One of my favorite things about the county fairs and rodeos in my neck of the woods is the food. And I’m not talking about cotton candy and hot dogs. No sir, here the fair food is much better and much of that is thanks to the local Hispanic population. Street tacos, fresh fruit sprinkled with Tajin, horchata…you name it; it’s all available. But my favorite fair food has got to be the Grilled Mexican Street Corn. Sweet corn on the cob is grilled until charred and smoky, slathered in salty mayonnaise and topped with spices and fresh Cotija cheese. It’s so good!! It’s also so messy, so I’ve deconstructed this dish into a salad form, which meets not only my food cravings but also my need for tidiness (I am a bit of a clean freak).
To make my Mexican Street Corn Salad, shuck 4 cobs of corn, coat the corn in a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Heat a grill to 400 deg F and grill the corn for about 10 minutes, until charred and tender. Allow the corn to cool to the touch, then cut the kernels from the cobs. Place the corn in a large bowl along with ½ cup of chopped scallions (2 scallions), one deseeded and finely chopped jalapeno, one minced garlic clove, ¼ cup of chopped cilantro, ½ teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and ½ cup of mayonnaise. Mix the ingredients together. Eat the salad immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe easily serves 6-8 people.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cobs of corn
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp red vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and drizzle each cob in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Heat a grill to 400° F. Add the corn to the hot grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning it occasionally until tender and charred.
- Allow the corn to cool completely, then cut the kernels from the cobs.
- Add the corn to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Eat immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
