Easy 20-Minute Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe

Mexican street corn pasta salad in a white bowl with a spoon

5 from 4 votes

Easy 20-Minute Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe

This Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad features all the flavors of elote (street corn) with a twist! Fresh sweet corn, tender pasta, and a creamy dressing are combined to make the most delicious and perfect side dish just in time for your next summer BBQ.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Ingredients

8 oz dried pasta I used gluten free fusilli
1 tsp olive oil
3 corn on the cob husks removed, or 2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 green onions chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped after removing seeds and membranes
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Dressing

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream or Crema Mexicana
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper plus more for spicy
Salt to taste

Instructions

Check the next step before you begin if you are boiling your corn on the cob or are using frozen corn kernels. Cook pasta 1 minute shy of package instructions in a large pot of generously salted water. Drain the pasta and toss with oil. Set aside to cool.
To boil corn on the cob: Add to the pasta water when there's 4 minutes left of cook time. Remove the corn, then drain the pasta and toss with oil, and set aside to cool.
If using frozen corn kernels: Add to the pasta water when there's 1 minute left of cook time. Drain the corn and pasta and toss with oil, and set aside to cool.
To grill corn on the cob: Preheat the grill to medium high heat, then spray or coat the corn with cooking oil. Grill covered for 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and use a sharp knife to slice the kernels from the cob.
Transfer the pasta and corn to a large mixing bowl, and add green onions, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, and cotija cheese.
Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing, except salt.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Taste to add salt and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Serve garnished with more chili powder, cilantro, and/or cotija.

Video

Notes

Expert Tips

I personally like to grill corn on the cob for this recipe to get that delicious, smoky flavor, but you can also boil them with the pasta to cut down on time.

Can be made gluten-free with gluten-free pasta.

Make sure to salt the pasta water generously so the pasta isn't bland. It'll give the salad more flavor.

I used Greek yogurt in the dressing for protein, but feel free to substitute it with sour cream or even Mexican crema.

If you don’t have cotija, you can substitute queso fresco or even feta cheese.

As with most salads, you can always add extra produce if desired: red onion and sliced cherry tomatoes would work well here.

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Give it a good stir and serve. This easy pasta salad recipe is great for meal prep or to make ahead of time as well.

Nutrition