Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad
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Perfectly charred corn and jalapeno tossed with cilantro, lime juice, red onion, and cheese. This healthy Mexican street corn salad recipe is easy to prepare with only 6 ingredients and is the perfect summer side dish or, with the addition of protein, the perfect healthy lunch.
What you need for this recipe: fresh corn on the cob, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, lime, cotija or parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Elote, or Mexican street corn, originates from…well I guess this part is obvious… Mexico. However, I first tried it at Cafe Habana, a Cuban cafe in New York City. Perfectly charred corn on the cob rolled in mayonnaise and topped with cotija cheese, cayenne pepper, and lime juice. From my very first messy bite, I was in love. Jordan brought me to Cafe Habana when we first started dating (about a billion years ago). I have often wondered if Elote was a bit of a dating test, “Hey, new girlfriend, come with me and taste the messiest/ most delicious corn on the cob in the world. Eat it in front of your new boyfriend”. I passed the test, I’ve never been the dainty salad eater. I am an eater, a lover of food. The corn was just too good to care about the fact that my face was covered in cheese, cayenne, corn, and mayo. Either you are going to love me like this, or not at all 🙂
When I want traditional Mexican street corn I will head to Mexico, or Cafe Habana, when I want those flavors at home I make this salad.
6 simple wholesome ingredients transform into a smokey, tangy, spicy, sweet salad. I promise you are going to love this. By removing the traditional mayonnaise and lightening up on the quantity of cheese this healthy version of Mexican street corn salad is lighter, fresher, and dare I say better? I dare. I do. It is.
How to Make the Perfect Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad:
- Start with really fresh corn on the cob. I am a stickler for food seasonality if you eat what is local and seasonal your food will not only taste better but will be higher in nutrients. Remember the longer a fruit or vegetable sits on the shelf in the grocery store the more nutrients it is losing. From the second produce is picked it begins to degenerate, the fresher your food is the more abundant the nutrients. All that to say, use fresh local corn for this recipe. PERFECTLY easy to find this time of year!
- Grill your corn until perfectly charred. (see tips below on how to do this without an outdoor grill, which I do not have). Don’t skip this step, the balance of smokey charred corn, zesty lime, and spicy jalapeno is magic.
- Grill your jalapeno until perfectly charred. This recipe has very few ingredients, therefore it’s important to eeek flavor out of every step. By grilling your jalapeno you are adding another smokey element and also reducing the heat intensity.
- Use enough lime juice and salt. Salt and acid are key flavors in this salad, do not skimp on either ingredient.
- Add fresh herbs. Cilantro is traditional and my favorite, but if you are a cilantro hater than parsley will work equally well.
- Add cotija cheese. Cotija cheese is a hard crumbly Mexican cheese that closely resembles feta cheese in it’s fresher softer state or parmesan cheese in it’s dried grated state. If you can’t find cotija cheese you can substitute either feta or parmesan. I prefer the dried parmesan texture over the moister feta in this recipe. (Please note: this is probably the only time in the history of the world that I will say I preferred another cheese over feta!)
How to Perfectly Grill Corn on the Cob without an outdoor Grill
I do not have an outdoor grill, so I have to get all of my charred smokey grill flavors indoors. Here are a few ways you can do this:
- Char your corn over your gas stovetop. This is how I do it. I simply turn on my gas burner and place my corn on the cob directly over the flame. Using tongs I carefully turn the cob until I have reached the peak level of char (see all that gorgeous black on the corn kernels? that is what I consider peak char level). Just be cautious because the kernels can pop and explode, making this a slightly dangerous endeavor.
- Remove corn from cob and char in a dry cast iron skillet. You can achieve nearly the same amount of smokey grill flavor by just toasting the kernels in a dry skillet. I prefer the open flame method, but a cast iron skillet works equally well.
- Use an indoor cast iron grill pan. Heat the pan until screaming hot and place your corn cobs on the grill pan. Turn carefully until charred.
I have served this salad at a bbq alongside traditional grilled food, or as a healthy lunch with grilled chicken. I also eat it directly out of the bowl leaning against my refrigerator because it is just that good.
This Mexican street corn salad is a family favorite, Jordan requests it all summer long and I am happy to oblige. As soon as corn begins to have that late fall overly starchy flavor (or taste like “Cow Corn” as my sister likes to call it) corn salad season is officially over, and you will have to wait until the fresh sweet corn of the summer comes around the following July or August.
For similar tasty dishes, check out my summer side dish recipes and August recipes roundup!
If you make this recipe tag your photo with #abraskitchen on Instagram. I love seeing your genius!
Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn
- 1 jalapeno
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese (or parmesan cheese)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice (juice from one lime)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare corn by shucking it and then grilling the ears either on a gas or charcoal grill or over an open flame, until slightly charred and toasty. (see notes). When cool enough to handle, remove corn from the cob using a sharp knife.
- Grill jalapeno until skin is charred and black in some areas. Chop jalapeno removing seeds and ribs for less heat.
- In a large bowl combine corn, chopped jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Gently toss. Serve with a few extra lime wedges and an extra sprinkle of cheese and cilantro.
- Will keep for up to 5 days in fridge.
Notes
- Char your corn over your gas stovetop. This is how I do it. I simply turn on my gas burner and place my corn on the cob directly over the flame. Using tongs I carefully turn the cob until I have reached the peak level of char (see all that gorgeous black on the corn kernels? that is what I consider peak char level). Just be cautious because the kernels can pop and explode, making this a slightly dangerous endeavor.
- Remove corn from cob and char in a dry cast iron skillet. You can achieve nearly the same amount of smokey grill flavor by just toasting the kernels in a dry skillet. I prefer the open flame method, but a cast iron skillet works equally well.
- Use an indoor cast iron grill pan. Heat the pan until screaming hot and place your corn cobs on the grill pan. Turn carefully until charred.
Nutrition
More Healthy Side Dish Recipes You Will Love:
Almond Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans
Fresh Basil and Roasted Cauliflower Pasta Salad
Meet Abra Pappa, MS, CNS, LDN
Abra is a licensed nutritionist, seasoned home cook, and forever flavor-chaser. She’s spent more than two decades exploring the connection between food and health—and just as long obsessing over what makes something truly delicious. Abra’s Kitchen is where those two loves meet, with recipes that celebrate vegetables, follow the seasons, and make you excited to cook.
I didn’t have corn on the cob; all I had was frozen corn, but I used the technique explained here to “grill” the corn on the stove top in a cast iron skillet. It worked fantastically! It was delicious!!! I will definitely make this again!!!
Yay! Great way to riff, love to hear that the frozen corn worked out.
How much is in 1 serving?
1/4 of the recipe, there are 4 total servings in the recipe.