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(Southern Fried) Mexican Corn Salad is a combination of southern style fried corn and Mexican corn salad. The corn is caramelized with butter, then cooled and combined with Mexican corn dressing.

I had this leftover corn. My instinct is to fry it up and make deliciously sweet, caramelized southern style fried corn. But I wanted to do something different with the fried corn. I feel like we have the same things over and over. And, well, I wanted to make something that highlights all the deliciousness that corn has to offer. Corn and tomatoes and avocados.

What is Mexican corn?

There’s a vague history of the street corn as we know it today. I’ve tried to find the origin of it, but it’s just combined with the history of elote which is basically corn. For whatever reason, I can’t find the actual transition from corn sold at farms to the mayonnaise and lime slathered version of street corn we know today. It doesn’t help that I’m exhausted while trying to write this and I can’t find the best Google search term.

Seriously. It goes from “corn was cultivated hundreds of years ago by the Aztecs” to “now we coat it in mayonnaise and lime juice and sprinkle it with cotijo cheese.” That’s a rather large time gap don’t you think? There’s one article that says it’s made like the way it was back in the Aztecs days. Yeah. They didn’t have mayonnaise or crema back then, so I highly doubt it.

What I do know is corn is important to the cuisine of Latin America. And this street corn is an evolved version of elote which is basically corn. Today, most Mexican street corn is roasted or boiled, served on a stick or with the husk as a handle, and covered with toppings.

Toppings include crema, butter, or mayonnaise. Lime juice, cotija cheese, and seasonings like chili powder, cumin, and cilantro. I know the mayonnaise may sound weird, but it really does add a creamy flavor to the corn. And especially in this salad version of the famous street snack.

How do you make (Southern Fried) Mexican Corn Salad?

I used leftover corn that I roasted. However, you can use frozen corn or cut fresh corn from the cob and fry that up. Either way you’ll have the sweet, caramelized base for this salad. I fried mine up in a combination of butter and olive oil. It was mostly butter for flavor and olive oil to raise the cooking temperature to really caramelize the corn. And make sure you get some browned bits on your corn. It makes this salad taste amazing.

When the corn finished cooking let it cool to room temperature. I didn’t want to toss it hot with the mayonnaise and cheese, so I let it cool first. Then I tossed it with the mayonnaise, lime juice, spices, cheese, avocado, and tomatoes. And a little bit of jalapeno for some heat.

Then I stuck it in the fridge until ready to serve. This chilled everything. I wanted mine to be a chilled salad. If you don’t want yours chilled, keep it at room temperature. Or toss the corn with the dressing and spices right after cooking it. That part is really up to you. I wanted mine cold, so I chilled it. Next time I might try it warm just to see how it tastes.

What does (Southern Fried) Mexican Corn Salad taste like?

So, I have the southern fried in parenthesis because, well, it started out as southern fried corn. Then I decided to turn it into a Mexican corn salad. It’s sort of the best of both worlds in this one recipe.

This Mexican corn salad is similar to my corn and tomato salad.  The corn is sweet and caramelized. The mayonnaise combines with the lime juice to make a delicious dressing that coats everything. There’s a spicy kick from the jalapenos I added to mine. And more creaminess with the diced avocado. And the sweet tang from the cherry tomatoes.

This salad tastes delicious when you make it ahead of time. It allows all the flavors to party and meld together making them even more delicious. I took leftovers for lunch the next day and it was better than the day before!

I added my favorite spices, chili powder and cumin. It’s not a Latin American dish without cumin for me. I love that spice and put it in as many recipes as I can. And I couldn’t find cotija cheese. The next best thing is feta. So, I crumbled some feta on top for that salty kick in the salad and on top as a garnish.

Finally, I garnished it with some sliced green onions. They add a nice color on top. Feel free to garnish with cilantro if you want. I do not want. So, I opted for green onions.

Welcome to Farmers Market Week! This is the week we celebrate all things found at the Farmers Market. There are over fifteen bloggers sharing over 50 recipes this week. From drinks and desserts to entrees and sides, there’s something for everyone this week.

Wednesday Farmers Market Recipes

Savory Recipes

• Balsamic Cucumber Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Braised Half-Runner Beans with Potatoes (Instant Pot) from Palatable Pastime
• Caprese Mac and Cheese from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Grilled Vegetable Platter with Lemon Feta Dip from Books n’ Cooks
• Hasselback Potatoes from Blogghetti
• Kale Caesar Salad from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Mexican Corn Salad from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sheet Pan Okra from Magical Ingredients

Sweet Recipes

• Bourbon Apple Butter from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lavender Peach Shortcakes with Honey Whipped Cream from The Spiffy Cookie
• Fluffy Peach Waffles from Red Cottage Chronicles
• The Best Cherry Pie from Jen Around the World
• Zucchini Bread with Nutmeg from Our Good Life