Our Mexican-inspired Street Corn Pasta Salad is your new must-have at all BBQ’s and gatherings. It has fresh roasted corn tossed with pasta and a flavorful creamy lime sauce.

We love to serve it with BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, Black Bean Burgers, Steak Kabobs, or Flank Steak.

Our version of a Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad in a serving bowl, ready to serve and enjoy.

This Street Corn Pasta Salad Mash-up is Amazing

What we’ve got here is the flavor I crave from my favorite elotes/esquites Mexican street corn, in pasta salad form, and I promise it will be the star of your next BBQ! It has SO much flavor, including a crema sauce with hints of chipotle. It’s just so good; main dish or side dish worthy, paired with any favorite Summer BBQ recipes.

How to make Street Corn Pasta Salad:

Cook pasta according to package instructions, in salted boiling water. Drain then rinse with cold water to cool it off.

Sauté Corn: Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat then add onion, corn and chipotle peppers and stir. Turn heat to high, cover with lid and sauté, stirring occasionally, until corn is charred and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat then transfer to a plate to cool completely.

Two images showing how to sauté fresh corn to roast it.

Sauce: Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl: mayo, sour cream, tajin, lime and milk.

Combine: Add pasta to a large mixing bowl then add cooled corn. Stir in sauce, and top with cotija cheese and cilantro.

Two images showing a lime crema sauce then after it's added to a street corn pasta salad and tossed with the corn, pasta, and cotija cheese.

Make Ahead Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Store cooked pasta and corn in a covered bowl in the fridge. Make sauce, but store separately. Mix sauce and pasta just before serving this elote pasta salad.

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Recipe

Our version of a Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad in a serving bowl, ready to serve and enjoy.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Cool 30 minutes
Total 55 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 oz dry ditalini pasta , or elbow macaroni
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup white onion , diced
  • 1 large chipotle chili in adobo sauce , chopped (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • 3 cups fresh corn off the cob , 3-4 ears, (or use frozen corn*)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Mexican crema , or sour cream
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons tajin*
  • 1 small lime , juice from
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1/2 cup Cotija cheese , shredded
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Sauté corn: Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, corn and chipotle peppers and stir. Turn heat to high, cover with lid and sauté, stirring occasionally, until corn is charred and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool completely.
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions, in salted boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool it off.
  • Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl: mayo, sour cream, tajin, lime and milk.
  • Combine: Add pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add cooled corn and stir in sauce. Top with cotija cheese and cilantro and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Corn: you may substitute frozen corn (it just wont brown as much). I prefer Trader Joe’s frozen Roasted Corn.
Tajin: Should be easy to find in the Mexican aisle at the store (or sometimes found near produce). Could substitute chili powder.
Make Ahead Instructions: Store cooked pasta and corn in a covered bowl in the fridge. Make sauce, but store separately. Mix sauce and pasta just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 11gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 362mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 478IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 1mg

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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