For a lettuce-less salad that hits the spot, Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad is the perfect recipe. Great for a crowd and made with fresh corn kernels, bell pepper, cotija cheese, and more!
The perfect appetizer or main course
Sometimes I find myself craving lots of veggies. You know, a big bowl filled with all of my favorites. But at the same time, a regular salad doesn't always cut it! That's when something like this healthy Mexican street corn salad comes in.
It's healthy, it's veggie-packed, and it's full of flavor. And there's no piece of lettuce in sight! It's a win-win. Plus it does not use mayo or sour cream, keeping it light and fresh.
Mexican street corn salad is made using tasty ingredients like red bell pepper, onion, Greek yogurt, and jalapeños, of course! It's an easy, straight to the point recipe that will totally satisfy cravings. It makes 10 servings, so it's great for crowds!
And the best part? It also doubles as the best side dish!
Ingredients needed for Mexican corn salad
Healthy street corn ingredients are made up of the salad items, and the dressing fixings. Each part is bursting with strong flavor components and seasonings to ensure that we're working with the most flavor possible!
Salad
- Corn: For the base of the salad, use 4 cups of corn. Fresh or frozen will work, but thaw the frozen corn before using.
- Avocado Oil: 1 tablespoon of avocado oil will help the corn brown in the skillet.
- Red Bell Pepper: For a bit of crunch, color, and flavor, include ½ of a red bell pepper.
- Red Onion: Use ½ of a red onion to get a slight bite.
- Jalapeño: For a dash of heat, include 1 jalapeño (deseeded and diced into small pieces).
- Cilantro: Include a bit of herbs with ½ cup of chopped cilantro.
Dressing
- Greek Yogurt: ½ cup of Greek yogurt will form the base of the dressing.
- Lime: Add a zesty, tangy flavor to the dressing by including the juice of 1 large lime.
- Salt: To pull everything together, add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Spices: Add flavor with 1 teaspoon of each of chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika.
- Crumbled Cotija Cheese: Finally, finish things off with ⅓ cup of crumbled cotija cheese (and set aside extra to sprinkle on top if desired).
What you'll need to create this dish
This recipe calls for minimal amounts of utensils. Just grab a cutting board, knife, a large bowl, a small bowl, and a skillet, and you're good to go!
For measuring, you'll need the following sizes: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ⅓ cup, ½ cup and 1 cup.
How to make healthy Mexican street corn salad
This salad comes together in only 5 easy steps! You'll need about 30 minutes from start to finish.
First, heat a large skillet over high heat with the avocado oil. Once hot, add the corn. The corn should be slightly charred so that it has a roasted flavor and some brown bits mixed in. This will take about 4-6 minutes. Be sure to toss the corn occasionally.
Next, pour the corn in a large bowl and let it cool.
Prepare the rest of the vegetables (peppers, onion, and cilantro) by chopping them. Once chopped, add them to the bowl with the corn.
Take the small bowl and whisk together the Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. When done, stir in the cheese.
Add the yogurt sauce to the large bowl and stir, combining everything until well incorporated.
Finally, top it off with more cheese and cilantro. We love to serve this with tortilla chips!
Storing your dish
Healthy Mexican street corn salad recipe will stay fresh for up to five days in the fridge. I recommend keeping it sealed in an airtight container to maintain freshness. If you can store the dressing separately, that's even better!
Make the dish your own
Want to switch things up a bit? Here are some easy ways to adjust the flavor depending on what you like.
- More heat: Try adding more heat to the salad by introducing another jalapeño. Of course, you can always cut back on the jalapeños if spice isn't your thing! Just give it a taste and see what you think.
- Extra veggies: Sneak in extra veggies by adding chopped green pepper or green onions! You can also add black beans in to make it more packed with protein!
- Add avocado: Avocado always makes dishes (especially salads!) that much better. Add a bit of slices to the top of your bowl for extra flavor!
- Cheese: Switch out the cotija for your favorite cheese, I think a feta cheese would be great here!
Origins of Mexican Street Corn
Doing some research, I found this article from Julee Ho all about the origins of Mexican Street Corn. 'In modern day, the Mexican street corn that we’re familiar with has roots in Mexico City. Known widely for its street food, most specifically antojitos (little cravings), corn serves as a primary ingredient for the city’s street vendors. Unsurprisingly so, elote is served covered in butter, mayonnaise, cotija cheese and chili powder.'
Street food vendors are very popular in cities like Mexico City and they serve many dishes, just like elote.
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!
Dying for some more tasty salad recipes? Here are some delicious ways to sneak in your veggies and enjoy doing so.
- Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Easy Curry Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Heat a large skillet over high heat with avocado oil. Once hot, add corn in. You want to char your corn slightly so it has a roasted flavor and some brown bits. This will take about 4-6 minutes, toss occasionally.
- Pour into a large bowl and let cool.
- Prepare the rest of your veggies (peppers, onion, and cilantro) by chopping. Once chopped, add them to the bowl with the corn.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cumin, paprika. Stir in cheese.
- Add yogurt sauce to bowl and stir to combine everything well.
- Top with more cheese and cilantro.
- Store in fridge for up to five days.
Bridget says
This dip is my favorite!! So easy to make and always a big hit!
Erin says
Hi Bridget, so glad you loved it!!
Elizabeth says
This recipe has become a staple in my meal prep rotations. It’s such an easy dish to make and the dressing is delicious. I love adding avocado and other ingredients from time to time. I’ve also brought it as a dip to parties multiple times and it’s always a hit and gone by the end of the night.
Erin says
Hi Elizabeth, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂
Megan says
Could you use olive oil instead or would it change the taste?
Erin says
Hi Megan, you definitely can! It’s good in this!!
stacey says
This is delicious! I made it as a side with crab legs and it was a hit! I used fresh corn off the cob and only had grated, not crumbled cotija, but it turned out amazing. I will definitely be back to this site!
Erin says
Hi Stacey, so happy you loved it and great idea!!
melisa says
Would I boil fresh corn first?
Erin says
Hi Melisa, yes! Let me know how yours comes out!!
Alisa says
I have never left a comment on a recipe before, but I had to for this one because it is THAT GOOD. The flavors in this are insane. So fresh, so delicious. I have never used this site before, and basically I will be throwing out all my recipe books and only using this site. Can't say enough good things about this.
Erin says
Hi Alisa, so happy you loved it so much!! 🙂
Cassie says
This recipe is amazing. My new go-to dressing is the sauce on this. The red onion is VERY potent, so next time I'll be soaking it in water before hand to eliminate some of the bite. Can't wait to add some variations next time too!
Erin says
Hi Cassie, so glad you liked it!!
Valerie Moore says
Love this recipe!! I’ve made this recipe countless times over the past few summers and it’s my go to side dish for summer parties too. I omit red onion because my husband doesn’t like them and still comes out great.
Erin says
Hi Valerie, so glad you loved it!!
Violeta Bermudez says
Is there a good substitute for red onion? I sadly can’t it it!
Erin says
Hi Violeta, you can use another type of onion you can have or just omit it! 🙂
Dalilah Anaya says
I made this for lunch meal prep and added a can of shredded chicken for more protein. It was delicious!
Erin says
Hi Dalilah, so happy you liked it and great idea! 🙂
Ana says
Can I use canned corn?
Erin says
Hi Ana, yes, I'd just drain it before using! 🙂
Ashlea says
So easy to make and tons of compliments on the flavors!
Erin says
Hi Ashlea, so happy you loved it!!
Candice Henderson says
This was absolutely delicious. We grilled the corn. Skipped the peppers. Used feta cheese. What made it spectacular was the cilantro, lime, yogurt dressing. My big extended family loved it.
Erin says
Hi Candice, so happy you all loved it and made it your own! 🙂
Grace says
such a great app for a crowd! i keep coming back to this recipe every summer, especially down the shore, and it’s a hit every time 🙂 thank you erin!!
Erin says
Hi Grace, so happy it was a big hit!! 🙂
Jillian says
Been a staple for years in our family. Even the cilantro haters eat it! I use frozen bag of corn from Trader Joe's.
Erin says
Hi Jillian, so happy it is a hit! 🙂
Jill says
Made this today for the first time for a BBQ and it was a hit! It was nice and refreshing for a hot day. I left out the cilantro just because we don’t prefer it, but it was still super flavorful. Can’t wait to have more excuses to make it again!
Erin says
Hi Jill, so happy you loved it so much and made it your own!
Becky says
Such an hit that I always bring the bowl home empty from potlucks! After making this over a dozen times, I finally discovered the easiest way to get corn kernels off the cob is to zip them through a mandolin slicer typewriter style (slide and rotate until cob is empty); total time saver! I use a big carbon fiber wok over a gas burner, and it works amazingly fast to roast and char the corn (especially because I often make a double batch). It’s also great as a chip dip! This recipe is tastebud perfection!
Erin says
Hi Becky, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂
Jessie says
Made this and it was such a hit! Added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and it was perfect!
Erin says
Hi Jessie, so happy you loved it and great idea!!
Maureen says
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! This recipe will be added to my meal preparation list!
Erin says
Hi Maureen, so glad you liked it! 🙂
Kari Owens says
This has become our go-to summer salad. I leave out the cilantro and use grated parmesan instead of cotija (because I always have parm on hand) and it's absolutely perfect. I've made it half a dozen times already this summer, and it's been eaten as a side, a dip, and a taco topper. I've brought it to 2 BBQs and both times I had friends/family request the recipe. Thanks for this keeper!
Erin says
Hi Kari, so glad you loved it and made it your own! Thanks for sharing!!