Spicy Mexican Street Corn Salad
This Spicy Mexican Street Corn Salad is my favorite dish to serve with tacos or fajitas! It’s great for a crowd because you can make it ahead of time and you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like. This recipe serves enough for a group but you can easily divide it in half for a smaller portion.
I don’t remember the first time I had street corn, but I remember thinking… this is worth the mayonnaise. I’m usually a mayo-hater but I have to admit that a little mayonnaise is really what makes this recipe. I know, I know. Who am I? But after our friends had this “salad” (and trust me, I know this isn’t a salad by any stretch of the imagination) they asked for the recipe so I figured I better share it! The great thing about Mexican street corn in salad form is that it’s much easier to eat, so you’re less likely to end up with cheese on your chin. You’re welcome.
Tips for making the perfect Mexican Street Corn Salad
- This salad is actually better when it’s made a few hours in advance because it gives the flavors time to combine! Just store it in the fridge in a sealed container or with plastic wrap.
- If you like it spicy, you can add a whole jalapeno! Just be sure to finely dice it so the heat is evenly distributed.
- This is great served with tacos or fajitas as a side dish but it’s also great as a chip dip!
- Be sure not to overcook the corn. You want it slightly toasted but not mushy. If you don’t have a really large skillet, heat the frozen corn in batches to avoid overcooking the corn. I usually use frozen corn so once it’s thawed and bright yellow, I remove it from the heat. It should look like the corn below.
Spicy Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Spicy Mexican Street Corn Salad is a great Mexican side dish to serve with tacos or fajitas!
Ingredients
- 2 (12 oz) bags of frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 jalapeno, diced
- 3 tablespoons diced red onion (optional)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the corn in the olive oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. The corn should be bright and warm but don’t overcook the kernels or they’ll become mushy.
- In a large bowl, combine the mayo and feta until mixed.
- Stir in the diced jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, chili powder, and garlic.
- Slice the lime in half and use a fork to juice each half. Add the juice into the bowl.
- Add in the corn into the cheese mixture and stir until well coated.
- Sprinkle with sea salt, and red pepper flakes, then mix, and serve!
Notes
This makes enough for a large party, so feel free to half the recipe if you don’t need as much!
Keywords: Mexican Street Corn Salad, Mexican Side Dish
I love making this recipe for taco night because it’s a perfect side dish for tacos! You can also add it on top of your favorite tacos or serve it as a dip with chips!
One of the things I love about this side dish is that you can make it ahead of time and then just pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours. (Make sure you don’t leave it out for too long since the mayonnaise could go bad!) This recipe makes a huge batch and it always gets eaten. I think that’s a pretty good sign!
Looking for something to serve it with? This spicy street corn salad goes perfectly with these 5 ingredient black bean enchiladas!
This was a huge hit! And so easy!
★★★★★
Hi this looks great! Is there a substitute for the mayonnaise?
You could use a vegan mayonnaise if you’re trying to avoid eggs. Or you could try sour cream or Greek yogurt, but I haven’t used those myself.
If I have a bag of frozen roasted corn, do I just thaw it and throw it into the cheese mixture? Or do I still need to throw it in a pan with the oil first?
I am making this with corn on the cob. Just an FYI, it takes about 10 medium to large size ears of corn to get 6 cups.
If using frozen corn, should it be completely defrosted before cooking?