Mexican Street Corn Salad

This salad is light, fresh and full of bright flavors. Grilled sweet corn, peppers, and onions are tossed with a cilantro-lime dressing making it the perfect side dish (or chip dip!) for taco night!

Jump to Recipe

When most people think of Iowa, they think of one of two things: pigs or corn. We have more pigs than any other state and there's corn/beans growing along almost every road, so I suppose it's a fairly accurate depiction of our state!

Does field corn = sweet corn?

What many people don't know is that the majority of the corn grown in Iowa isn't grown for human consumption. You see, sweet corn and field corn are very different. Sweet corn is what we see in the grocery store and field corn (which is over 99% of the corn in Iowa) is grown for livestock feed.

So if you think about it, it really makes sense why Iowa is a great place to raise pigs. Farmers grow corn and soybeans, feed it to their livestock, and then have organic fertilizer on their land to help the next year's crop grow even better. Ag is pretty cool, huh??

Although most of the corn my family grew was field corn, we typically had a few rows of sweet corn. Oh how I miss being able to walk out the to backyard to grab a few cobs! That freshly-picked sweet corn just can't be beat.

The beginning of sweet corn season was amazing. Us kids would pick the corn, shuck it and bring it in for Mom to cook. But there was one day that I know I dreaded....."sweet corn day." It was the one day each summer that we'd freeze bags upon bags of sweet corn so we could enjoy it year round. Pick, shuck, wash, cut, bag. Pick, shuck, wash, cut, bag. And on and on and on!!

Looking back, I shouldn't have complained. Sure, they were typically hot and muggy days, but once we'd get started, it really wasn't all that bad. We'd play music, chat, and probably argue over who could shuck a corn cob the fastest. And the fact that we'd have tasty sweet corn throughout the year was worth every minute of "sweet corn day!"

Eating sweet corn right off the cob (after being lathered in butter and a sprinkling of salt) just can't be beat. However, in the future, when I buy corn, I'll be sure to buy a few extra ears for this recipe I'm sharing with you today!

This recipe is called Mexican Street Corn Salad because in Mexico, there are several street vendors that'll sell corn on the cob with a variety of toppings. This recipe incorporates all of those flavors in a fresh and vibrant salad.

Although I can't help but eat this salad straight from the mixing bowl with a big 'ol spoon, I've also used it as a dip for tortilla chips and as a "corn salsa" on tacos. No matter how you eat it, it's fantastic!

What should my corn and red pepper look like coming off the grill?

There's really no "right or wrong" when it comes to charring the vegetables. Essentially the more you char them, the darker they'll get and the more "char flavor" you'll have in the salad. I like them how they look in the photo below. They're not super dark, but they have some nice charred pieces that will bring some flavor to the recipe.

What if I don't have a grill?

No problem at all. This recipe can easily be made on the stovetop! Essentially, instead of charring the corn and red pepper on the grill, you'll do the same thing on a hot saucepan....easy!!

Can I add avocados?

I don't think I could ever say "no" to avocados. You certainly can - it'll add a little extra creaminess that will be incredible. Just remember that you'll want to add the avocado right before serving so they don't turn into little brown cubes in your beautiful salad!

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes!! One thing that I love about this recipe is that you can put it together (minus the cheese) and keep it in the refrigerator until you need it. Then, simply crumble the cheese on, stir it up, and serve!

This salad would be a perfect side dish for my Mexican Lasagna or my Stacked Enchiladas! Mmmm sounds like a fiesta!!