing bowl. Then, chop and add the red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, and avocado to the bowl. Add the seasonings, lime juice, and dressing ingredients and mix until completely combined. Serve and enjoy!
Easy Equipment
For this simple and scrumptious side dish, I only need the help of a handful of common kitchen tools -and a grill- to whip this up in a flash! To make this Mexican street corn salad the only tools and utensils I need are:
Scrumptious Ingredients
As for the ingredients, I only use a few fresh and simple ingredients to allow me to make this recipe as flavorful and scrumptious as possible. Here’s what I use to make Mexican street corn salad:
Elote Salad:
- 5 ears fresh corn or 4 cups frozen corn
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ small red onion
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 6 green onions
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- ½ avocado
Dressing:
- 2 fresh limes- lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ cup parmesan cheese- grated
- Alternatively, you can use Mexican Cotija cheese or goat cheese.
- 2 garlic cloves- crushed
How to Make Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad
Now I’ll go over my super quick and easy process for making this yummy side dish! There’s not much to making it, but there are a lot of yummy flavors so I wouldn’t be surprised if this dish makes its way to all of your cookouts from now on. Here’s how I like to make Mexican street corn salad:
- First, shuck the ears of corn and butter them lightly. Cook over a preheated grill until the corn starts to char. Then, let the corn cool and cut it from the cob.
- While grilling corn, turn and brush with melted butter.
- If using frozen corn: let it thaw it first and then cook it with olive oil in a skillet over high heat, while stirring, for 3-5 minutes.
- Next, chop the portioned red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, and avocado into small cubes and add them to a large mixing bowl with the corn.
- Finally, add in the fresh lime juice, cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt, sour cream, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and crushed garlic and stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Storing Mexican Street Corn Salad
To store Mexican street corn salad: transfer the salad to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Always label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness. It is not recommended to freeze this dish.
More summer recipes
- Copycat Papa Murphy’s Sweet Pizzas with Cinnamon and Glaze
- How to Make a Watermelon Margarita with Frozen Watermelon
- How to Make Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup with Fresh Herbs
- Mixed Berry Smoothie – Healthy, Fruity, and Quick
- Easy Berry Mascarpone Tart for Spring and Summer Desserts
- Watermelon Bites Dipped in Chocolate – Easy No-Bake Summer Dessert for Kids & Parties
Summer Satisfaction
If you’re a busy parent like me then I know you can’t get enough of those quick and easy recipes that help you feed your family through the week, especially during the summer! Here are a few more of my favorite easy summer dishes that can be thrown together in no time and a few perfectly-paired recipes to serve with this Mexican corn salad:
Serve with:
- Classic Guacamole
- Infused Water
- Watermelon Margaritas
- Shrimp on the Grill
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Salmon Steak
Need a few more refreshingly simple summer recipes? I’ve got you covered here with some more of my summer favorites:
- Grilled Mexican Corn- Elote
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Summer Cucumber Salad
- Easy Coleslaw
- Watermelon Bites Dipped in Chocolate
- Mascarpone Tart
- Grilled Peaches with Butter Cinnamon Glaze
- Grilled S’mores
- Fruit S’mores
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Video
Ingredients
Elote Salad
- 5 ears fresh corn or 4 cups frozen corn
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ small red onion
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 6 green onions
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- ½ avocado
Dressing
- 2 fresh limes lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
Instructions
Elote Salad
- First, shuck the ears of corn and butter them lightly. Cook over a preheated grill until the corn starts to char. Then, let the corn cool and cut it from the cob.While grilling corn, turn and brush with melted butter.If using frozen corn: let it thaw it first and then cook it with olive oil in a skillet over high heat, while stirring, for 3-5 minutes.
- Next, chop the portioned red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno, and avocado into small cubes and add them to a large mixing bowl with the corn.
- Finally, add in the fresh lime juice, cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt, sour cream, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, and crushed garlic and stir until all the ingredients are well combined.Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Food Photography & Video Tips from My Studio
Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
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