Let me preface this by saying when I make Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad at home, I have no intention of sharing it with anyone. It was one of those things I make and then hide in the back of my fridge and pretend it's not there so no one else (aka my husband or Poppy) will eat it.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
No shame in my game - Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad is so good you won't want to share it with anyone!
Have you guys ever had that delicious Mexican street corn on the cob, known as Elote, that's slathered in mayo, chile powder and lime juice? It's basically the best thing in the world and I'm a BIG fan. The only thing that bothers me about that dish is there is no avocado anywhere to be found. Well, fear not my friends, PROBLEM SOLVED.
Mayo can be substituted for avocado in most any dish in my opinion, so obviously that's what I did. I just took a perfectly ripe avocado and threw it into the blender with a hint of lime juice and a little water and blended it up until it was the same consistency as mayo. And then I went ahead and mixed it in with all my favorite things like quinoa, monetary jack cheese, corn straight off the cob, some cilantro and scallions and then topped it all off with a healthy shake of chile powder and salt and pepper.
You could easily use some grilled corn too, but I'm really into raw corn as you can probably tell!
Much to my dismay, Thomas discovered it in the back of the fridge and I was forced to share last week, Poppy too. He did however declare it to be one of the best things I've ever made! #winning
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Red or White Quinoa
- Corn
- Jalapeño
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Cotija or Feta Cheese
- Chili Powder
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Avocado
- Salt
- Black Pepper
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Once cooked, add the quinoa and raw corn to a large mixing bowl with the chopped jalapeño green onions, cilantro, half of the lime juice, cotija cheese and a dash of chili powder. Toss to combine.
Step 2: Remove the avocado from the skin and discard the seed. Place the flesh of the avocado in a blender or food processor with the remaining lime juice and blend until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed to make the mixture smooth, it should be a similar consistency to a mayonnaise.
Step 3: Remove the avocado mixture from the blender, toss it with the corn and quinoa mixture.
Step 4: Top with the shredded jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve.
How to Store Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad
You can store the quinoa corn base without the dressing in the fridge for about a day or so. Add the dressing only when it is time to eat.
Tips & Tricks
You can grill your corn, but I'm a huge fan of raw corn when it's perfectly in season!
FAQs
Can I use frozen corn?
Yes! Of course fresh corn is really great, especially when it is in season. However, feel free to use frozen corn.
What other grains can I use instead of quinoa?
You can substitute quinoa with farro or bulgur. Couscous may also work.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Mexican Corn and Quinoa Salad (aka Esquites with Quinoa)
Ingredients
- 1 cup red or white quinoa
- 3 cups corn about 4 ears, cut from the cob
- ½ jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 handful cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons cotija or feta, crumbled
- chili powder to taste
- ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 1 avocado
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
- Once cooked, add the quinoa and raw corn to a large mixing bowl with the chopped jalapeño green onions, cilantro, half of the lime juice, cotija cheese and a dash of chili powder. Toss to combine.
- Remove the avocado from the skin and discard the seed. Place the flesh of the avocado in a blender or food processor with the remaining lime juice and blend until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water as needed to make the mixture smooth, it should be a similar consistency to a mayonnaise.
- Remove the avocado mixture from the blender, toss it with the corn and quinoa mixture and top with the shredded jack cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
This was delicious! Very easy, and will be great for the summer nights. Thank you for sharing!
I just made this and omg. Delicious. Super easy and fast. I love it!
I made a double batch of this last night to take to a party and it was a big hit. With fresh corn not available this time of year I used a frozen organic corn and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This recipe is a keeper; healthy, simple and delicious.
This looks amazing! Do you have the nutritional breakdown of these recipes?
I don't!! Sorry
how long does this stay good in the fridge for after adding the dressing?
2 days!! I keep it for longer but add the dressing day by day
Gaby, would you say frozen corn can take fresh’s place this time of year or best to not? I wish it was still sweet corn season here in the Midwest!
Thanks!
omg frozen corn for SURE works! Just thaw it out 🙂
I made this last night for my husband and two high school aged daughters. It was amazing. The perfect nutritionally balanced, delicious dish! I roasted the corn because it isn't really corn season and my ears were a bit sad looking. I used feta because it was on-hand. Both girls took it to school for lunch today!
Next time I will add grilled shrimp, because I think it is a perfect one-dish meal.
Thanks Gaby!
This is so good! I was going to grill the corn but I decided to go ahead and follow the recipe as is. I'm so glad I did. I am not a fan of mayo, but LOVE avocado. This is a new favorite.
Ha, I'm glad i'm not the only one who hides food from their husband. This would definitely be one of those dishes to hog!
I love elotes - that's such a smart idea to puree avocado instead of mayo!
Loving the flavors in this!! Such a perfect lunch recipe!
This is right up my alley! I'm not a big mayo fan, so the avocado swap out is 100% in my book! And yes to raw corn - it's so sweet this time of year, it doesn't need cooking! Happy Friday!
My god that looks so good!!!
This was sooo good! As I am eating it I am thinking it would be a great dip with tortilla
Chips! That will be lunch tomorrow!
This is really delicious, especially this time of year when the fresh corn tastes so good. I did add some halved grape tomatoes just for some color.