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
We just had this at a get together last weekend, and my husband made an absolute pig out of himself! He ate 4 bowls of it!! I had to get the recipe. Needless to say, this will be the most popular dish I make from now on! I have never had raw corn, it was so good! I might try roasted too if I'm grilling, but this recipe is insanely good! GREAT JOB! Thanks for a great tasting, healthy recipe!
I made this last night. I left out the onions, since I hate them, but I used trader Joe's frozen grilled corn. I added more lime juice than suggested. It was absolutely delicious. My roommates were impressed as well as my boyfriend. It went well with Salsa Verde Chicken soft tacos, yellow rice with veggies and black beans.
I highly recommend this recipe.
First Gaby recipe made & it was a homerun! Made for dinner but would be a great make-ahead for lunches. I used TJ’s frozen roasted corn, and added 1/2 a diced zucchini, & couple handfuls of chopped kale. Topped with shrimp sautéed with a little cumin & chipotle powder bc the hubs needs protein but would be great as is. Didn’t have mozz cheese and didn’t miss it one bit. Everyone was raving about this- total keeper. Oh-Also added a little garlic clove to the avocado dressing. SO GOOD!! Thanks Gaby
I love raw corn! I have a deep hatred of quinoa so I would sub that for some other grain, but I will definitely make this!
This is sooo good! I added black beans and lime zest to the recipe to kick it up a notch, very good.
Wow, is this ever good! So good that I’ve made it two weeks in a row! The only thing I changed the second time around was adding some very finely diced red onion because I had it laying around and it added a little extra bite. Wonderful recipe! Thank you!
Hi, should you use mayo if allergic to avocado? I want to try it because I love all the ingredients. And how much mayo if so? Thanks so much!
yes - start with 1/3 cup
Delicious!! Excellent topped with a little green choula hot sauce.
I'm allergic to avocado 🙁 - any recommendations for what I can swap it out with?
This was such a huge hit, even with my young kids! Seriously, every recipe of yours I’ve tried has been stellar!
I'm adding black beans to this to make it a meatless main!
All of my 3 teens had second helpings! Mom win!! So good and easy to make. Thanks so much.
So so good. I’ve made this a few times but today I threw in some diced chicken to make it more of a meal and it turned out perfect. Thank you for opening my eyes to fresh corn! I haven’t been able to find cojita so I imagine it will be even more amazing once I do!
Hello Gaby!
This looks like something that would be delicious for meal prepping for lunches. How long do you think would the avocado mixture keep in the fridge? Since it's just for me I wouldn't care if it turns brown.
3-4 days
I’ve made this a bunch of times. Depending on the season I might use frozen corn or add cherry tomatoes. It’s always a hit. But yesterday I made it with extra cheese & used it to stuff poblano peppers. They were awesome! A great summer meal was enjoyed by all!