Creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad -

4.41 from 5 votes

Creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

This creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad takes all the flavor of elote: grilled corn, Cotija cheese, chili, and lime, and mixes it with perfectly cooked pasta for a bold and refreshing summer side dish. Great for BBQs, potlucks, and make-ahead meals and can be made high protein!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: bbq side dish, chili lime pasta salad, corn and pasta recipe, corn salad with cheese, creamy corn pasta, creamy pasta salad with sour cream, elote pasta salad, grilled corn salad, make ahead pasta salad, mexican corn pasta salad, mexican macaroni salad, Mexican pasta salad with corn, mexican street corn macaroni salad, mexican street corn pasta salad, mexican street corn pasta salad recipe, spicy corn pasta salad, summer pasta salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Valerie Skinner

Equipment

Large Pot
Grill or grill pan (if using fresh corn)
Knife and cutting board
large mixing bowl
Whisk
colander
Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

1.5 cups Corn Kernels can be from frozen
12 oz Rotini Pasta
½ cup Sour Cream
½ cup Mayonnaise
½ cup Red Onion small dice
¼ cup Fresh Cilantro chopped
1 Lime juiced
1 tsp Chili Powder
½ cup Cotija Cheese crumbled
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

Prepare The Corn: If you’re using ears of corn, grill them over medium high heat for a few minutes on each side until slightly charred. Once cooled, use a knife to shave off the corn kernels. If you’re using frozen corn kernels, heat up as directed on the package.
Cook The Pasta: Cook pasta according to instructions on the box. Make sure the pasta is al dente meaning it’s slightly under cooked. This will hold up better in pasta salad. You can achieve this by subtracting 2-3 minutes of cooking time and running it under cold water to stop the cooking process once it’s finished.
Make The Creamy Pasta Salad Sauce: In a large bowl, add in mayo, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder, whisk until everything is fully combined.
Toss It All Together: To the bowl with the sauce, add in corn, cooled pasta, diced red onion and cilantro. Toss everything together until fully combined top with crumbled Mexican cheese.

Notes

💪🏻Make It High Protein

You can easily turn this into a high-protein pasta salad with 20g of protein or more per serving by adding just a few simple ingredients or swaps:

Top with hard-boiled eggs: Slice them up and mix them in or serve them on top for a protein-packed twist.

Add shredded chicken: Toss in cooked rotisserie or grilled chicken breast for lean, flavorful protein. Or make your own shredded chicken.

Swap in Greek yogurt: Replace some or all of the sour cream and mayo with plain Greek yogurt to increase protein while keeping it creamy.

Mix in black beans or pinto beans: These add texture, fiber, and a solid boost of plant-based protein.

Use a high-protein pasta: Chickpea, lentil, or edamame-based pasta can double or even triple the protein content. My favorite is this Lupini Bean Pasta.

Stir in crumbled queso fresco or extra Cotija: Adds both flavor and a few grams of protein per serving.

Nutrition