Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad (Elote Pasta Salad)
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad combines charred corn, small pasta, shredded chicken, black beans, avocado, and cojita with a creamy chili-lime dressing. It is hearty enough for lunch or dinner but just as easy to bring to a summer cookout.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups roasted corn from about 4 cobs. See notes.
- 2½ cups small shelled pasta, measured uncooked any other small pasta shape will work
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small jalapeño, diced optional
- ¼ cup green onions, diced or red onions
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ⅓ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 small avocado, cubed
- 1 lime, sliced for garnish
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped for garnish
Elote Dressing
- 2 limes, squeezed
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha more or less if desired.
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp both salt and pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2-3 Tbsp water to thin the sauce
Instructions
- Char the corn on the cob (if you are using frozen corn kernels just skip this step) Shuck the corn if needed, add it to an open flame on your stovetop and turn often until charred lightly OR grill it for just a few minutes on medium heat on the grill, turning often.
- Start the pasta, this take about 20 minutes, cook according to the package. Next, Prepare the ingredients, use a sharp knife to slice and dice everything into bite sized pieces and cut the corn off the cob once it's cooled.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a food processor and blitz. Add more water if needed to thin the sauce. (limes, mayo, sour cream, sriracha, fresh cilantro, seasonings, water)
- Add everything to a large bowl (pasta, veggies, chicken, cheese, avocado, dressing). Pour 3/4ths of the dressing on top and mix well until everything is evenly dressed. The rest is used for garnish.
- Add extra garnishes (lime wedges, more cilantro, tajin etc), extra dressing drizzle and a few lime wedges and serve room temperature or chilled
Notes
- Fresh grilled corn gives the best flavor, but frozen corn works well too. Cook frozen corn in a hot skillet until lightly browned instead of simply warming it through.
- Reserve some of the dressing. Toss the salad with about three-quarters of the dressing first, then add the remaining dressing just before serving. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills.
- Add the avocado just before serving for the freshest texture and color.
- Taste before serving. An extra squeeze of fresh lime or pinch of salt can really brighten the flavors after the salad has chilled.
- This salad is great for meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cup of pasta salad | Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 974IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg