This bright and zesty Mexican corn salad (elote)is basically deconstructed Mexican street corn off the cob. It combines a flavorful combination of corn and cotija cheese that is mixed in a lime/mayonnaise dressing.

Serve it hot or cold to compliment your next Mexican meal. It also is a tasty authentic Mexican dish to make for Cinco de Mayo!

"This is crazy good!" ★★★★★ -Britt

There is this amazing Mexican food truck located at the local flea market in Fayetteville, NC. Crowds of people will gather around it for lunch everyday. I was so excited when I discovered it. They make authentic Mexican food from scratch. Everything is fresh and delicious. On their menu is Mexican Elote.

Mexican Elote is Mexican street corn. The cooked corn is slathered in mayonnaise and seasoned with lime juice and chili powder. Then it is covered in cotija cheese and cilantro.

When I tried it for the first time, I ordered it the traditional way (on the cob). I was in HEAVEN!! The salty, creamy flavors mixed with the citrus lime and vibrant cilantro were INCREDIBLE!

Eating it off the cob was a little tricky. The corn would get stuck in my teeth and it was quite messy. I ordered it cut off the cob next. It was just as good.

I loved it so much, I had to recreate this Mexican Street Corn off the cob in my home. I am totally addicted! It is my favorite Mexican corn recipe. I hope you love it too. Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.

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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Steps
Serving Tip
Watch video on how to make street corn salad
Do you have to use fresh corn?
What is a good substitute for Cotija Cheese?
How long will it last?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Ingredient notes and substitutions

You will need the following ingredients to make this street corn salad.

Fresh corn-Summer sweet corn is ideal for this recipe. However, you can use frozen or canned. See suggestions about corn substitutions further into the post. (Check out this tip for the easiest trick to cut corn off the cob.)
Butter-Use real butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter.
Lime Juice
Cilantro-If you do not like cilantro, you can substitute with parsley.
Jalapeno Pepper-(Remove seeds for a milder heat.) If you do not want any added heat, omit the jalapeno.
Mayonnaise- Use real mayonnaise, not low fat, fat free mayonnaise or "salad dressing."
Chili Powder
Paparika- Substitute with cayenne pepper if you want it extra spicy.
Cotija Cheese-In some grocery stores, this cheese is actually located by the lunch meat and not the cheese section. I do not know why. But if you cannot find it in the cheese section, try checking out the lunch meat section.

*Full recipe with ingredient measurements is located at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Steps

Eating elote on the cob can be messy. This skillet decunstructed Mexican Corn Salad is less messy to eat and easier to cook for multiple people. Follow these simple steps to make it.

First cut corn off the cob. Set corn aside.
Remove seeds from one jalapeno. Dice jalapeno. Melt butter in a pan. Melt butter in a pan. Cook jalapeno in butter until the jalapeno is softened.
Add corn to pan. Cook on medium heat 3 to 5 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, lime juice, cotija cheese, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Mix dressing with cooked corn.
Top with fresh cilantro and cotija cheese. Serve immediately warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

Serving Tip

I typically serve this dish as a Mexican salad or side dish. However, this recipe would also be great as a delicious corn chip dip served with homemade tortilla chips!

Watch video on how to make street corn salad

Do you have to use fresh corn?

This Mexican street corn salad recipe is AWESOME with fresh summer corn. However, if fresh corn is not in season, or if you don't want to mess with cutting fresh corn, you can substitute fresh with frozen corn. If you use frozen corn, thaw it first, then follow the same directions in the recipe.

Canned corn will also work. Completely drain corn before cooking according to the recipe.

What is a good substitute for Cotija Cheese?

To keep this Mexican corn salad authentic, I use cotija cheese.

Cotija cheese is a salty, sharp, dry, crumbly Mexican cheese similar in taste to feta cheese or parmesan cheese.

If you can not find Cotija cheese in your supermarket, the next best thing is Queso Fresco. It is another Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture that is similar to the Cotija and makes a great topping to salads. It has a mild, tangy, salty flavor.

Other options for substitutions are feta and parmesan.

Feta is a good substitute because it has a similar texture. However, feta will have a stronger saltier flavor. Because of the difference in flavor, you may want to use less feta than you would have with Cotija in this salad if you choose this option.

Parmesan is also a good substitute because it is similar in flavor and texture. If you choose this option, select the powdered grated parmesan for the optimal similarity.

How long will it last?

You can make Mexican corn off the cob salad in advance. Store salad and/or leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cutting corn off the cob hack

Cutting the corn off the cob can be a hassle if you don't know what you are doing. Read this post for simple steps to make cutting your corn off the cob a breeze!

My husband hates eating corn off the cob. He loves it when I cut the corn off for him. (He is a little spoiled!)

This is why when I prefer creating deconstructed Mexican street corn (elote). He would not like how messy the street corn is eating it on the cob.

Try these tasty Mexican side dishes too!

Please leave me a comment below if you make this corn salad and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

Also post your picture of your street corn on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

📖 Recipe

Comments

5 from 41 votes (23 ratings without comment)

Mexican Corn Salad- Mexican Street Corn Off the Cob