Description
A vibrant, creamy, and spicy corn salad that captures the flavors of Mexican street corn (elote) in just 15 minutes. This no-cook side dish features fresh sweet corn, cotija cheese, lime, and chipotle peppers for a perfect summer meal.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups / 450g)
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese (60g)
- ¼ cup full-fat mayonnaise (60g)
- 2 fresh limes, juiced (about 3 tbsp / 45ml)
- 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (15g)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (5g)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (15g)
- 1 small clove garlic, minced (5g)
Instructions
- Prep the corn: Stand corn ears upright in a large bowl. Slice downward with a sharp knife to remove kernels, rotating to cut all sides. Leave the starchy corn milk in the bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a small separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice, minced chipotle pepper, and chili powder until smooth and pale orange. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Combine and toss: Pour the dressing over the corn kernels. Toss gently but thoroughly with a spatula to coat every kernel. The corn milk will help emulsify the dressing.
- Add cheese and herbs: Gently fold in the crumbled cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. Distribute evenly.
- Chill and serve: Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes in the fridge to allow flavors to meld, or serve immediately. Garnish with extra chili powder and a lime wedge.
Notes
[‘Do not scrape out the corn milk; it acts as a natural thickener for the dressing.’, ‘If using frozen corn, thaw completely and pat dry to remove excess moisture.’, ‘For make-ahead prep, mix corn and dressing up to 24 hours in advance, but add cheese and cilantro just before serving to prevent wilting.’, ‘This salad does not freeze well as the mayo will separate and corn will become mushy.’, ‘Substitute cotija with feta or aged goat cheese if unavailable.’, ‘For a dairy-free version, use vegan mayo and nutritional yeast or vegan cotija.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 5
Keywords: elote corn salad, corn salad, mexican street corn, summer salad, quick recipes, 15 minute meals, vegetarian side dish, cotija cheese, chipotle corn