• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Salads

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

5
/5
45 mins
Leave a comment
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 07/30/2021Updated: 06/14/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Corn salad, text overlay reads "mexican street corn pasta salad."
Corn salad, text overlay reads "mexican street corn pasta salad."
Corn salad, text overlay reads "mexican street corn pasta salad."
Corn salad, text overlay reads "mexican street corn pasta salad."

All the authentic flavors of “elote” are combined in this great tasting Mexican street corn pasta salad: grilled corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, and cotija cheese.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: I mean…pasta, bacon, cheese, creamy dressing. How could you not love it?

How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: grill or grill pan, large pot, large bowl, measuring tools
Servings: 10

Pasta salad with corn and cheese in a round white bowl.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About this pasta salad
  • 3 What you’ll need
  • 4 How to make it
  • 5 FAQs
  • 6 How to make this pasta salad your own
  • 7 Make Ahead Ideas
  • 8 Storage Suggestions
  • 9 Leftover Love
  • 10 More summer salad recipes
  • 11 Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

If you’re not familiar with Mexican street corn, or elote (eh-LO-tay), you’re in for a real treat. A common street food in Mexico, elote is an ear of roasted or boiled corn that’s been slathered in lime juice and mayo (or Mexican crema), sprinkled with chili powder, and rolled in cheese. It’s amazing!

I’m so excited to bring you this Mexican street corn pasta salad. It incorporates all those great flavors of street corn into a wonderful salad that’s a little less messy to eat. I’ve added a few extras to add even more flavor.

Look for roasted or grilled corn in this pasta salad, along with traditional cotija cheese, mayo, chili powder and lime juice. Those are the traditional street corn ingredients. Add to that crunchy red bell peppers, spicy jalapeño, green onions, cilantro, and yes, BACON, and I think you’ll agree that this is one great pasta salad.

Be sure to make this salad soon when sweet corn is at its prime. There’s nothing quite like the taste of freshly picked corn on the cob, sweet and juicy! It’s featured in this summer pasta salad, too, with tomatoes, olives, smoked provolone, and salami.

About this pasta salad

This salad recipe isn’t difficult to make. It takes a bit of time, about thirty minutes, but if you can multi-task (and we’re all pretty good at that, right?), it goes quite quickly.

And it’s totally worth it!

I’ll get you started on the recipe here and give you some helpful tips. As always, you’ll find the complete printable recipe with instructions, measurements, and nutrition information at the end of this post.

Close up of corn pasta salad with a wooden spoon in it.

What you’ll need

  • Pasta: Use a small pasta, such as rotini, farfalle, or macaroni. Whole wheat is fine, too.
  • Corn: For best flavor, buy fresh corn on the cob. There’s nothing like it! If fresh corn isn’t available, use good quality canned or frozen corn.
  • Red Bell Pepper, Jalapeño Pepper, and Green Onions: This vegetable trio adds lots of crunch, color, and flavor to the pasta salad.
  • Fresh Cilantro: What’s Mexican food without cilantro? The bright herbal flavor complements the salad perfectly. If you’re not a fan, parsley is a good sub.
  • Bacon: I guess you could say the bacon is optional but why? It’s so good!
  • Cotija Cheese: Authentic Mexican street corn is rolled in this tangy sharp cheese. You definitely want it in your salad.
Overhead view of ingredients needed for salad.
  • Dressing: The homemade dressing incorporates other elements of Mexican street corn: Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, Lime Juice, Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt, and a dash of Hot Sauce.
Ingredients needed to make pasta salad dressing.

How to make it

Let’s get the most time consuming parts of the salad out of the way first. You can probably do all of them at the same time. Boil water to get the pasta cooking, fry or bake the bacon, and grill the corn.

Whew, got that out of the way! The pasta is rinsed, drained, and cooling. The bacon is crisp and ready to crumble. The corn is nicely charred. Your salad is on its way!

When the corn is cool enough to handle, set it on end in a large bowl and carefully cut the kernels from the cob. Discard the cobs.

Cooked corn in a bowl.

Add the chopped peppers, green onion, and cilantro to the corn. Stir in the pasta, bacon, and cheese.

Colorful pasta salad ingredients.

In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, stir together the dressing ingredients. By the way, use a fresh lime. You’ll need both juice and zest for the dressing.

Salad dressing before and after being mxied.

Stir the dressing into the salad, making sure everything is coated well.

Pasta salad being mixed with a gray spatula.

That’s it! I bet you can’t wait to give this great summer pasta salad a try. Serve it with tequila lime chicken or grilled salmon. It’s a great side for sandwiches, burgers, (I love these taco turkey burgers!) and pulled pork, too. Or serve it with delicious pork carnitas.

Large bowl of street corn pasta salad.

FAQs

What is Mexican street corn made of?

Elote, or Mexican street corn, is whole ears of corn, roasted or boiled, coated with chili spiced mayonnaise or Mexican crema, and rolled in either cotija or queso fresco. It may be garnished with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro or chili powder. There are lots of variations!

Is cotija cheese the same as queso fresco?

Cotija cheese is named after the Mexican town where it was first produced. It’s pronounced kuh·tee·huh. It’s made from cows’ milk and is aged, giving it a firm dry texture.
Queso fresco (pronounced kay·sow freh·skow) comes from Spain originally. It is a fresh, curd-like cheese similar to ricotta, fresh mozzarella, or feta. It has a mild, slightly tangy flavor.

What is cotija cheese similar to?

Aged cotija is similar to Parmesan or Romano: firm, dry, and salty. It’s not a melting cheese. If you happen to buy fresh cotija, it will be more like feta or goat cheese.

How to make this pasta salad your own

  • Make the salad vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon! For a vegan pasta salad, substitute vegan products for the cheese, sour cream, and mayo.
  • Make this salad a main dish by stirring in rotisserie or shredded chicken, shrimp, pinto or black beans, or another protein of your choice.
  • Like most pasta salads, you can add or subtract ingredients easily. Try adding chopped tomatoes, green pepper, or sweet onions.
  • If you can’t find cotija cheese, try other types of cheese. Shredded Parmesan, cheddar, or a Mexican blend are good substitutes.
  • Rather have a warm dish? Try this cheesy baked corn casserole (with bacon) or Mexican corn dip.
Pasta salad in bowl garnished with cilantro and white cheese, a corn cob next to the bowl.

Make Ahead Ideas

Want to get the salad started ahead of time? Cook the bacon, pasta, and corn the day before. Refrigerate in a big bowl, tightly covered. If you have more time, chop the veggies and add them too. It won’t take any time at all to stir up the dressing and add it to the salad when you’re ready.

Storage Suggestions

Leftover salad will keep up to three days in the fridge.

Leftover Love

You can turn leftover pasta salad into a tasty casserole. Simply make an easy cheese sauce (you can do it in the microwave!) and combine it with the pasta salad in a greased baking dish. Add shredded chicken or another meat if you want. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

More summer salad recipes

  • Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad (best chopped salad!)
  • Panzanella Salad Recipe – perfect summer salad!
  • The Best Potato Salad Recipe (easy & creamy!)
  • Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
  • Vinegar Coleslaw (no mayonnaise)
  • The Best Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese
  • Taco Salad Recipe – with optional homemade dressing
  • Bruschetta Orzo Pasta Salad — one of my most popular salads!
  • Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce from Feasting At Home — can’t wait to try this!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Overhead view of round bowl of pasta salad with macaroni, corn, red peppers, cotija, and cilantro.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

5 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
10 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
All the authentic flavors of elote are combined in this great tasting Mexican street corn pasta salad: grilled corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, and cotija cheese.

Ingredients

Salad

  • 8 oz. uncooked pasta (rotini, macaroni, farfalle, etc.)
  • 6 ears fresh corn, husked and rinsed (4 cups frozen or canned corn)
  • 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)
  • ½ cup finely chopped green onions (about ½ bunch )
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup finely diced jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed (about 1 large pepper)
  • 8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese

Dressing

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, more to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a grill pan or a grill to medium. Add corn and cook, turning occasionally until slightly charred. Let cool slightly before cutting off the kernels. Place kernels in a large bowl.
  • Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water, tossing to make sure it is all cooled. 
  • Add pasta to corn, along with bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, cooked bacon, and crumbled cotija.
  • In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over pasta and vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
  • Serve or immediately or refrigerate for up to three days. Makes 10 cups.

Notes

  • Make the salad vegetarian by simply leaving out the bacon. Or make this salad a main dish by stirring in shredded or rotisserie chicken, pinto beans, or another protein of your choice.
  • Try adding chopped tomatoes, green pepper, or sweet onions.
  • If you can’t find cotija cheese, substitute shredded Parmesan, cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 534mg, Potassium: 314mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 841IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Close up partial view of a bowl of pasta salad with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, red onion, and fresh basil.
    The Best Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
  • Close up overhead view of a bowl of diced potatoes, celery, onion, bacon, and boiled eggs tossed in a creamy light yellow dressing with flecks of green.
    The Best Potato Salad Recipe (easy & creamy!)
  • Overhead view of a panzanella salad on a large white and blue platter. Salad includes chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs, red onion, torn bread, and capers.
    Panzanella Salad Recipe - perfect summer salad!
  • Greek Pasta Salad with Feta - this is a easy, filling, and delicious pasta salad that is perfect for picnics and bbqs. Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!
    Greek Pasta Salad with Feta and Beans
Straight on view of pesto in a glass jar.
Previous Post
Basil Pesto Recipe (with tips & tricks!)
Shrimp and pasta in a white bowl, garnished with fresh parsley.
Next Post
Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled