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, is the perfect healthy lunch.
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
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.