My Favorite Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad

My favorite summer salad recipe, Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad filled with grilled corn, queso fresco, cilantro, smoky spices, lime, and piquillo peppers for a tex-mex flare. This quick, light vibrant salad comes together in 20 minutes and makes the perfect side.

If you love grilled corn recipes as much as I do, you should also try my Grilled Corn on the Cob with Roasted Jalapeno Sauce or this Grilled Corn Salad with Jalapeno Dressing.

Grilled Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad

There is nothing quite like grilled sweet corn in the summer! Growing up in Wisconsin we use to eat this stuff all the time! It was “THE thing” to get at the State Fair. Well, that, and the Cream Puffs. 🙂

The only hard thing about corn on the cob is the actual eating process. You know what I’m talking about!  Somehow one of those random little kernels manages to wedge its way in between one of your teeth and WILL NOT come out. So annoying. I decided to solve that problem with this salad! Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad, it has all of my favorite Tex-Mex flavors, incredibly light, healthy, and filled with mouthwatering flavor! And…. the corn is OFF the cob. So no more of those pesky kernels getting stuck. 

I make this salad at almost every gathering we have during the summer. People absolutely love how light it is and are baffled how I’m able to pack so much flavor into so few ingredients! This salad will be the dish everyone is talking about at your next Summer BBQ. Trust me.

What you’ll need for this recipe:

This corn salad recipe just screams summer with all the fresh vibrant ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Corn – Use fresh shucked sweet corn on the cob for this recipe. 
• Piquillo Peppers – You can find these in the canned vegetable aisle. They are typically by the roasted red peppers. Piquillo Peppers are roasted and kinda taste like a slightly spicier red pepper. They are delicious in this salad.
• Cilantro – Fresh is best. I use a ton in this recipe, but trust me it brightens everything right up and gives this salad that fresh and light taste you’ll love.
• Queso Fresco – Cheese makes everything better. This spanish cheese comes in a block, it is slightly salty and tangy. Just crumble it up and toss it with the salad.
• Spices – Just a little goes a long way. I use smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder and salt as the seasoning.
• Lime Juice – A key component to this salad! It brightens up the salad, gives a zestiness and brings everything together for one cohesive dish.
• Olive oil – Use extra virgin olive oil.

How to make Grilled Corn Salad?

Lucky for you this salad comes together in 20 minutes and can be made ahead of time. Here’s how to make it.

1. Prepare Grill: Heat grill to medium high heat, between 350- 400°F.
2. Grill Corn: Place prepared corn directly on the grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side until slightly charred. Remove from grill, using a knife cut kernels off the cob into a large bowl.
3. Mix Salad: To the bowl filled with corn kernels, add the diced piquillo peppers, fresh cilantro, queso fresco, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, sea salt, fresh lime juice, and olive oil. Toss to mix everything and serve! Great warm or cold.

How to store Corn Salad?

To store this Grilled Corn Salad, place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can I substitute fresh corn with frozen corn?

Yes, you can definitely do that if you don’t have fresh on hand. Just follow the package instructions to prepare the corn. To get that charred flavor I’d recommend cooking the corn in a skillet with a little bit of oil.

Ways to use Corn Salad

This salad is BOMB on it’s own. However, it’s also super versatile and can be used in a multitude of ways.  

• Use it as a Salsa: Just serve it with chips and now you’ve got a fun and delicious corn salad.
• Sandwich Topper: We’ve been known to put this on top of pulled pork sliders or burgers before.
• Put on Tacos: This is a no brainer, or at least for me it is. I use this a condiment for my tacos all the time. It’s just another layer of flavor, which for tacos is LIFE!.
• Add to a Salad: Put it on top of a salad, it’s great on my California Steak Salad or my Grilled Steak Fajita Salad.
• Put it on top of Eggs: I tried this the other morning on top of scrambled eggs with avocado and fresh tomatoes. It was amazing! You could use it on my Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas too! YUM!

What to serve with Corn Salad?

Some of our favorite dishes to serve with this Grilled Corn Salad are my Honey Garlic Cedar Planked Grilled Salmon, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa or my Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri.

More Summer Salads you’ll Love:

I live for summer recipes because everything is light, fresh and vibrant. Here are a few of our favorite summer salads that I know you’ll love.

• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
• Roasted Tomato Caprese Pasta Salad
• 10 Minute Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad
• Tomato Avocado Cucumber Salad
• Thai Mango Avocado Salad
• 10 Minute Asian Cucumber Salad

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