Mexican Street Corn Quinoa is a great way to jazz up a quinoa side dish! Loaded with the delicious flavors of Mexican Street Corn, this quinoa salad recipe is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for summer!

Looking to mix up your salad routine? This Mexican Street Corn Quinoa is for you! Loaded with all the delicious flavors of Mexican Street Corn, this quinoa salad is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for summer!

I mentioned back in February that we’re in the process of planning a kitchen renovation. And now, suddenly, it’s right around the corner. And I’m nowhere near ready for it! Because blogging and no kitchen don’t exactly go well together….and that reality is just now sinking in.

It’s funny how you can talk yourself into anything that’s really far away. Because it doesn’t actually feel real! Not until you get the phone call, letting you know that the renovation date has been set for two weeks, and suddenly you freak out because you thought you had so much more time….!

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So I guess what that means is it’s time to buckle down. In a serious way. Time to take a long, hard look at my to-do list and start checking things off. Starting with all things blog related. Because there are certain things I need to get done and certain things I want to get done, and I want to get it ALL done before demolition begins.

This Mexican Street Corn Quinoa falls somewhere in the want/need category because I literally haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I dreamed it up the other day. Which clearly means I’ve been needing to make it, right? I love quinoa in all shapes and sizes, like Southwest Quinoa Salad and Red, White & Blue Berry Quinoa Salad and Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa. And as soon as I made this Mexican Street Corn Quinoa I knew it was exactly the right way to be spending my time.

Because this quinoa salad is loaded with all the flavors of Mexican Street Corn, it’s pretty much amazing. Perfect as a side dish for summer cookouts…or as a main dish if you’re looking for something on the lighter side. And even though my to-do list hasn’t gotten any shorter, I somehow feel better knowing that I can put a big checkmark next to Mexican Street Corn Quinoa. And now I can just enjoy it…..all summer long.

what you’ll need for this recipe

Quinoa – For this recipe I used 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, prepared according to package instructions. Once cooked, this comes out to about 3 cups. Quinoa can be found the rice at your local grocery store.

Corn – Corn is the second main ingredient in this recipe, and I used 12 ounces of frozen corn, charred over high heat in a skillet. Alternately, you can use 3 ears of fresh corn, grilled or charred in a similar way.

Cilantro – Cilantro is a key ingredient in Mexican Street Corn, and I used 1 cup of it in this recipe. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, feel free to leave it out and/or substitute more of the other vegetables.

Red pepper – Although bell pepper isn’t a traditional ingredient in street corn, I decided to add it as an “extra” in this salad. I used 1/2 cup of diced red pepper (feel free to substitute any color you have on hand).

Onions – I also decided to add 6 sliced green onions to this recipe for extra flavor and texture. I used green instead of another color because green onions are milder in flavor.

Cotija cheese – Cotija cheese is a salty, crumbly cheese that’s used in traditional street corn recipes. Cotija can be found near the other shredded cheeses at your local grocery store. Alternately, you can use crumbled queso fresco, which is similar but less salty.

Sour cream & Mayo – Sour cream and mayo form the base of the “dressing” in this quinoa salad. I used 1/4 cup of each, but you can feel free to add more or less according to your tastes.

Lime juice – Lime juice is mixed in with the sour cream and mayo combo to give this recipe the traditional lime kick. I always like using fresh lime juice, but bottled works too!

Spices – Finally, a combination of chili powder, kosher salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper rounds out the flavor profile and gives this recipe just the kick it needs. Feel free to omit the cayenne pepper if you prefer.

how to make mexican street corn quinoa

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa, grilled corn, cilantro, red pepper, sliced onions, and crumbled cheese.
In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, lime juice, and seasonings. Mix well.
Pour sour cream mixture over quinoa mixture and stir to combine.
Garnish with additional crumbled cheese and cilantro, as desired.

Recipe Variations

Add minced or sliced jalapeño for extra heat
Add additional veggies, such as chopped tomatoes or avocado
Substitute queso fresco or shredded cheddar cheese for cotija
Substitute red or white onion for green onion
Use mayo only instead of a sour cream + mayo combo
Omit the red pepper and onions for more traditional street corn flavor

overhead image of a bowl with Mexican spiced quinoa salad

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