This Mexican street corn pasta salad takes everything you love about elote-sweet corn, smoky flavor, fresh lime, cilantro, and creamy, cheesy goodness-and turns it into an easy summer side dish. It's perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or anytime regular pasta salad feels a little too… regular.
Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)
- ⏱ Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 12 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 6
- ❤️ Main Ingredients: Pasta, corn, black beans, avocado, mayonnaise, lime and spices
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- If Mexican street corn and creamy pasta salad had a very delicious little summer baby, this would be it.
- It has the sweet, smoky and tangy flavors of classic elote, but it's easier to serve to a crowd and much less messy to eat. No corn stuck in your teeth while you're trying to have a conversation. You're welcome.
You may also like my Ragú alla Bolognese, Gorgonzola Cream sauce for gnocchi, ground beef or chicken stroganoff, or my Italian Pastina soup recipe.
Substitutions
- Substitute feta for cotija cheese.
- Use Greek yogurt or sour cream for part of the mayonnaise.
- Replace cilantro with green onion or parsley.
- Add grilled chicken, steak or shrimp to turn it into a main dish.
- Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
Elote pasta salad- Mexican Street Corn Salad
This Mexican street corn pasta salad combines tender pasta, sweet corn, cotija cheese, fresh lime, cilantro, and a creamy chili-lime dressing. It's an easy, crowd-friendly side dish for summer cookouts, potlucks, taco night, or any casual get-together.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups small pasta shape measured uncooked
- 3 cups corn - about 4 ears of corn or frozen corn
- 3 green onions chopped
- ½ bunch cilantro chopped (or Parsley if you're not a fan of cilantro)
- 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeño
- 8 slices bacon cooked & chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 1 large avocado diced
- ½ cup black beans canned, drained and rinsed
Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 2 large limes
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and shake off as much excess water as possible. Set aside to cool and dry.
- Prepare the Corn: Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Cut the kernels from the cob.
- Prep the Mix-Ins: Slice the green onions and finely chop the cilantro and jalapeño. Cook and chop the bacon, then drain and rinse the black beans. Dice the avocado last so it stays fresh. The smaller the dice, the better-this way, you get a little bit of everything in every bite.
- Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chili powder, paprika, cumin, sriracha, lime zest, and lime juice. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, then taste and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cooled corn, black beans, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, bacon, cheese, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- If you're not serving it right away, wait to add the bacon, cheese, and avocado until just before serving. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 13gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 481mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Lauren Lane says
This is a family favorite. You will be making it on repeat!