· · · · · ·

Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

ByJenn Giam Smith

Summer is a great time for pasta salads and one thing I’ve been really enjoying is revamping some favorite Tex-Mex recipes from my childhood. Many of you know that my dad is Chinese, but what many of you may not know is my mom is a Texan, and my dad, although Chinese, is associated greatly as a Texan himself (growing up there much of his life). So even though I was born and bred in Wisconsin, I grew up eating a lot, and I mean a lot of Tex-Mex food.

Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review
close up of Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad topped with queso fresco and sliced tomatoes

This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe blog post may contain affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you! Affiliate Disclaimer

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin7
7 Shares

Summer is a great time for pasta salads and one thing I’ve been really enjoying is revamping some favorite Tex-Mex recipes from my childhood. Many of you know that my dad is Chinese, but what many of you may not know is my mom is a Texan, and my dad, although Chinese, is associated greatly as a Texan himself (growing up there much of his life). So even though I was born and bred in Wisconsin, I grew up eating a lot, and I mean a lot of Tex-Mex food.

So… what is Mexican Street Corn? Well… Mexican Street Corn, AKA Elote (pronounced eh-loh-tay) is made with corn on the cob, slathered with an amazing mixture of mayonnaise, chili powder, and fresh lime juice, then sprinkled all over with salty Cotija cheese and cilantro. It’s messy to eat and worth every bite. Elote is the perfect summertime side dish really anytime, and now you can have it in pasta salad!

Table of contents

My Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad ready to be eaten in an oval cream colored platter on a bamboo tray.

A few notes to help with “just in case”

Cook the pasta just until al dente. Nothing ruins any pasta salad quicker than mushy, overcooked pasta. I recommend cooking the pasta for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package. For example: if the package recommends 9-11 minutes, cook it for 8 minutes, then pull it off the heat and strain. Especially since this will be sitting for a bit of cooling.

If sweet corn is in season where you are, you can definitely (and quite honestly I would) use grilled corn on the cob instead of frozen corn in a pan! Husk and clean your corn, then grill the cobs to lightly char the kernels. It’ll add an entirely new dimension to your salad!

The dressing in this pasta salad is light, and might not be “creamy” by the time you eat it if you let it sit. It personally doesn’t bother me, but if you find you need to, add a couple of tablespoons of mayo and a squeeze of lime to add a little “creaminess” to it. You might also need to add some salt, so check that too.

How to Make The Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is super easy to make. It takes a little bit of time, but not much compared to other pasta salads. If you make it ahead of time, it gets even better as it waits for you in the fridge.

    1. Cook the pasta according to al dente. Drain. Set aside to cool (I run a little cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking and help prevent it from sticking).
    2. Sauté the corn: Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook the corn for about 7 minutes, or until you see some golden brown spots.
    3. Make the dressing: In a medium-sized mixing bowl: mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle and regular chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, about 8oz/3/4 of the Queso Fresco, half of the tomatoes, and half of the cilantro (or parsley) until combined
    4. Add the corn and pasta. Mix until coated.
    5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    6. Top with the remaining cheese, cilantro, and tomatoes, and ENJOY

    This salad goes with pretty much any picnic staples

    Everything from Grilled Steak to hotdogs! It doesn’t have to be Mexican night at your house to eat this.

    But of course, if you’re looking for some other good ones, check out my Recipe: Lemon Chicken Taco Dinner, or use my Cilantro Lime Marinade to make some pretty amazing tacos to serve with this.

      A Picture of medium rare sliced steak on top of the Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, topped with queso fresco and cilantro.

      Did you try it, have questions?

      Make sure to rate the recipe and comment below. Let me know your thoughts and/or how this pasta salad turned out for you.

      Let’s get social!

      Feel free to tag me on Instagram or Facebook by using my username @alwaysjennsmith. I love seeing those joyous moments when friends and family come together to savor a scrumptious meal and create unforgettable memories.

      Share your thoughts with me, and let’s celebrate life together!

      Print
      clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

      Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

      5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

      No reviews

      Print Recipe

      This quick Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is loaded with delicious corn, queso fresco, and a deliciously smokey, and refreshing dressing. It’s quick and easy to throw together and is made up of a combination of both pantry and fresh ingredients, most of which you probably already have, and the ones you don’t are easy to find at any grocery store!

      • Total Time: 45 minutes
      • Yield: 3 [32 oz] servings 1x

      Ingredients

      Units Scale
      • 1/2 lb dry orzo (they usually come in 16oz boxes, so half a box if that’s the case)
      • 2 teaspoons olive oil
      • 12 oz sweet corn kernels frozen
      • 1 small jalapeño seeded (and minced(optional))
      • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley if you hate cilantro)
      • 1 Grated garlic clove
      • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
      • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (maybe more to taste)
      • 2–3 oz of tomatoes grape diced
      • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
      • 1 teaspoon chili powder
      • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
      • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
      • 1 teaspoon dried (or fresh oregano)
      • 12 oz queso fresco cheese (Broken into crumbles/chunks)
      • Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

      Instructions

      1. Cook the pasta to aldente: Drain. Set aside to cool (I run a little cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking and help prevent it from sticking).
      2. Sauté the corn: Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook the corn for about 7 minutes, or until you see some golden brown spots.
      3. Make the dressing: In a medium-size mixing bowl: mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle and regular chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, about 8oz/3/4 of the Queso Fresco, half of the tomatoes, and half of the cilantro (or parsley) until combined
      4. Add the corn and pasta. Mix until coated.
      5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
      6. Top with the remaining cheese, cilantro, and tomatoes, and ENJOY!

      Notes

      Cook the pasta just until al dente. Nothing ruins any pasta salad quicker than mushy, overcooked pasta. I recommend cooking the pasta for 1 minute less than the lowest recommended cooking time on the package. For example: if the package recommends 9-11 minutes, cook it for 8 minutes, then pull it off the heat and strain. Especially since this will be sitting for a bit of cooling.

      If sweet corn is in season where you are, you can definitely (and quite honestly I would) use grilled corn on the cob instead of frozen corn in a pan! Husk and clean your corn, then grill the cobs to lightly char the kernels. It’ll add an entirely new dimension to your salad!

      The dressing in this pasta salad is light, and might not be “creamy” by the time you eat it if you let it sit. It personally doesn’t bother me, but if you find you need to, add a couple of tablespoons of mayo and a squeeze of lime to add a little “creaminess” to it. You might also need to add some salt, so check that too.

      • Prep Time: 5 minutes
      • Cook Time: 10 minutes
      • Category: Side Dish

      Nutrition

      • Calories: 272.16
      • Sugar: 3.32
      • Sodium: 379.36
      • Fat: 15.35
      • Saturated Fat: 5.52
      • Carbohydrates: 24.13
      • Fiber: 1.79
      • Protein: 10.2
      • Cholesterol: 26.61

      Did you make this recipe?

      Share a photo and tag @jenngiamsmith on Instagram and use #jenngiamsmith

      I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

      Want to remember this post? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest Board!

      Mexican Street Corn Pinterest Pin. The image is of the salad close up.

      This Blog Post is ©2022 Always Jenn Smith™; Jenn Smith, LLC See below for details

      Please Be Respectful

      All rights reserved. You may NOT sell, trade, share or redistribute this recipe in any way or use any of my photographs for your site. If you are linking back to this post to a list of recipes, giving credit for the recipe to myself and my site, you may use ONE photo. You must site me and my blog as the creators of the recipe and give credit for the photo. ©2022 Always Jenn Smith; Jenn Smith, LLC

      Jenn Smith of Always Jenn Smith™; Jenn Smith, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  As well as the Apple affiliate program now called the Performance Partners Program.

      This site displays third-party ads and contains affiliate links, See terms and conditions for ALL affiliates.

      If you have any questions feel free to comment below or e-mail me directly.

      Thank you for visiting!

      Similar Posts

      German Potato Pancakes (Kartóffelpuffer)
      · · · · · · · ·

      German Potato Pancakes (Kartóffelpuffer)

      It’s officially Fall, and nothing sounds better on a cool day than a nice warm, fluffy, and yummy potato pancake! Or… maybe that’s just me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Oh well, today I’m sharing one version of German potato pancakes (yes there are multiple) that are loved in the Smith household. The kartóffelpuffer is traditionally served at Christmas time in Germany, but these are a family favorite that makes their way to our table, OFTEN.

      Fun & Easy Burger Patties
      · · · ·

      Fun & Easy Burger Patties

      It was a Friday night and my husband and I were hanging out at a friend’s house. At some point, it was decided burgers were going to be made. Apparently… earlier that day our friend Beth wanted to buy a burger patty maker which she ended up not getting. I wasn’t there for that part so that’s all I really have on that. But either way… Since she didn’t have this patty maker, she decided she would make burgers out of a cookie cutter. Trying to figure out the shape to use we all thought a gingerbread man cookie cutter was a fantastic idea. She and I even made cheese overalls and ketchup bow ties. We all agreed that Burger “Meat Men” was a fantastic thing. Honestly… It was delicious and fun.

      How to: Dry Dill (and other herbs)
      · · · · ·

      How to: Dry Dill (and other herbs)

      Drying dill is a convenient way to store your dill and add it to a variety of food dishes, sauces, and dips. If you have a large dill harvest, the drying methods I’m sharing give your the option to continue using your dill throughout the year until the following summer. I also find that even my dry herbs are better in flavor than the ones bought in the store.

      My Go-To Red Velvet Cake
      · · · · · · · · ·

      My Go-To Red Velvet Cake

      Red velvet cake is more than just a white cake dyed red, it’s also not a full-fledged chocolate cake. Instead, it has a buttery, tangy flavor with a slight chocolate undertone. Red velvet cake has a pretty unique flavor with an old-fashioned, from-scratch quality that I love. In my opinion… no boxed red velvet cake mix can compare to the work and effort.

      Liked what you read? Let me know!