Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is pasta salad done right with smoky corn, fresh herbs, black beans, and a creamy chili-lime dressing. Always a hit!
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is hands down one of my favorite pasta salads. Maybe it’s because corn is my favorite veggie, Mexican Street Corn is my favorite way to enjoy it, and adding pasta (hello, carbs!) was the best idea ever. Oh, and did I mention avocados, lime, cilantro, jalapeños, cheese, green onions, and bacon?!
Quick Tip
I love getting creative with Elote-inspired flavors! If you do too, try Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos, Mexican Street Corn Chicken Chowder, or Loaded Sweet Potatoes topped with a street corn topping.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad:
- Pasta: Mini bowtie works best. Other small shapes are fine, but ridged ones hold dressing better.
- Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned all work! More on this later.
- Avocado: Adds creamy texture and rich flavor. It’s ripe when it gives slightly under gentle pressure—like the tip of your nose.
- Herbs: Cilantro and green onions add fresh, bright flavor. Don’t like cilantro? Use more green onions!
- Jalapeño: Take out ribs and seeds before dicing so it’s not too spicy.
- Bacon: Crisp up microwave bacon for quick prep, then dice small.
- Cheese: For real Mexican Street Corn flavor, use Cotija.
- Black beans: Add color, protein, and texture.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Dressing
- Mayo: I like Hellman’s/Best Foods® best in this dressing.
- Spice: The dressing has just a touch of spice. To make it milder, skip or use less Sriracha/hot sauce. Less spice means less flavor.
- More heat? Add ⅛ teaspoon cayenne for an extra kick!
- Lime: A citrus juicer and microplane make zesting and juicing easy.
- Make ahead: The dressing tastes even better as it sits! Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
Corn Cooking Options
Here are the options for cooking the corn for Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad:
- Grilled: Brush husked corn with oil, season lightly, and grill at 400°F, turning every 3 minutes until browned (about 12 minutes). Let cool, then cut off the cob. (Best flavor!)
- Canned or Frozen: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a hot pan. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Pre-roasted canned corn: Drain two cans and toss them in.
- Frozen corn (no charring): Add to boiling pasta for the last minute.
Storage
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is best eaten after adding the dressing. If making ahead, store salad and dressing separately, then mix before serving.
More Delicious Corn Recipes:
- Creamy Corn Salad Jalapeño-popper flavor inspired
- Pesto Chicken with corn and bean salsa
- Corn Salsa Recipe with a delicious dressing
- Flank Steak with Corn Salsa and fresh avocado
- Quinoa Corn Salad with a chipotle vinaigrette
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is loaded with pasta, sweet corn, fresh herbs, black beans, and a creamy chili-lime dressing. One of my most popular recipes!
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups mini bowtie pasta measured uncooked
- 3 cups frozen corn see note 1
- 3 green onions 1/3 cup finely diced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro 1/2 cup finely diced
- 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeño
- 8 slices bacon cooked & finely diced
- 1/3 cup cotija cheese
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1/2 cup black beans canned, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Pasta: Bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tbsp salt. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water for 15 seconds, shake off excess water, and let dry completely.
- Corn: See note 1 for cooking options.
- Veggie Prep: Dice green onions, cilantro, and jalapeño. Cook and dice bacon. Drain and rinse black beans. Dice avocado last to keep it fresh. The smaller the dice, the better!
- Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, chili powder, paprika, cumin, sriracha, ¼ tsp lime zest, and 3 tbsp lime juice. Add ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper, adjusting to taste. Chill until ready to use.
- Salad Assembly: In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, cooled corn, avocado, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, bacon, and cheese. If not eating right away, wait to add bacon, cheese, and avocado until serving. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss. Serve immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Or use 2 (15-ounce) cans of corn drained, or 4 ears of corn. Here’s how to prepare the corn:
- Grilled: Brush husked corn with oil, season lightly, and grill at 400°F, turning every 3 minutes until browned (about 12 minutes). Let cool, then cut off the cob.
- Canned or Frozen (Charred): Melt 2 tbsp butter in a hot pan. Add corn and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Pre-roasted Canned Corn: Drain two cans and toss them in.
- Frozen Corn (No Charring): Add to boiling pasta for the last minute of cooking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 93g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 692IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good recipe. Very filling. Can be a main dish. I added 1 teaspoon of honey to the dressing to mellow out the flavors. All else, just as written.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much JoNell! 🙂
I love this recipe! In the process of letting everything cool right now. I alway double the recipe and it’s still gone in a couple days. It’s also good to throw some grilled chicken on top and eat it as a meal.
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Cristina! 🙂
Great recipe! But I made a few changes: used pepperoni instead of bacon to pull in a salty spicy flavor, threw in some Cajun spice for the same, and used a combination of ranch and mayo for the dressing. Best of it was the spice was offset by the avocado, so even my ‘that’s too spicy!!!’ Wife liked it!
Delsih! I am so happy this was a hit! Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks! 🙂
Wow! What a tasty salad. Easy to prepare, the dressing is perfect. Not to spicy and great tips if you want it less spicy. Perfect for a potluck and it was gone first time a made it. Will be on
Repeat at my house. Going to serve when company comes.
So happy to hear this! Thanks for your comment Diana! 🙂
I made this for a potluck and needed to double the recipe. I followed directions to a tee x 2. It was really good but if I was to do this again, I wouldn’t quite double the pasta (maybe 1 1/2) but still double everything else. I thought it was a tad dry and I’m blaming it on too much pasta. Also, I felt like it needed a little bit of color so I added some cut up cherry tomatoes. Enough to add a pop of red but not change the recipe up too much. I will make this again as it’s quite good and anything with charred corn is yummy to me.
I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this! Cherry tomatoes sounds like a great addition! Thanks Angela! 🙂
I have never liked pasta salads but this recipe was amazing and I went back for seconds!! The dressing had me concerned because of the tartness when I tasted it before mixing it all together with the pasta and veggies. The sweetness of the corn balanced the tartness of dressing perfectly! This will be a recipe I will make many times!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Susan! 🙂
Made this last week. It was a huge hit! My only regret is not doubling the recipe because it disappeared before I could get seconds. I’ll absolutely make it again!
Ahh so happy to hear this! Thank so much Jamie! 🙂
This looks so colourful and appetizing, but I’m not sure I can get the cheeses mentioned. Am I right in thinking that feta might be a good substitute to use, or would you suggest something else? Thanks for sharing the recipe, I just love corn!
I made this tonight for the first time. We absolutely loved it!
So happy you loved this! Thanks so much Maria! 🙂
This is the absolute BEST, NO FAIL
recipe! And I was never a fan of
pasta salad. Funny enough, bc this
recipe, it’s my go-to for a bring-along-
dish. Also, I actually make it at home for my own, personal meal; I just cut the
recipe in half. AND..it tastes great the
next day as well. A MUST TRY!!
I am SO thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Stephanie! 🙂