Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a delicious and unique dish that's so easy to make! This fresh and flavorful Mexican pasta salad is everything you love about elote in a cup, but much more filling!
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This ain't your mama's pasta salad! In fact, even if you think you don't like pasta salad, I encourage you to try this Mexican street corn pasta salad because it's so vibrant, fresh, and has an amazing flavor! If you like elote, you'll love this stuff!
The sweet smokiness of Mexican street corn makes it the perfect mix-in for this bright & acidic pasta salad featuring a creamy dressing made with lots of lime juice and cilantro.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta: I like to use ditalini because the pieces are similar in size to the corn kernels, but you can also use bowtie pasta, pasta shells, rotini, cavatappi, etc.
- Corn: I prefer to use fresh corn on the cob so you can get a nice roast on the kernels, but if you're in a hurry you can use canned or frozen corn.
- Onion & Garlic: I use green onions, but you can substitute them with red or white onion. You'll also need 1 or more cloves of garlic
- Butter: I used salted butter, so if you only have unsalted, additional salt may be necessary.
- Green chilies: If you want, you can roast and dice a poblano instead.
- Cheese: Cotija or queso fresco is a must, but asadero (or queso quesadilla) is optional! You can also use feta cheese.
- Everything but the elote: You can get this seasoning at Trader Joe's or make your own Everything but the Elote seasoning. Alternatively, you can use the spices from this air fryer corn ribs recipe.
- Fresh herbs: Chopped cilantro
*See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients
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How To Make Street Corn Pasta Salad
Step 1: Start by adding uncooked pasta to boiling water, then cook over medium-high heat until al dente, or softer if desired. Rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking, then drain pasta water and set aside.
Step 2: Remove corn husks and brush off as much of the silk as possible, then boil for 10-15 minutes or until corn is fully cooked. Remove from water with tongs and set aside to cool.
Step 3: While the corn is boiling, make the dressing by combining serranos, cilantro, green onions, avocado, lime juice, sour cream, garlic, and salt, and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Prepare the pasta salad by adding the cooled pasta to a large bowl, along with diced jalapeño, green chiles, green onions, cilantro, mayonnaise, dressing, cotija cheese, and asadero cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Step 5: Brush a light coating of melted butter over corn cobs to help reduce kernels popping, then lightly roast over a stovetop burner, using metal tongs to hold them.
Step 6: Use a sharp knife to remove kernels from corn cobs. Mix elote seasoning and smoked paprika with the remaining butter, then drizzle over corn and toss until evenly coated.
Step 7: Mix corn into pasta salad, then top with more crumbled cotija cheese and Tajin seasoning. Taste to see if the seasoning needs to be adjusted.
Pro Tip: A drizzle of Mexican crema is another great way to add visual appeal! If you don't have any, you can whisk a little water into some sour cream until it's thin enough to drizzle.
Serving Suggestions
This Mexican tree corn pasta salad makes a great appetizer or side dish for lots of dinner favorites! Here are some I recommend:
- Smoked Treager Carne Asada
- Easy Chile Relleno
- Tacos de Adobada
- Instant Pot Tamales
- Carne Asada Quesadillas
Want it spicy? You can make your own hot sauce if you're all about that heat!
Recipe FAQs
"Street corn", also known as "elote" or "esquite", is a Mexican street food comprised of grilled corn covered with chili powder, lime, crema, and cheese.
While elote is traditionally served on a stick, it is also sometimes eaten in a cup, in which case it is called "esquites".
Pro Tips
- While I use this cilantro lime sauce as the dressing, you can use your own preferred dressing if you don't like cilantro.
- Feel free to mix in other veggies like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, etc.
- The ratio of pasta to corn in this recipe is about 2:1. If you would like a 1:1 ratio, you can use 5 or 6 corn cobs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Keep in mind that this Mexican pasta salad is best when eaten within 24 hours. Because the dressing is made with avocado, it may start to change color over time.
Love corn? Try my fresh corn tamales!
More Mexican Recipes
If you enjoy this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, check out these related recipes!
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Recipe
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Ingredients
Method
- Start by adding uncooked pasta to boiling water and cook over medium-high heat until al dente, or softer if desired. Rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking, then drain and set aside.
- Remove corn husks and brush off as much of the silk as possible, then boil for 10-15 minutes or until corn is fully cooked. Remove from the water with tongs and set aside to cool.
- While the corn is boiling, make the dressing by combining serranos, cilantro, green onions, avocado, lime juice, sour cream, garlic, and salt and blend until smooth.
- Prepare the pasta salad by adding the cooled pasta to a large bowl, along with diced jalapeno, green chiles, green onions, cilantro, mayonnaise, dressing, cotija cheese, and asadero cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Brush a light coating of melted butter over corn cobs to help reduce kernels popping, then lightly roast over a stovetop burner, using metal tongs to hold them.
- Use a sharp knife to remove kernels from corn cobs. Mix elote seasoning and smoked paprika with the remaining butter, then drizzle over corn and toss until evenly coated.
- Mix corn into pasta salad, then top with more crumbled cotija cheese and Tajin seasoning. Taste to see if the seasoning needs to be adjusted.
Nutrition
Notes
- A drizzle of Mexican crema is another great way to add visual appeal! If you don't have any, you can whisk a little water into some sour cream until it's thin enough to drizzle.
- While I use this cilantro lime sauce as the dressing, you can use your own preferred dressing if you don't like cilantro.
- Feel free to mix in other veggies like cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, etc.
- The ratio of pasta to corn in this recipe is about 2:1. If you would like a 1:1 ratio you can use 5 or 6 corn cobs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Keep in mind this Mexican pasta salad is best when eaten within 24 hours. Because the dressing is made with avocado it may start to change color over time.
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