This Mexican street corn macaroni salad is the summer side dish of your dreams. A guaranteed crowd favorite and easy to make!
Macaroni salad (and pasta salads in general) is a real nostalgic recipe for me. My mom, aunts and grandmother used to make macaroni salad at almost every big occasion. Every summer gathering would be accompanied by a giant bowl of macaroni salad. Never the same one either, by the way. The flavors used to vary from classic to eclectic but no matter what the salad contained, I remember always loving it.
And that love has carried over into my adulthood. This Mexican street corn version of my beloved macaroni salad is all kinds of awesome. The charred corn, feta cheese (use Cotija if you can find it) and onion are just delicious mixed with the creamy dressing and al dente macaroni.
How to make Mexican corn macaroni salad
Cook macaroni (or any short pasta of your choice) in large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse then allow to cool to room temperature. Char the corn in a large, hot pan until caramelized and starting to char around the edges. The more you allow the corn to char, the better the flavor of the finished macaroni salad will be. Add the corn to the macaroni along with the chopped red onion, finely diced chilli (remove the seeds if you don’t want it to be too spicy), sliced spring/green onions and crumbled feta or cotija cheese.
Make the dressing by combining mayonnaise and sour cream with lime juice, oregano and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad while the macaroni and corn are still room temperature to warm (this allows the pasta to soak up more of the dressing). Mix and taste for seasoning then adjust by adding more lime, salt, pepper or chilli. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
How long does macaroni salad last
If kept covered in the fridge, macaroni salad will last for around 3-5 days, depending on the ingredients. If boiled eggs or meat is included, consume the salad within 2 days.
What to serve with macaroni salad
- Peri-peri chicken
- Lemon herb chicken breasts
- Indian-spiced lamb chops
- Mayonnaise grilled rosemary garlic steak
- Easy lemon-garlic lamb chops
- Bacon and cheese burgers
- Easy sticky lamb ribs
Mexican street corn macaroni salad
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) macaroni cooked and cooled
- 4 cups frozen corn thawed
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 4 spring / green onions finely chopped
- 1 cup feta / cotija cheese crumbled
- 1-2 tbsp red chilli finely chopped
For the dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1-2 tsp honey (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pan then add the thawed corn. Allow to char for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the corn is golden brown and caramelized.
- Add the charred corn to the cooked macaroni.
- Add the red onion, spring onion, feta cheese and chilli.
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
Easy creamy curried macaroni salad
Easy creamy condensed milk potato salad
Great side dish!
Thanks Johnathan!
Never thought of adding corn to pasta salad but this was delicious! Easy too!!
It’s a great addition, isn’t it? 🙂