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!
Video
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!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
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.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! I’m recommending it to everyone!
Awesome! I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you 🙂
I look forward to making this at our next gathering but I wanted to mention that Trader Joe’s has nicely charred roasted corn in their freezer section.
I was thinking the same thing, Carol! It is delicious. Have you tried it yet in this recipe? I’m sure it has to be defrosted and drained dry.
I am looking to make this less carb heavy. I wonder could the pasta be replaced with Quinoa? It looks amazing.
You could definitely try it 🙂 Thank you!
Try making it with chickpea pasta! You might have to use a different noodle like a penne or something if you can’t find it in bow ties.
Delish! Great tip! Thanks Cristina! 🙂
If I am bringing this to a potluck, will it get soggy if I put the dressing on too early? Should I wait till right before to put the dressing on?
I’d wait to put it on right before serving. Enjoy!
I had some ears of corn leftover from another recipe, so I searched through my “to try” recipes, and chose this one to use up the corn. This recipe did not disappoint. It was really delicious! I loved the combination of ingredients and flavors. I know it was supposed to be more of a corn salad, but I thought it was quite heavy on the pasta, IMO. I used 2 cups uncooked pasta (right? Not 2 cups cooked pasta?), and I thought that made for a really pasta-y salad, actually. I thought the salad wasn’t “wet” enough. It could be perhaps that I misread the recipe about the black beans, and I put in a whole can, instead of half a cup? No biggie though, since I love beans! Anyway, I made a second batch of dressing and drizzled a little more over individual servings. This is definitely a keeper!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this dish! Thank you so much for the comment Kristin 🙂 And yes, right about the pasta!
Loved this salad! Omitted pasta and only used about 2 T of mayo. It was OUTSTANDING. Yum!
So happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for the comment Mar 🙂
I have a question, for the mayonnaise, have you tried the Mexican mayonnaise? It already has lime it, im wondering if that would cut a step out and make it easier?
I would stick to regular mayo and add in the lime juice and zest for this salad 🙂
Can’t wait to make this! Should it. E left out at room temp or refrigerated?
I hope you love it! 🙂 Definitely store it in the fridge if you aren’t eating it right away 🙂
Can I make this corn salad the night before (a day in advance) and have it still be fresh tasting?
Yes, but I would leave out the avocado and cheese until right before serving 🙂
I found this recipe on Pintrest and made it today. It was delicious!!!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this salad Santina! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!