Mexican Corn Salad
Posted Jun 20, 2022, Updated Apr 18, 2023
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This Mexican corn salad recipe is a delicious and healthy side dish. Made with a handful of ingredients in 10 minutes, this corn salad can be made with fresh or frozen corn.
In the summer and fall we go to the farmer’s market every single weekend in order to get the best corn from a local farm. Corn so delicious you can eat it straight off the ear – yum! One of my favorite ways to enjoy summer corn is in this Mexican corn salad recipe.
In this corn salad, corn, tomatoes and onion are tossed in a creamy homemade dressing. It’s a great side dish for taco nights (or any of our favorite Mexican recipes), or for a barbecue. It’s also delicious as an appetizer eaten with chips!
Corn Salad Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Corn. I have used both fresh corn and frozen and thawed corn to make this recipe – both are great. You will need 2 cups of corn, which is a 12 oz bag of frozen corn or 3-4 ears of fresh corn on the cob. .
- Tomatoes. Choose your favorite variety: baby tomatoes, heirloom, Roma, on the vine, etc.
- Red Onion. yellow or white onion also can be used in this recipe.
- Minced Garlic. use fresh or jarred minced garlic. Or you can substitute 1 tsp garlic powder for the minced garlic.
- Cojita cheese. Feta is a great substitute if you can’t find cojita cheese.
- Olive Oil. avocado oil is an acceptable substitution for olive oil.
- Mayonnaise. there really isn’t a substitute for mayo in this recipe.
- Sour Cream. full-fat greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- Lime Juice. fresh or bottled both work well.
- Honey. granulated sugar can be used in place of honey.
How to Make Corn Salad
This corn salad recipe is very simple to make. The most time consuming pieces are letting the cooked corn cool down, and chopping the vegetables. We’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
To use fresh corn
Begin this recipe by cooking the fresh corn. To do this, add the ears of corn to a large pot and add water until they are covered by 1”.
Then, bring the water (with the corn in it) to a boil.
Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover the water/corn mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the corn from the water and let it dry and cool in a colander.
Cut corn off the cobb and use in this recipe.
For frozen corn:
Let the corn thaw at room temperature or gently thaw it in the microwave.
Make the dressing
Once the corn is prepared, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
Assemble the corn salad
Now, it’s time to assemble the Mexican corn salad. In a large bowl, combine corn, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cheese.
Then, pour dressing over the corn mixture and stir until combined.
After the ingredients are combined, cover the bowl and chill the corn salad for at least 1 hour.
Serve
If desired, add avocado right before serving.
Serve the corn salad chilled with your favorite Mexican dishes. This also makes a great dip for chips!
Some of our favorite Mexican recipes:
- I make these easy ground beef tacos (with homemade taco seasoning) at least once a week.
- Try these chicken enchiladas or ground beef enchiladas!
- Taco night isn’t complete without the this easy homemade guacamole.
- This blender salsa takes 5 minutes to prepare!
- Cilantro lime rice is a delicious addition, especially if you want to make burritos!
- Skip the can and make your own homemade refried black beans, they only take 10 minutes to prepare!
- I always make this sweet potato and black bean taco filling to go with our ground beef tacos for extra veggies!
Store
Store leftover corn salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
The corn we buy at the farmers market can be eaten raw. However, I prefer the taste and texture when it’s cooked.
Yes, if you are feeding a large crowd you can definitely double this recipe.
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Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed to room temperature, (12 oz bag frozen corn or 3-4 ears)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- ½ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup cojita or feta cheese
- Optional: avocado diced
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Sour Cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Optional to add for heat: ¼ tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Instructions
If using fresh corn:
- Add ears of corn to a large pot and add water until they are covered by 1”
- Bring the water (with the corn in it) to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and cover the water/corn mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove corn from the water and let it dry and cool in a colander.
- Cut corn off the cobb and transfer to a large bowl.
If using frozen corn:
- Let the corn thaw at room temperature or gently thaw it in the microwave.
Make the dressing
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
Assemble the corn salad:
- In a large bowl, combine corn, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cheese.
- Pour dressing over the corn mixture and stir until combined.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Transfer the corn salad to a serving dish. Top it with cheese, chopped cilantro and avocado right before serving.
- Serve chilled with your favorite Mexican dishes or as a dip with chips.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Corn. I have used both fresh corn and frozen and thawed corn to make this recipe – both are great. You will need 2 cups of corn, which is a 12 oz bag of frozen corn or 3-4 ears of fresh corn on the cob. .
- Tomatoes. Choose your favorite variety: baby tomatoes, heirloom, Roma, on the vine, etc.
- Red Onion. yellow or white onion also can be used in this recipe.
- Minced Garlic. use fresh or jarred minced garlic. Or you can substitute 1 tsp garlic powder for the minced garlic.
- Cojita cheese. Feta is a great substitute if you can’t find cojita cheese.
- Olive Oil. avocado oil is an acceptable substitution for olive oil.
- Sour Cream. full-fat greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
- Lime Juice. fresh or bottled both work well.
- Honey. granulated sugar can be used in place of honey.
Store
Store leftover corn salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photos in this post were taken by Jamie from Dishing Out Health.
I could taste the deliciousness from looking at the photo. But, I almost left the dressing off, thinking it would be the sour cream & mayo dressing of my youth- circa 1980s. I was all set to just sprinkle lime juice on top. Then I saw the amounts & decided to give it a try. Oh my goodness, so glad I did. Just the right amount not gloopy. Fresh tasting.
Readers, repeat after me. Trust Laura. She knows her food.
Worth the extra effort to use fresh corn. I did add finely diced jalapeños to the salad and next time would add some thinly sliced radishes, but that was a personal preference.
Delicious & was refreshing with homemade Barbacoa & tortillas off the skillet. Glad for an option other than beans, rice, or chips & salsa. I see making this often.