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Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad

Creamy Mexican street corn salad with elote-style flavors: golden corn kernels coated in a cilantro-lime crema dressing, finished with crispy bacon and cotija. Chilled for 15 minutes so the dressing clings and the seasoning blooms.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

corn kernels
  • 6 cup corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned
mexican crema or sour cream
  • 0.5 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise
fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
lime juice
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
garlic, minced
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
tajín seasoning
  • 1 tsp tajín seasoning
Cotija cheese
  • 0.5 cup Cotija cheese crumbled
bacon
  • 6 slice bacon cooked and crumbled
red onion, finely diced
  • 0.25 cup red onion, finely diced
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk Mexican crema or sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, and tajín in a large bowl until smooth and evenly combined.
  2. Add corn kernels to the bowl and toss gently so every kernel is coated with the creamy mixture.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring until the dressing looks glossy and evenly distributed.
Finish and chill
  1. Fold in crumbled Cotija cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon, and finely diced red onion so the top appears speckled with cheese and bacon.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld, then the salad should look thicker and the corn should be well seasoned.
Serve
  1. Give the salad a quick stir before serving, adjusting salt and pepper as needed for balanced flavor.

Notes

For the best texture, pat canned corn dry so the dressing doesn’t get watery. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze not recommended. If you want a dairy-light option, swap the Mexican crema/sour cream and Cotija for a dairy-free crema and a dairy-free crumb-style topping.