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.
Hi. Thank you for your recipe!! Am gonna make it for the third time and I would like ur advise… I want to prepare it from the day before to save me some time… please tell me until what point I should make it.
I’d prepare the salad (without the avocado) and store in an airtight container and then prepare the dressing and store in a separate airtight container. Toss and add avocado before enjoying!
I know it says no substitutes on the mayo but I am not a big may fan. What are your thoughts on replacing mayo with sour cream?
I haven’t personally tried sour cream, but I do think it would change the flavor to be a lot more sour/tangy.
I found this recipe on Pinterest about a year ago, and it is still one of my most favorite things ever. In a moment of procrastination at work, I decided to check out some of your other recipes… GIRL. You are my food soul sister. All my favorite flavors, ingredients, spices- they are all here. I finally stopped looking because I have pinned every single recipe I’ve looked at and have about a months worth of meals to try. I kind of want to ditch work for the rest of the day to go home and make Peruvian chicken. I am so glad I found this blog! My heart and tummy are happy ?
You seriously made my day!! Haha I am sooo beyond happy you love my recipes!! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! 🙂
Such a great recipe! I’ve adapted it to fit my family’s taste but delicious as is! Thank you!
I am soo happy to hear you guys enjoyed this! Thanks! 🙂
I didn’t scroll through all the comments but wanted to let you know that I have made this using frozen avocado found in the smoothie fruit section of the freezer aisle. This means that (short cilantro and green onions) I always have the ingredients on hand (and I usually have cilantro and onions because we use them often). For anyone worried about picking ripe avocados this is awesome as all you do is let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes and then cut up to add to the salad!
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing Corinne! 🙂
My family loves this recipe!! I add in grilled chicken if we want to make it the whole meal… It’s also a great carry-in dish. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!
I’m sooo glad you guys love this! And yumm sounds great with grilled chicken! Thanks!
Tried this tonight and it was a hit with the family – will definitely be adding this one to the repertoire:)
Ahhh yay!! I’m so happy you guys enjoyed!! Thanks Amanda! 🙂
Trader Joe’s has frozen grilled corn, I will try making it with it, looks amazing!
Sounds awesome! 🙂
This is sooooo good. I made if for a bbq about a month ago and my family just loved it. The sauce is excellent and I’ve used on breakfast burritos as well. Thanks for the recipe. I’m making it again tonight for dinner!!
I made this recipe for a church function on Sunday evening and it was a huge hit. Our Women’s ministry is going to feed each of our school campuses this year (one a month) and this is our main course. I had numerous requests for the recipe. AWESOME! Blessings!
Ahh i’m soooo happy to hear this!! Thank you Lucretia! 🙂