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Summer isn’t complete until you have made this Grilled Mexican Street Corn. This salad is a twist on a classic Elote and perfect side dish for any summer BBQ. Made with perfectly grilled charred corn, cojita cheese, creamy mayo, chili powder, fresh lime juice and cilantro for garnish.

Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad 

Summer time is the time for barbecues, ice cream, beach days, and all the food trucks. My favorite kind of food truck is always Mexican. Love me some good tacos. And you can’t have some authentic Mexican tacos without some Elote. 

In this recipe I have taken your classic Mexican Elote and turned it into a fresh and delicious salad. It’s a cleaner version than the ones you may buy at a food truck and you also control the ingredients you use in it. For example, the quality of mayo, butter, and cheese is much better and with much better ingredients than the ones that would be used in any street food truck.

Being healthy and making better decisions when it comes to food doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself from eating the foods you love and enjoy. Mexican street corn is a delicious side dish that no one should prevent themselves from eating. Especially in the summer time!

What is Grilled Mexican Street Corn?

Grilled Mexican Street Corn is also known as Elote. It’s a traditional Mexican way to make corn on the cob. The corn is grilled and then topped with delicious and amazing toppings. Your classic toppings to use on an Elote or Mexican street corn are Cojita cheese, mayonnaise, butter, cilantro, lime juice and chili powder. 

Health Benefits of Corn:

There are many myths and misconceptions about corn and how it’s not a healthy vegetable to eat. Fresh corn has amazing health benefits and should be part of a healthy diet. The kind of corn that you want to stay away from is processed and refined corn that is used to make flour or starch. Any nutrients have been stripped from its original form and can be hard to digest. Some of the great health benefits corn has are:

• Speeds weight loss
• Prevents anemia 
• Promotes healthy eyesight
• Improves digestion 
• Boosts immune system 
• Good source of antioxidants
• Rich in vitamins and minerals
• Full of fiber
• Helps control diabetes
• Prevents hemorrhoids 

What is a good substitute for Cojita cheese?

If you don’t like Cojita cheese or can’t find any where you are no problem. You can use Feta cheese as a great substitute. It has very similar texture and taste so you can use Feta instead of Cojita in this recipe. 

What you need to make this:

 Ingredients:

• Fresh Corn
• Mayonnaise 
• Butter
• Lime
• Chili Powder
• Pink Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cojita Cheese (or Feta Cheese)
• Fresh Cilantro

Equipment:

• Grill
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Baking Sheet Pan

How to make Grilled Mexican Street Corn:

• Step 1– Start by prepping corn; Shuck corn then rinse making sure to remove any leftover silk. Pat corn dry and generously rub with butter making sure they are well coated. 
• Step 2– Heat up grill on medium-high heat and preheat for about 10 minutes. Place corn on preheated grill. Grill for 15 minutes turning each cob every 2-3 minutes. This will ensure corn will grill evenly and get a nice char on every side.

• Step 3– Remove corn from grill and allow to cool for a bit until it can be handled. While corn is cooling, grate 1/4 cup cojita cheese. 
• Step 4– Grab corn from stem and place on top of a large baking sheet pan or in a large mixing bowl. Using a knife, carefully cut down the sides removing kernels from cob. Repeat with the rest of the corn. 

• Step 5– Transfer corn kernels into a large mixing bowl (if not in one already). Add in the rest of ingredients; mayo, butter, grated cojita cheese, lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Give salad a good toss making sure it’s all well combined and corn is well coated with the rest of ingredients. 

• Step 6– Cover salad and place in the fridge. Allow it to chill for 1-2 hours. 
• Step 7– Remove salad from fridge and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Preheat your grill- This will prevent corn from sticking to it and will grill corn evenly at the same temperature on every side.
2. Turn each cob every 2-3 minutes while grilling- This will ensure corn will grill evenly and get a nice char on every side.
3. Place grilled corn on large baking sheet pan or in a large mixing bowl to remove kernels from the cob- This will make it easier to cut and less messy.
4. Allow salad to chill for 1-2 hours- This salad is best when served chilled.
5. Substitute for cojita cheese- Use feta cheese.

Meal Prepping it:

This recipe makes for a great side dish for lunch, dinner, or summer cookouts. You can make it ahead and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. You can also grill your corn ahead of time and then mix everything together when you’re ready to serve. 

What to serve Grilled Mexican Street Corn with:

• Slow Cooker Carne Asada Tacos
• Shrimp Fajitas
• Cilantro Lime Chicken Fajitas
• Instant Pot Taco Meat
• Best and Easiest Homemade Guacamole
• Loaded Guacamole

Like this Grilled Mexican Street Corn Recipe? You may also like these other summer salad recipes:

• Adobo Steak and Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
• Classic Macaroni Salad (Gluten-Free)
• Grilled Pineapple Chicken Salad
• Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with Grilled Chicken
• Watermelon Strawberry Salad with Feta
• Southwest Chicken Salad
• Cucumber Herb Salad

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

 **Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

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