This easy Corn Salad is packed with veggies, herbs, feta, and a simple vinaigrette. It’s a perfect side for any grilled dish during spring and summer!
Serve alongside grilled chicken or as a side with some homemade Burgers.
Corn Salad
Corn in any form is my dad’s favorite food, and growing up, we had corn on the cob almost every day of the summer when it was in season. Naturally, my love for corn has carried on, and I’m always finding new ways to incorporate its deliciousness into meals and sides.
This corn salad came to be when I was grilling corn and had tons of other fresh summer produce on hand. I knew I needed to make a salad, so I used one of my favorite dressings, and it turned out to be the perfect dish! I had to share it!
It’s the ideal side dish for anything you pull off the grill and will be a hit at any potluck or summer BBQ.
Quick Tip
Make it a meal: Grill up some chicken or steak to serve alongside. With all those veggies, this makes a great, substantial meal!
Ingredients In Corn Salad
- Fresh corn: Grill the corn for extra flavor and texture.
- Cherry tomatoes, green onions, cucumber: Brings freshness.
- Cilantro, basil, parsley: Dice finely to help blend into the salad.
- Jalapeño: Scale up or down to your spiciness preference.
- Avocado: Add right before serving to avoid browning.
- Feta cheese: If you’re not a fan you can leave out.
Quick Tip
Get a ripe avocado. A perfectly ripe avocado gives this Corn Salad the perfect creaminess; here’s how to tell if an avocado is ripe!
How To Make Corn Salad
- Grill the corn.
- Prepare the dressing. Combine everything into a large jar and shake to combine. Store in the fridge while preparing the rest of the salad.
- Combine salad ingredients. In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients: the cooled corn cut off the cob, diced tomatoes, chopped cucumber, diced avocado, and all the herbs. Toss with the dressing and enjoy!
Variations
Switch It Up
- Adjust the spiciness: Use more or less jalapeño to taste, or skip it for no heat. For extra spice, add red pepper flakes.
- Include bacon: Fry 4-6 bacon strips, chop, and sprinkle over the salad with feta.
- Add red onion: For extra onion flavor, mix in a diced quarter of a red onion. Soak in salted cold water to mellow the sharpness before adding.
- Make it dairy-free: Simply omit the feta cheese.
More Delicious Sides
- Crispy Chicken Salad with honey BBQ dressing
- Baked Potato shortcut to baked potatoes in half the time
- Bacon & Spinach Salad with an apple cider dressing
- Roasted Broccoli reader favorite recipe!
- Creamy Corn Salad jalapeño popper inspired
Corn Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn about 3 cups
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 cup English cucumber cut into half moons
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro see note 1
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño leave out if sensitive to heat
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Optional Grill: Preheat grill to medium heat (400°F). Shuck corn and discard silk. Drizzle corn with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the corn. Clean the fully preheated grill. Add the corn to the heated grill over direct heat. Grill corn for about 10–12 minutes total, rotating every 3–4 minutes until bright yellow and lightly charred. (Alternatively, cut raw kernels off the cob and use in the salad.) Let grilled corn cool completely, then cut the cooled corn off the cob and add to a large bowl.
- Dressing: In a glass jar, combine 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, honey, salt, and pepper (or to taste; use less salt depending on how salted the corn is). Seal the jar and shake vigorously to combine. Place in the fridge while preparing everything else. Shake again before dressing the salad.
- To the bowl, add the diced cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced green onions, English cucumbers (cut into half moons), chopped cilantro (see note 1), chopped basil, chopped parsley, diced jalapeño, and the diced avocado. (I like to squeeze the remaining lime juice from the lime used in the dressing on the avocado to keep it from browning too quickly.) Gently toss to combine. Shake dressing again and drizzle over salad. Toss again and top with cheese. Enjoy soon after dressing. Salad doesn’t store or sit well.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you have a recipe for a Taco Chicken that would pair well with this Corn salad? I thought i saw one on one of your IG posts (?) Maybe not
Yes! It pairs so well with this chicken: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/chicken-taco-marinade/!
Perfect! Thank you. Just made it today. Chicken is currently marinating! I made your Cilantro Lime Sauce to drizzle over the chicken after it’s grilled tonight. Yum! Can’t wait for dinner. I’m going to make this corn salad, too, for dinner
This all sounds so delicious! Can’t wait for your to try it all together!
Loved this salad….I added a bit more heat to the dressing.
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thank Carol! 🙂
Delicious and healthful, very summery. A great side dish for grilled steak.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this! 🙂
Once again you amaze me Chelsea ! The dressing was to die for !
You’re so kind Victoria!! Thanks so much for trying so many of my recipes and your kind comments; glad you enjoyed this salad 🙂
This is beautiful and healthy! Loving it. Thanks for the share.
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
TOTALLY loving this recipe!
Thank you Karly!