This easy Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad is inspired by “elotes” but served off-the-cob for easier eating and has a few nourishing twists! You only have to cook one thing and can use frozen fire-roasted for convenience. This is my Cinco de Mayo dish of choice and I know that it will be on repeat for outdoor BBQs all summer long.
If you’ve never tried Elotes, they are a delicious Mexican street food dish that involves corn on the cob that’s roasted and then coated in a spicy and creamy sauce, then topped with Cotija cheese. It’s been American-ized over time and is now served at a lot of restaurants. I will never claim to be providing authentic recipes over here, but I can promise this Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad is a super flavorful, easy and fun dish.
This Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad is unique for a few reasons. First, it has rice in it! I wanted to make this dish more hearty so that it would be a perfect, filling side-dish. The rice is cooked in bone broth for extra flavor, protein and other health benefits. Also, Mexican Street Corn usually calls for mayo, but in this recipe we are only using plain full-fat Greek yogurt. It still tastes just as creamy this way and you get the added protein and probiotic benefits of yogurt!
What You Need to Make Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad
- Chicken Bone Broth: To cook the rice in! Just trust me. If you want to make this vegetarian, feel free to substitute veggie broth or even just cook the rice in water.
- White Rice: After cooking the rice in bone broth, it’s important to let it cool completely before assembling the salad because we want to eat it cold or at room temperature.
- Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn: This can be found at most grocery stores and makes the recipe super easy! If you’re feeling ambitious, you can grill your own corn, cut it off the cob and let it cool.
- Cilantro
- Green Onion: Only the green parts!
- Jalapeño: I removed all the seeds but if you want more kick, you can keep some or all of them in.
- Garlic: The fresh minced kind. In a pinch, you could also used dried garlic – roughly 1/2 tsp, maybe.
For the sauce:
- Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt: A substitute for mayo that still gives it a creamy and rich flavor! I have only tried this recipe with whole milk yogurt and wouldn’t recommend low or non-fat.
- Lime Juice
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Cayenne: Optional but encouraged for an extra bit of spice.
How Do the Leftovers Store?
This Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad stores SO well! I swear, it gets even better after it sits for a while. Just pop it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
Since this makes at least 6 servings, it’s good to have on hand all throughout the week for a quick lunch, dinner or snack. It’s especially perfect to bring to work or school because it doesn’t need to be re-heated, you can just pop it open and eat as is! Feel free to add your favorite protein (beans, sausage, chicken, steak, salmon, etc) to make this a full meal that’ll leave you feeling satisfied and happy.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more salad recipes?
- Thai Quinoa Salad (Gluten Free & Vegan)
- Copycat Sweetgreen Crispy Rice Bowl
Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad
Equipment
- small pot with lid
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 1 cup chicken bone broth (substitute veggie broth for vegetarian option)
- ½ cup dry white rice
For the Salad:
- 16 oz bag of frozen fire-roasted corn (thawed in the fridge or under hot water)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro + more to top
- â…“ cup chopped green onion (only the green parts)
- â…“ cup cotija cheese + more to top
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed & finely diced
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (I recommend full-fat)
- juice from 1 lime
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- cayenne (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Start by heating bone broth in a small pot. Once boiling, add rice, reduce heat, cover and cook according to package instructions – mine took about 15 minutes. Let the rice cool completely when done! **It's best to do this a few hours or the day before.
- Thaw the frozen corn by placing it in the fridge for a few hours or by adding it to a colander and running it under hot water.
- In a small bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl, including the thawed corn and cooled rice. Pour the sauce over top. Toss the salad until it's evenly coated with the sauce. Garnish with more cotija cheese, chopped cilantro and a dash of cayenne.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
I made this for a work potluck last week and it was mwahhh chefs kiss💋 So easy to throw together the morning of and it stayed fresh in the fridge until I was ready to serve. I had so many compliments on it that I even decided to add it to my recipe box! I will definitely be recreating this again!!
Love this so much, thanks Grace!