Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Dive spoon first into this creamy, crunchy, savory, and slightly spicy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. With sweet pops of charred corn, the salty bite of cotija, and a tangy dressing tying it all together, two barbecue favorites come together for the ultimate side dish.

Macaroni salad will always be one of my favorite summertime sides. What’s not to love about a chilled bowl of pasta hugged in a creamy dressing, bursting with textures? From the southern staple of Pimento Cheese Macaroni Salad to this grilled corn pasta salad, they’re an instant party favorite and great for making ahead.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy Process – The only cooking required for this Mexican street corn macaroni salad is charring your corn and jalapeno and boiling the pasta. It comes together with minimal effort.
• Budget Friendly – Nothing feeds a crowd quite like a box of pasta. This recipe makes a lot without requiring any expensive ingredients.
• Make Ahead – There’s something magic that happens when pasta salad is refrigerated overnight. The flavors all come together and infuse every bite. If you are looking for an easy recipe to make the day before, this is it. It’s also a great addition to your meal prep.
• Simple Ingredients – Aside from the fresh produce like corn, cilantro, and limes you probably have everything on hand to make this. It combines staples like mayonnaise and sour cream with a handful of fresh ingredients.

Elotes vs Esquites

This Mexican corn pasta salad draws from the flavors of elote and esquites. But what are they and what’s the difference? Elote is actually the Spanish word for corn cob, but it’s also a popular street food in Mexican. Ears of corn are charred or roasted, slathered in a creamy coating of mayonnaise or Mexican crema, and then topped off with vibrant additions like chile powder, Tajin, lime juice, cotija cheese, hot sauce, and cilantro. You can even find versions with crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos and Takis. Esquites combine many of the same flavors and ingredients but unlike elote, the kernels are removed from the cob and served in a cup.

Main Ingredients

• Pasta – You’ll want to pick a short cut pasta for this recipe. I used radiatori pasta. Elbow macaroni, fusilli, rotini, and farfalle would all work as well. Use what you like and what you have on hand.
• Corn – Is there anything better than freshly shucked summer corn hitting the grill? It’s a full sensory experience, from the way it perfumes the air, to the popping of the kernels, to that first intensely sweet yet slightly smokey bite. Fresh is absolutely the best for this recipe. You can’t replicate the flavor or texture.
• Mayonnaise/Sour Cream – Use a high-quality mayo such as Duke’s for the creamy dressing. Sour cream is added to make this extra creamy and tangy. You could also use Mexican crema if desired.
• Limes – This Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe pays homage to esquites. Fresh lime juice and zest add instant brightness to the dressing and compliments the sweetness of the corn.
• Hot Sauce – Use your favorite Mexican hot sauce for this. Valentina’s is always my go-to. Mexican style hot sauces tend to be thicker, more chile forward, and less vinegary.
• Aromatics – Cilantro and red onion bring freshness and a savory bite to this pasta salad recipe.
• Cotija Cheese – This salty and crumbly cheese adds both texture and also a savory bite.
• Seasoning – Ancho chile powder and cumin add an earthy yet aromatic element to the creamy dressing.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

• Char your corn and jalapeno. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. Place your shucked corn and jalapeno on the hot grate. Rotate your corn and pepper every couple of minutes until all sides are charred. Remove from the grill and allow to cool completely.

• Cook your pasta. Cook your pasta according to the package directions for al dente in salted water. This is your only chance to season the pasta itself. Once cooked drain and run it under cold water to both stop the cooking and remove the excess starch. This will prevent your pasta from sticking together.
• Chop your vegetables. Slice your kernels of corn from the cob. Cut up your onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Add to a bowl along with the pasta and cotija cheese.

• Stir together your dressing. Add all of your ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk together until creamy and combined.
• Mix it up. Pour the dressing over the pasta, vegetables, and cheese. Gently fold over until everything is mixed and coated in the dressing.
• Allow your pasta salad to refrigerate. Cover your pasta salad and allow it to refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Taste and adjust. Taste your pasta salad and adjust seasoning if needed. If you want it a little creamier you can also add a little additional mayonnaise. Garnish with a sprinkle of Tajin, cilantro, and extra cotija if desired.

Substitutions

• Queso Fresco – If you can’t find cotija you can also use queso fresco. This is also a crumbly cheese but less salty. You will need to add a little additional salt to the pasta.
• Mexican Crema – Feel free to swap out the sour cream in this recipe for Mexican crema.
• Gluten Free Pasta – You can make this recipe gluten free by using your favorite short cut gluten free pasta.
• Frozen corn – Fresh corn is the best choice for this recipe but if it’s not in season you can substitute with frozen corn. There are even a few varieties of frozen roasted corn.

Additional Add-Ins

Pasta salad is truly a personal creation so have fun using this recipe as a guide and making it completely your own. Here are just a few ideas of additional ingredients you can add to bring even more flavor and texture, or turn it into a complete meal.

• Crumbled bacon
• Drained black beans
• Diced avocado
• Pickled jalapenos
• Diced grilled chicken
• Red bell pepper
• Roasted poblanos
• Crushed Takis or hot Cheetos
• Scallions

Tools

• Grill – You can use any type of grill to char your corn and jalapeno. Even a grill pan is fine. You’re looking for the color and to quickly cook both while retaining their texture.
• Colander – Don’t skip the step of rinsing your pasta once it has cooked. There is nothing worse than over cooked mushy pasta. You want that al dente toothsome bite.
• Bowls – Mixing your dressing separately allows you to make sure it is extra creamy while not overmixing the pasta salad and risking breaking up the pasta.

Tips From the Beach

• Unlike pasta cooked for dishes such as Spaghetti allo Scarpariello, you don’t want the excess starch on your pasta. Make sure to give it a good rinse.
• Don’t add any oil to your pasta. This prevents the dressing from adhering to the pasta.
• Let your pasta refrigerate for at least an hour. All of the flavors will deepen and marry.
• Red onion brings texture, color, and crunch to this salad, but not everyone loves the bite of raw red onion. You can soak your diced red onion in cold salted water for 10-20 minutes. Stir them occasionally and then drain them well. This helps remove some of the sulphur from the onions, lessoning their bite.
• Because this pasta salad has a mayo and sour cream base, make sure that you keep it refrigerated unless it is being served.

Looking for more twists on street corn? Make sure to check out Mexican Street Corn Deviled Eggs and Mexican Street Corn Slaw. And for more pasta salad recipes check out Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

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Dive spoon first into this creamy, crunchy, savory, and slightly spicy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. With sweet pops of charred corn, the salty bite of cotija, and a tangy dressing tying it all together, two barbecue favorites come together for the ultimate side dish.

• Author: Nicole Stover
• Prep Time: 10
• Chilling Time: 60
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 8–10 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Grilled
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

• 1 pound short cut pasta such as radiatori, farfalle, elbow macaroni, or fusilli
• 1 jalapeno, diced, remove seeds for less heat if desired
• 4 ears corn, about 2 cups
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
• Tajin for topping, optional
• Lime for garnish, optional

Creamy Lime Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise, Duke’s preferred
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce, or more to taste, such as Valentina
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. Place the corn and jalapeno on the hot grate. Rotate every couple of minutes until charred on all sides. You are looking for color but want to keep the texture. Remove from the grill and allow to cool completely.
3. Once cooled remove the kernels of corn from the cob. 
4. Dice your jalapeno. You can remove the seeds for less heat if desired.
5. Add the pasta, corn, onion, cilantro, cotija, and jalapeno to a large bowl.
6. Add all of your ingredients for the dressing to a separate bowl. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad. Gently fold over until all of the ingredients are combined and coated in the dressing.
8. Cover and allow to refrigerate for at least an hour.
9. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If you want it a little creamier add a little additional mayo or sour cream.
10. Sprinkle Tajin over the top if desired. Garnish with extra crumbled cotija, whole cilantro, and lime. 

Notes

1. You can substitute the cotija with queso fresco but will need to add a little additional salt.
2. Frozen corn can be substituted for the fresh corn. You will need about 2 cups. Sauté it along with a diced jalapeno in a hot skillet to slightly soften.