Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad

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Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad combines buttery street corn with fresh kale, crunchy veggies, salty cotija cheese, and creamy cilantro lime dressing. This satisfying and delicious dish can be enjoyed on its own or as a side to complement a main course.

Try our Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe or Grilled Salsa next!

Street Corn Salad

Our family is seriously obsessed with everything Tex-Mex and enjoy adding Mexican Street Corn to many dishes. It’s the perfect side to add to bowls, as seen in our Carne Asada Burrito Bowls and Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls.

Why This Recipe Works:

BOLD FLAVOR – This salad has bold flavors including grilled sweet corn, spicy jalapenos, salty cotija, and a tangy dressing.
NUTRITIOUS BASE – The addition of kale provides a nutritious foundation as it is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
COLORFUL – We love the colorful presentation of this Mexican corn salad. It’s an eye-catching combination of flavors and textures and goes great at summer barbecues.
CUSTOMIZABLE – Feel free to personalize this salad with additional ingredients such as diced tomatoes, black beans, green onion, etc.

Overhead view of a serving bowl of kale salad topped with Mexican street corn and avocado slices.

Ingredients Needed:

For the salad:

Kale – We used curly kale but Tuscan kale is great in the salad too and is a bit milder in flavor.
Fresh Corn – Fire up that grill and use fresh ears of corn. You can also cook the corn in a cast iron skillet on your stovetop if that is a better option for you.
Veggies – A combo of diced red bell peppers, jalapenos, and red onion. Avocado slices get added on top of the salad to finish.
Cotija Cheese – A crumbly cheese that I keep stocked in our kitchen. In a pinch, you can use feta cheese in its place.

For the dressing:

Greek Yogurt – We keep plain Greek yogurt stocked at all times as I use it in many dressings. Use 2% or full-fat.
Light Mayo – We like the Kraft mayo with olive oil added. It’s a little bit lighter and still so tasty.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Cilantro – You either love it or hate it and we happen to LOVE IT!
Seasonings – A combo of onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Lime – Another ingredient that is key to everything Tex-Mex.

A tray of labeled ingredients for the Mexican street corn kale salad.

A tray of the cilantro lime dressing, labeled.

How to make Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad:

Step 1
Make the dressing. Combine the cilantro lime dressing ingredients in a small food processor – Greek yogurt, mayo, olive oil, cilantro, seasonings, and fresh lime juice. Blend until creamy. Pour into a small bowl or mason jar and chill until ready to serve.

NOTE: Add more lime juice or cold water for a thinner dressing.

A small food processor of the ingredients for the cilantro lime dressing.

A small food processor of the blended dressing.

Step 2
Grill the corn. Light an outdoor grill to medium heat. Add the corn and grill until slightly softened with some grill marks. Be careful to avoid overcooking.

Remove the corn to cool slightly. Then use a cutting board and sharp knife and to slice off the kernels.

8 medium ears of corn on a baking sheet.

Step 3
Prep the kale. Remove the outer leaves of the kale while discarding the tough stems. Rinse under cold water and use a salad spinner to dry. (Likewise, you could buy bagged kale.)

Step 4
Massage kale. Tear the kale into small bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Use your hands to massage the kale until softened and bright green. The kale will shrink down as you massage it so make sure you buy plenty.

Step 5
Mix salad ingredients. Add the grilled corn kernels, diced veggies (bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion), and cotija cheese to a large bowl. Add half the dressing and toss to combine.

NOTE REGARDING KALE: You’ll need to buy more kale than you think you need because you’ll remove the stems and then massage it. After massaging the kale, it will become soft and will pack down. I used about 8 cups of massaged kale.

A bowl of the corn kernels plus diced veggies and crumbled cojita cheese.

A bowl of the corn and veggies plus the dressing mixed in.

Step 6
Assemble the salad. Add the kale to a large serving bowl. Then top the kale with the corn mixture. Add slices of avocado, extra cotija cheese, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika to the top of the salad.

Step 7
Serve. Serve the Mexican street corn salad with extra dressing and a protein of your choice.

What to serve with Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad:

The following main dish recipes will pair nicely with this kale salad recipe.

A white plate with Mexican street corn kale salad and a piece of grilled chicken.

Recipe FAQs:

What is the difference between Mexican Street Corn Salad and Elote?

The main difference lies in the presentation and the overall concept. Elote is the classic grilled or roasted corn on the cob, while Mexican street corn salad takes those flavors and incorporates them into a salad.

What are the origins of Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican street corn showcases the rich culinary heritage of Mexico and continues to be a beloved street food, representing the vibrant and flavorful nature of Mexican cuisine.

What is a good substitute for cotija cheese?

A good substitute for cotija is feta cheese as both are salty and crumbly.

How do you make kale taste better?

To fully enjoy kale, it’s necessary to remove the stems and use your hands to massage the kale. As you work the kale, you’ll see it become tender and turn a bright green. The result is a more tender and less bitter kale.

Side view of a large bowl of Mexican street corn kale salad with avocado slices.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue