Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad

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This Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad is a mash-up of two all-time best recipes -- Mexican Street Corn (Elote) and Chicken Salad! Tender chicken, smoky, charred corn, creamy avocado, and crisp peppers get tossed in a chili-lime dressing and slathered on bread -- doesn't get much better than this!

Servings servings

Calories 288kcal

Cost $8.94

Ingredients

3 cups frozen corn (Note 1)
3 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup each: finely chopped cilantro, green onions (Note 2)
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeño, optional
1 large ripe avocado, diced (Note 3)

Dressing

1/2 cup full-fat mayo (Note 4)
1-2 large juicy limes (Note 5)
1/2 teaspoon each: chili powder, paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Sriracha or hot sauce
Salt & Pepper
For serving: croissants or sandwich bread & lettuce OR chips/tostada shells, Cotija cheese (Note 6)

Instructions

CORN: See Note 1.
CHICKEN SALAD: Add all the salad ingredients and all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.) Gently stir until well combined and serve immediately.
SERVING: See Note 6. However you chose to serve this chicken salad, we like adding a sprinkle of cotija right on top of the chicken salad!
STORAGE: Without the avocado, this salad stores really nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you'd like to store leftovers, store salad and avocado separately. Or simply omit the avocado.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Corn: Several different options for corn preparation:

Use frozen corn and here's how to prepare it: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Place corn in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from skillet onto a plate to let cool before adding to the salad.
Grill fresh corn on the cob until lightly charred all over. To grill corn: Peel back husks and remove the silk. Rub vegetable or olive oil on all sides of the corn and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on heated grill (400-450 degrees F) and rotate every 3-4 minutes or until charred and corn is easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes total. (This also works on a grill pan!) Once grilled, cut off the cob and set corn on a plate to let cool before adding to the salad.
Buy pre-roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store) and use 3 cups of that (thoroughly drained).
Buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Drain corn and place in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from skillet onto a plate to let cool before adding to the salad.

Note 2: Cilantro and green onions: If you aren't a fan of one or the other of these herbs, just leave them out -- no changes necessary. For each measurement, measure the 1/4 cup after chopping/thinly slicing.

Note 3: Avocado: A ripe avocado adds such a nice creaminess so ensure the avocado is ripe before preparing this salad. Add the avocado in last to keep it from browning/changing texture.

Note 4: Mayo: The mayo makes a big difference -- get a good quality, full-fat mayo. We love Hellman's/Best Foods the best in this recipe.

Note 5: Lime: We'll need 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice + 1/4 teaspoon lime zest.

Note 6: Serving suggestions: Several different options for enjoying this salad:

On croissants: My personal favorite way to serve this salad is on big, buttery croissant rolls. Add in some lettuce, pile on the chicken salad, and devour!
On toasted bread: Another way we've enjoyed this salad is on toasted slices of hearty whole wheat bread.
Piled on a Tostada: My boys' favorite way to eat this salad is on a tostada shell. Slather some guacamole right on top of the tostada then top with loads of the Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad. Purchase Tostada Shells or make your own by following the recipe here: Bean Tostadas
With chips: Another favorite way we've eaten this salad is with corn chips. Serve the salad in a big bowl with a bag of chips and go to town!

Note 7: Calories only include the filling, calories of the bread will vary.

Nutrition