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 love this recipe so much Chelsea! It always gets rave reviews. Awesome for entertaining … makes a pretty presentation. It’s fresh, tangy, and has a tasty paring of flavors.
Thank you so much Jenna! I love this salad to bring to events too! 🙂
I know you made a point of saying no subs for the mayo but what about Mexican sour cream? I swear it is sour cream and mayo mixed together. (I also realize this post was 2 years ago so maybe you aren’t still monitoring.) Either way I am making it for a potluck on Thursday with quinoa (our boss has celiacs so I try to provide something for everyone including her and those just trying to be gluten free). It looks delicious I am very excited to try it!
I usually make this with gluten free pasta, a full can of beans & no bacon to allow more people (including myself) to enjoy. It is a huge hit and often requested at family gatherings. I have also left out the pasta and used an additional can of red beans then served with gf chips.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Sounds delish! Thanks so much Susan! 🙂
This was DELICIOUS! Such a wonderful combination of flavors. It all balanced out very well for a wonderful dish. My husband and I loved it!! The only downside is that it took me an hour to prep everything. The whole time I was thinking this better be worth all this work. But it WAS! 🙂 So so yummy. I will definitely make it again.
I’m so glad to hear it was worth it! You should be able to hopefully cut down on prep time now that you have already made it before! I hope you continue to enjoy! 🙂
Absolutely wonderful!!! I made this last to complement smoked chicken and there were no leftovers! Followed recipe to the letter and couldn’t be easier! Thank you Chelsea for sharing you now have one more messyapron follower. Keep the delishousness flowing!!!
This looks amazing! I am excited to try it. How long does it last in the fridge if I won’t eat all of it right away? Also are there things that I should leave out of the sauce and only add right before eating?
I hope you love it! 🙂 If you don’t plan on eating this in one sitting and immediately after making, don’t add the bacon, cheese, or avocado. Add those in separately right before enjoying 🙂 I’d also add the dressing to just what you are eating.
I know it says no substitutes for the mayo but anyone made with vegan mayo? I made it before and it was amazing! I want to share with others but they are vegan. I usually put the bacon and cheese on the side anyways so all that would need to be change is the mayo. I don’t want to make it taste bad. Personally I like the vegan mayo but I’m not sure how it is in this
I’ve made with veganaise and no one was the wiser. I obviously left out the bacon but left it on the side for the non vegan folks to add.
Omg, absolutely DELISH! Thank you, this will be made again, and again…
Yay! I’m so happy to hear! Thanks! 🙂
LOVE this! I made it for a sports banquet. I added a little more jalapenos and a little more siracha. I have people texting me for the recipe months later!
Ahh this makes me so happy! And I love the extra spice with it! So glad you enjoyed!
Hi, this recipe looks great! Is there a way to print it? Thanks
Thank you so much! If you scroll down to the recipe part of this post, there will be a print symbol next to it. I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Great recipe, but the cook time was way off! Between the bacon, cooking the pasta, and roasting the corn I easily spent close to an hour prepping this dish.