Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

Last updated on January 25th, 2024 at 10:41 pm

Your favorite summertime side dish and a popular Mexican street food come together in this easy and delicious 20 minute Mexican street corn pasta salad.

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This Mexican street corn pasta salad is loaded with grilled corn, crumbly cotija cheese, poblano pepper and a tangy, creamy dressing made of mayo, sour cream, lime and spices.

This elote inspired pasta salad has a mild heat from the poblano pepper that will intensify the longer it sits, so keep this in mind if you make this recipe ahead of time.

You won’t find a soggy, mayo drenched pasta salad here. This pasta salad is lightly dressed, bringing flavor and creaminess without drowning out the other key ingredients.

This Mexican street corn pasta salad is the perfect dish to bring to all your summer BBQs and backyard parties. It accompanies both Mexican food and traditional BBQ fare equally well.

Ingredients

Pasta: go for a short grain pasta with lots of nooks and crannies to catch all that delicious dressing, such as rotini, fusilli or cavatappi.
Corn: I enjoy this pasta salad most during the summertime, so I like to utilize fresh corn on the cob for this recipe.
Poblano pepper: poblanos are a mild to medium heat pepper that offers delicious flavor. We will grill or roast the poblano until soft and charred to extract more delicious flavor.
Red onion: for a little bite. If raw onion is too astringent for you, try soaking them in water for a few minutes before adding to the pasta salad.
Cotija cheese: cotija is a crumbly and salty aged cheese that comes from the town of Cotija, Mexico. It is traditionally used on Mexican street corn.
Cilantro: I don’t recommend skipping the cilantro as it adds so much flavor!
Dressing: this pasta salad is lightly dressed in a creamy elote style dressing made with mayonnaise, sour cream (or Mexican crema), cilantro, lime juice and zest, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

Equipment

Pasta pot
Colander
Liquid measuring cup or small bowl and mini whisk
Cutting board and knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Large serving bowl(I also love these bowls that come with lids for easy transporting)

Instructions

Preheat grill on high heat. Add corn and poblano pepper and char on all sides, about 10 minutes for the corn and 5 minutes for the poblano pepper.

Alternatively, you can broil the corn on the cob and poblano pepper on high, carefully rotating both every few minutes, until both are charred all over.

Allow corn and poblano to cool, then cut the corn off the cob and remove the skin and seeds from the poblano pepper. Finely dice the poblano pepper.

In a liquid measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream (or Mexican crema), cilantro, lime juice and zest, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Use a whisk to mix the dressing.

Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Strain water and pour pasta into a serving bowl.

To the pasta, add charred corn, poblano pepper, red onion, cotija cheese and dressing.

Tip: toss the pasta with dressing while the pasta is still warm. This allows the pasta soak up the dressing better.

Toss so everything is evenly coated in the dressing.

What to Serve with Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

• Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken
• Spicy Shrimp Tacos
• Air Fryer Chicken Chimichangas
• Hamburgers and hot dogs

FAQ

Can I make this Mexican street corn pasta salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can. There are just a few things to note when making this ahead of time:

1. The flavors intensify the longer this pasta salad sits, including the spice level. If you don’t like medium to hot heat, wait to add the poblano pepper until right before serving.
2. As pasta salad sits, the pasta absorbs the dressing, so either wait to dress your pasta salad until right before serving, or double the dressing recipe. Keep the extra portion of dressing separate and add to the pasta salad as needed right before serving.

Can I use frozen corn in Mexican street corn pasta salad?

Yes, I recommend fresh first but if it’s not in season or available to you, use frozen fire roasted corn. Trader Joe’s and Green Giant sell frozen fire roasted corn.

How do I store Mexican street corn pasta salad?

This past salad can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Substitutions and Variations

Corn: instead of fresh corn, you can use frozen fire roasted corn. 
Cotija cheese: if you can’t find cotija cheese, crumbly feta cheese is a close substitute.
Gluten free: use a gluten free pasta, such as Banza pasta or the gluten free pasta from Trader Joe’s.
Lower fat: use low fat mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for a lower fat recipe.
Protein: add chicken, shrimp or tuna to add protein and make this pasta salad a full meal.
Add ins: other optional add ins include black beans, red bell pepper, scallions and avocado.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Mediterranean Pasta Salad 
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Summer Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Pesto
• Southwest Pasta Salad
• Elote Corn Chowder

If you make this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment below and rate this recipe! If you snap a pic, be sure to tag me on Instagram @thechowdown! I love seeing your creations!