Mexican Street Corn Salad (Elote)
I bring this to every potluck and every time someone asks “who made the corn?” It’s me. It’s always me. And I’m always slightly smug about it, which is not my most attractive quality but is honest.
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn or 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise Kewpie for extra credit
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, minced this is canned smoked chillies in a tangy sauce
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled or feta as substitute
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Method
Char the Corn
-
If using fresh: grill the ears directly over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots. Cut the kernels off the cob. If using frozen: thaw, pat dry, and char in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of oil over high heat for 5-6 minutes. Don’t stir constantly — let the kernels sit and develop blackened spots. The charring is essential. It adds smoky sweetness that raw or boiled corn simply doesn’t have. Without char, this is just corn salad. With char, it’s elote.
Make the Dressing
-
Mix mayo, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, garlic, and half the chilli powder. The chipotle in adobo is what makes this smoky and slightly spicy — start with 1 tablespoon and taste. If you want more heat, add more. The sauce should be creamy, tangy, and have a slow-building smokiness.
Combine
-
Toss the charred corn with the dressing. Add cotija cheese and cilantro. Toss again. Taste: it should be creamy, tangy, smoky, slightly spicy, and sweet from the corn. Adjust lime, salt, or chilli powder as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with extra crumbled cotija, a dusting of chilli powder, and a few cilantro leaves.
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Elote) — Off-the-Cob Edition
I bring this to every potluck and every time someone asks “who made the corn?” It’s me. It’s always me. And I’m always slightly smug about it, which is not my most attractive quality but is honest.
Mexican street corn salad — elote desgranado — is the off-the-cob version of the grilled corn you find on Mexican street carts. Charred corn kernels tossed in a creamy chipotle mayo with cotija cheese, lime juice, chilli powder, and cilantro. It’s tangy, smoky, creamy, spicy, and sweet all at once. It hits every flavour note a dish can hit, and it does it with a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of effort.
The Polish connection: we have nothing like this. Zero equivalent. Polish corn culture is basically “boiled corn on the cob with butter and salt.” Functional, but not inspiring. Mexican street corn introduced me to the idea that corn can be a flavour experience, not just a side dish. The chipotle mayo, the lime, the cheese — it transforms corn from background player to star. My babcia would try it, nod thoughtfully, and then ask why we never did this in Poland. A fair question with no good answer.
Ingredients
- • 6 ears of corn (or 4 cups frozen corn, thawed)
- • 1/3 cup mayonnaise (Kewpie for extra credit)
- • 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, minced — this is canned smoked chillies in a tangy sauce
- • 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or feta as substitute)
- • Juice of 2 limes
- • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- • 1 clove garlic, minced
- • Salt and pepper
How to Make It
Char the Corn
If using fresh: grill the ears directly over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots. Cut the kernels off the cob. If using frozen: thaw, pat dry, and char in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of oil over high heat for 5-6 minutes. Don’t stir constantly — let the kernels sit and develop blackened spots. The charring is essential. It adds smoky sweetness that raw or boiled corn simply doesn’t have. Without char, this is just corn salad. With char, it’s elote.
Make the Dressing
Mix mayo, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, garlic, and half the chilli powder. The chipotle in adobo is what makes this smoky and slightly spicy — start with 1 tablespoon and taste. If you want more heat, add more. The sauce should be creamy, tangy, and have a slow-building smokiness.
Combine
Toss the charred corn with the dressing. Add cotija cheese and cilantro. Toss again. Taste: it should be creamy, tangy, smoky, slightly spicy, and sweet from the corn. Adjust lime, salt, or chilli powder as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with extra crumbled cotija, a dusting of chilli powder, and a few cilantro leaves.
Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned
Fresh grilled corn is the best — sweetest, most flavourful, and the charring is easiest. Frozen corn is an excellent year-round substitute — it chars well in a hot skillet and keeps 90% of the flavour. Canned corn is a last resort — it’s softer and sweeter, with less bite. If using canned, drain very well and char aggressively in a dry skillet to develop some texture.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Chipotle in adobo comes in a small can. You’ll use 1-2 tablespoons. Transfer the rest to a jar and refrigerate — it keeps for weeks and is amazing in marinades, soups, and on smash burgers.
✓ Cotija cheese is ideal. It’s a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese available in most grocery stores’ cheese or Hispanic section. Feta is the closest substitute — same salty crumble, slightly different flavour.
✓ Make it ahead. This salad is actually better after 30 minutes in the fridge — the flavours meld. Perfect for potlucks since you can make it at home and transport it.
✓ Char hard. Don’t be afraid of blackened kernels. The char is where the smoky sweetness lives.
Variations
• On the cob: Grill whole ears, then spread the mayo mixture directly on the cob. Roll in cotija. Squeeze lime. This is classic elote and it’s magnificently messy.
• Extra spicy: Add extra chipotle, a diced jalapeno, and Tajin seasoning. My preferred version and the one that makes my husband drink extra water.
• With avocado: Add diced avocado right before serving. The creaminess of avocado with the tangy dressing is beautiful.
• As a birria side: This salad next to birria tacos is a Mexican feast that requires no restaurant reservation.
How to Store
Fridge for 3-4 days. The flavour improves on day two. Not freezer-friendly — the mayo and cheese don’t survive thawing well. This is a make-ahead-same-week situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if someone doesn’t like cilantro?
Some people have a genetic thing where cilantro tastes like soap. For those people (my sympathy, truly), substitute with fresh parsley or just skip the herb entirely. The salad still works without it — the char, lime, and chipotle carry the flavour.
Is this a side dish or a dip?
Both. Serve it as a side next to grilled meats, or put out a bowl with tortilla chips and watch it disappear. At my potlucks, people eat it both ways — scooped onto plates alongside burgers AND scooped with chips while standing around the kitchen. Versatility is its superpower.
The Potluck Strategy
I’ve developed a deliberate potluck strategy over the years. When the sign-up sheet goes around, I claim “side dish” immediately because sides are where the glory lives. Main dishes compete with each other. Desserts are expected. But a truly outstanding side dish? That’s what people remember and talk about the next day. This Mexican street corn salad has been my potluck weapon for two years running, and its track record is flawless: empty bowl every time, recipe requests every time, and a growing reputation as “the corn lady” that I wear with unreasonable pride. My babcia was known for her pierogi. I’m building my legacy on charred corn with chipotle mayo. Different generation, same energy.
More From Polish Mom
Birria Tacos (Slow Cooker) · Chicken Enchiladas (Creamy Green Chile) · Carne Asada (Easy Marinade) · Chicken Tortilla Soup