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Home » Salads » Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad

Published: May 16, 2019 by Karly · This post may contain affiliate links

Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad

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We’re taking elote, or Mexican street corn, to an entirely new level with this amazingly fresh and flavorful Mexican Street Corn Salad! With perfectly charred corn, bright lime vinaigrette, and spicy crema drizzle, this Mexican salad recipe will impart a generous new meaning to the popular street food. Tossed with crispy, fried corn tortillas and shaved cotija, this street corn salad is paired with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve, a wonderful start to any meal.

overhead view of two large and one small bowl of mexican street corn salad with a tiny bowl of salt beside them, cilantro sprinkled around the bowls

Play With Your Food

It isn’t just for kids these days, and it’s so rewarding more often than not, to dive into your favorite foods and reinvent them.

Like the street corn fritters on my chorizo burger, or my vegan key lime cheesecakes.

All were born from traditional recipes, and wow were they ever fun to play around with. So playing with your food can definitely have its merits, even if you do get a little messy in the process.

straight-ahead view of a bottle of Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve surrounded by bowls of mexican street corn salad and a glass of wineangled view of a bowl containing lettuces, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and marinated shallots

What’s In This Mexican Street Corn Salad?

Deliciousness, that’s what. Ha!

There are a lot of flavors mixing here, so let’s break it down:

  • charred corn
  • mixed greens and sprouts
  • cherry tomatoes
  • marinated and raw shallots
  • lime vinaigrette
  • spicy crema drizzle
  • fried corn tortillas
  • cotija cheese
  • avocado
  • cilantro

Everything comes together very quickly and every bite is guaranteed to entice your palate with a burst of new characteristics.

We paired this Mexican salad recipe with an amazing bottle of Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve because its complex, rich and bold flavors complement the punchy, spicy brightness of the salad. Cakebread Cellars is easily one of my favorite wines, and for good reason: it’s carefully crafted to ensure the best possible product!

overhead view of two large and one small bowl of mexican street corn salad with a tiny bowl of sea salt and cilantro sprinkled around the bowls. a bottle of cakebread cellars wine is laying down with the label facing upa bottle of cakebread cellars wine is being actively poured into a stemless wine glass, with three bowls of mexican street corn salad in the background

How Do I Make This Street Corn Salad?

It may seem complex to make, but a lot of the components of this Mexican salad can be prepared at the same time.

  • marinate the shallots, then
  • char the corn in a skillet, then
  • using the same pan, fry the tortillas
  • toss greens, sprouts, and tomatoes in a large bowl
  • add the marinated shallots, reserving the marinade
  • whip up the vinaigrette and crema
  • assemble the salad!

Right, it seems like a lot of steps, but in practice, it’s actually much easier. The flavors are totally worth it, though. Like my cucumber salad, and za’atar chickpea salad, stepping away from the ordinary can have amazing results. Boring salads are no more!

angled view of a small bowl of mexican street corn salad with two larger bowls in the background along with a tiny bowl of sea salt and scattered pieces of cilantrooverhead view of one large and one small bowl of mexican street corn salad with a tiny bowl of sea salt beside them

Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad

Get your noms on with this easy and delicious Mexican Street Corn Salad featuring charred corn, spicy crema, and tangy lime vinaigrette! Perfect for summer, wow your guests with amazing and complex flavors in this fun twist on a classic street vendor favorite. Paired with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve, you couldn’t possibly start a meal any better way!

If you like this recipe, please give it a 5-star rating.

You May Also Like…

  • Avocado Toast Salad
  • Midwestern Cucumber Salad
  • Mexican Caesar Salad

Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad

With a zippy lime vinaigrette and spicy crema, this Mexican Street Corn Salad is a twist on the classic street food, and an amazing Mexican salad recipe perfect for summer! Dive into bold, marinated shallots, creamy avocado, and crispy, fried tortillas, topped with cotija cheese for a flavorful dish today!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Salads
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

For the Mexican Salad

  • 1 shallot sliced into thin rings
  • 1 large lime juiced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt divided
  • 1 cup olive oil divided
  • 1 ¼ cups fresh corn on the cob roughly 2 ears of corn
  • cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2 corn tortillas
  • 4 cups spring mix
  • 1 cup sprouts
  • ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 small avocado sliced
  • ¼ cup cotija cheese finely grated
  • ¼ cup cilantro roughly torn

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon shallot marinade
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • cracked black pepper to taste

For the Crema

  • remaining shallot marinade
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized bowl, add the sliced shallot, the juice of 1 whole lime, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss gently to coat and set aside to marinate.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the corn and cook until charred, around 6 minutes. Remove corn from pan and add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add one tortilla and fry until crisp, around 2 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortilla. Break tortillas into small pieces and set aside.
  • Make the vinaigrette and crema: drain the shallots over a small bowl, then transfer 1 tablespoon of the marinade to a second small bowl. To the 1 tablespoon marinade add the honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside. Add the sour cream to the remaining marinade and add the cayenne pepper, starting with just half and increasing the heat to taste as needed. Set aside.
  • In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, sprouts, marinated shallots, and tomatoes, followed by the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide the salad between plates and top with the tortilla pieces, avocado, charred corn, cotija cheese, and a hearty drizzle of crema. Top with a sprinkle of torn cilantro and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 626mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 37.2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1.6mg
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photo-accessoriesCanon EOS 6D | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

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About Karly

From her childhood home in Southern Minnesota, Karly embraces the crazy of everyday life by creating delicious dishes her family and friends love, while experimenting with new flavors and techniques and photographing the results. Karly’s love for beautiful foods and joy for creating is infectious to all who meet her.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth says

    May 20, 2019 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    This dish looks amazing!! So many colors, so many flavors – delish!!

    Reply
  2. wilhelmina says

    May 20, 2019 at 10:40 pm

    5 stars
    This is a total must have all summer long! It goes so well with everything we make make on the grill!

    Reply

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author karly gomez of a simple pantry with a background of red bell peppers
Hi, I'm Karly! Welcome to A Simple Pantry, where you’ll find inspiration for any meal and every occasion with tried-and-tested recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and occasional cooking videos that help you prepare easy gourmet dishes the whole family will love.
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i prefer margaritas and sitting in the shade to piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

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