Mexican-Inspired Grilled Corn Salad with Cotija

Grilled Corn Salad is inspired by Mexican street corn (elote) made with chili-lime seasoning and cotija cheese, made lighter with no mayo.

Grilled Corn Salad with Cotija

If you need some easy side dishes to make this summer, you’ll love this Grilled Corn Salad with Cotija. It’s inspired by elote, Mexican corn on the cob covered in mayo and topped with chili powder, lime juice, and cheese. For this Mexican street corn salad, I take the corn off the cob, skip the mayonnaise, and mix everything together for a light summer side dish. This dish is great with air fryer salmon, grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, rice, etc., making it the perfect side for any summer BBQ. If you prefer Mediterranean flavors, you might like this Grilled Corn Salad with Feta and Mint or try this Corn Salad with Avocado and Tomatoes.

Ingredients to make grilled corn salad:

This healthy Mexican corn salad uses all the ingredients of elote but without the mayo.

• Corn on the cob – grill peeled corn directly on the grill for a charred, smokey flavor that elevates this salad. If you want to use frozen, that will be fine.
• Scallions – any onion works here but I love scallions in this salad. You can also use red onion, or chives.
• Cotija cheese – cotija is typically used on elote, you can also use crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese if you prefer.
• Cilantro – for freshness, although if you detest the flavor you can use chives on their place.
• Chili-lime seasoning – like Tajin or Trader Joe’s Everything But The Elote Seasoning
• Lime wedges, for serving which get squeezed over the salad for tang and acid.

Can you grill corn in advance for corn salad?

Yes, you can prep your corn in advance. You can husk, grill, and remove the kernels from the cob the day before making the salad.

How to Grill Corn for Salad

1. To grill the corn for this salad, start by removing the husks and heating your grill to medium-high.
2. Then grill the corn for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the cobs so that all sides touch the grill.
3. Once they’re charred in spots, remove the corn from the grill to cool.

If you don’t have a grill, you can cook your corn in a skillet on the stove using the same method.

How to Make Corn Salad

1. After the corn has been grilled and has cooled, remove the kernels from the cob. The easiest way is to stand the cob up in a large bowl and use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off.
2. Add the scallions and cotija to the bowl with the corn and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Stir in the Tajin, cilantro, salt and pepper.
4. Serve topped with with more Tajin sprinkled on top and lime wedges, if desired. Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to four days.

Variations:

• Cheese – Sub queso fresco or feta for cotija.
• No grill, no problem! You can use a grill pan if you don’t have a grill. If you’re making this salad when corn isn’t in season, you can use frozen corn.
• Onions – Swap scallions or chives for red onion.
• Add ons: Add diced avocado, tomato, canned black beans or chopped jalapeno, for spice.

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