Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
Serve this Mexican Street Corn potato salad to anyone who thinks they don't like potato salad! You make this potato salad without eggs - just tender potatoes and charred corn plus Cotija cheese, fresh jalapeños, herbs & spices. Bonus? It's ready to serve in 30 minutes!
This corn and potato salad is similar to Mexican potato salad, but it ditches the olives and eggs to focus on the elote flavors. Serve this potato salad recipe at your next backyard barbecue, and watch it disappear faster than it took you to make!
Looking for more summer BBQ recipe inspiration? Check out this easy Mexican street corn dip (it's layered with an easy tuna ceviche and guacamole) or this authentic Jamaican jerk chicken!
Recipe Overview: Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
✅ Recipe Name: Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Potato Salad
🕒 Ready In: 30 minutes
👪 Yield: 8 servings
🍽 Calories: 348 calories per serving (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: potatoes, corn, jalapeños, mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, cilantro.
👌 Difficulty: Easy!
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Why You'll Love This Corn Potato Salad Recipe
- It's a fresh twist on a classic! It incorporates sweet corn, fresh jalapeños, and herbs for a bright side with lots of texture!
- It's the perfect make-ahead side! Assemble everything in advance and garnish with cilantro and cotija cheese right before serving.
- It's an easy potato salad recipe without eggs! Ditch boiled eggs for zesty Mexican street corn salad (elote) and just use a vegan mayonnaise for a completely eggless potato salad!
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Key Ingredients
Potatoes. Use waxy potatoes like Yukon gold or red potatoes. These hold up well once cooked and during mixing.
Sweet corn. Fresh corn gives the best crisp texture. Canned and frozen corn may also be used (like in this Chinese chicken corn soup recipe), but drain them well and brown them briefly on high heat to avoid overcooking and them becoming too soft.
Mayonnaise. The base of the dressing. It adds richness to this potato salad and is a creamy element present in both Mexican street corn salad & classic potato salad. Want it completely egg-free? Just use a vegan mayonnaise!
Cotija cheese. A crumbly cheese that's a bit saltier and firmer than queso fresco, but either works for this recipe, based on your preference!
Fresh jalapeños. Diced and incorporated for an element of freshness and subtle heat. Pickled jalapeños will be less spicy and crisp.
Sweet Relish. Balances the savory richness with some sweetness.
Lime juice. Adds a little zip to this Mexican potato salad without being too overpowering. No sour cream or Greek yogurt needed.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
- Step 1: Boil and cube the Yukon gold potatoes.
- Step 2: Brown the corn kernels.
- Step 3: Make the potato salad dressing.
- Step 4: Toss everything together and enjoy your elote potato salad!
Corn Potato Salad FAQs
Waxy potatoes like Yukon golds, red potatoes, or fingerlings are the best option for potato salad since they hold their shape well after boiling. Starchy potatoes can get mushy, especially once you toss them with the dressing, so stay away from russet and Idaho potatoes.
Yellow corn has a sweeter flavor, and fresh corn will have a superior texture compared to canned and frozen corn. If using canned or frozen corn, be sure to drain them completely and char them on high heat quickly to avoid overcooking them and making them mushy.
Not necessarily. Gradually cooking the potatoes instead of bringing them to an immediate boil helps waxy potatoes keep their solid, dense texture so they're less prone to sloughing when manipulated. This method is called low-temperature pre-cooking and can be especially useful if all you have on hand are mealy (starchy) potatoes.
You can achieve the same results by having the potatoes sit in steaming (but not bubbling) water over low heat for 20-30 minutes before bringing them to a boil.
Just like elote, it's best for this potato salad to be served slightly warm, right after making it. The flavors from the fresh herbs and vegetables will be brightest, and the flavors will be more pronounced than if it is served cold.
If making ahead and refrigerating, simply bring the potato salad out 20-30 minutes before serving so it's not ice cold.
Not exactly. Traditional Mexican potato salad does combine potato and corn similarly to elote, but it also typically includes eggs, additional veggies like celery, onions, and olives, and has a richer flavor compared to this elote potato salad, which is very bright.
Up to 4 days - after that, the herbs and vegetables aren't as crisp, and they start to lose flavor.
Ainseanlea's Top Tips
- Peel the potatoes after boiling. Boiling the potatoes with the skin on helps them retain more flavor (and nutrients)! It also prevents them from absorbing too much water as they cook, so they don't end up mushy. You can peel after boiling or opt to keep the skin on if you prefer.
- Use a rubber spatula for mixing. A thin but flexible utensil helps to keep the cubes of potato whole during mixing, while a chunky or firm utensil, like a wooden or metal spoon, can break the potato cubes apart, turning the potato salad into mush.
- Use fresh herbs and vegetables. The best part of this potato salad is the bright flavors and crisp textures. Fresh produce relay these the best!
- If you do use canned or frozen produce, such as corn, be sure to drain it well. For frozen corn, this will mean allowing it to thaw before incorporating. This way, you don't introduce extra moisture to the potato salad to make it soupy. Wet food also doesn't caramelize readily, so you won't get a good sear on the corn if it still has a lot of water.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes You'll Love!
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Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Potato Salad
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the whole unpeeled potatoes to a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them. Cook over medium-high heat until fork-tender (18-20 minutes).900 grams Yukon gold potatoes
- While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the corn. Add the corn kernels to a skillet along with the butter over medium-high heat and cook until tender and lightly browned. Add a ¼ teaspoon of the salt & set aside.455 grams corn kernels, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Once the potatoes are ready, peel them (if desired) and cut them into ½-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, sweet relish, Dijon mustard, lime juice, chili powder, cayenne pepper & the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.215 grams mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sweet relish, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ medium lime, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add the cubed potatoes, the seared corn, jalapeños, cotija cheese, and cilantro to a large bowl along with the dressing. Toss with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.900 grams Yukon gold potatoes, 100 grams cotija cheese, 2 medium jalapeños, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, 455 grams corn kernels
- Transfer to a serving bowl if desired and garnish with extra cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese.¼ cup chopped cilantro, 100 grams cotija cheese
- You may serve the potato salad immediately at room temperature or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 4 days for optimal taste & texture.
Nutrition
Notes
- Wait until after the potatoes boil to peel them. They retain more flavor and nutrients. The skin also prevents too much water from being absorbed, which would make the potatoes mushy.
- If using canned corn, drain it well so they brown easily. Frozen corn can also be used; you should let it thaw, then drain it.
