Elote Pasta Salad is a fun take on the flavors of traditional Mexican Street Corn made with corn kernels and tossed with pasta in a creamy dressing. This simple and flavorful dish is great for any occasion. 

Elote Pasta Salad in a white bowl with lime wedges and avocado on top.

If you are looking for a delicious and flavorful pasta salad then you need to give this Elote Pasta Salad a try. Made with rotini pasta, sweet corn, cotija cheese, and red onion, this Mexican-inspired pasta salad is great side dish for barbecues, brunches, and tastes great the next day too!

For more delicious pasta salads recipes, be sure to try Spinach Pasta Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad with Dill, and Pesto Pasta Salad. And, don’t miss my classic recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad

You’ll Love Elote Pasta Salad!

Elote Pasta Salad is a delicious version of the popular Mexican Street Corn made with similar ingredients and tossed with pasta. It’s a dish that’s has all of the flavors of elote and sure to be a new favorite. 

Traditional Elote is made with corn on the cob, slathered with mayonnaise, seasoned with chili powder and fresh lime juice, sprinkled all over with salty Cotija cheese and cilantro. It’s messy to eat but worth every bite. 

This Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe is the perfect summertime side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal. I like to serve mine whenever I’m making grilled meats or when I can find fresh corn on sale at the grocery store. 

Overhead photo of elote pasta salad with avocado and cotija cheese on top.

You’ll love that this dish is easy to make and less mess than eating traditional elote. Plus, you can add in your favorite ingredients and customize the dish however you want. 

So, if you love the taste of classic Mexican street corn, be sure to give this recipe a try. It’s sure to be a new favorite pasta salad recipe. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for recipe including corn, cotija cheese, rotini, avocado, and cilantro.
  • Pasta: I like to use a short pasta for this recipe like rotini. You can substitute penne, gemelli, macaroni, fusilli, or even bow pasta in this recipe. 
  • Corn: this is a great recipe for using fresh corn cobs. However, you can substitute with frozen corn kernels. Just be sure to thaw and pat dry before using. 
  • Red Onion: while red onion isn’t traditionally served with elote, it’s adds a nice crunch and bite to this pasta salad. You can substitute green onions here. 
  • Mayo: traditionally street corn is slathered in mayonnaise. Here, we use the tangy spread in our creamy dressing. 
  • Sour Cream: Mixing a bit of sour cream in the dressing will lighten it up and give a delicious tangy flavor. You can substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream. 
  • Lime: lime juice is necessary for making elote pasta salad. You can use just the lime juice or add the lime zest for extra flavor. 
  • Cayenne Pepper: you’ll need some spice for this recipe to bring out the flavors. I like to use a bit of cayenne pepper, but you can omit it or add chili powder instead. 
  • Cilantro: a sprinkle of fresh cilantro is how classic elote is served. If you don’t like the flavor of cilantro you can substitute other fresh herbs like parsley. 
  • Cotija: cotija cheese is a slightly salty, crumbly, Mexican cheese. You can substitute crumbled queso fresco or even feta for this dish. 

Elote Pasta Salad Variations

You can change up the flavors of your elote pasta salad by adding other fun ingredients, such as:

  • Black beans: add a can of drained and rinsed black beans to get extra protein. 
  • Jalapeños: if you love spice, you can add diced jalapeños or other peppers. 
  • Bell Peppers: diced bell pepper add a pop of color and crunch to the pasta salad. 
  • Mexican crema: top this delicious side dish with a drizzle of Mexican crema before serving. 
Elote Pasta Salad in a white bowl with a checkered napkin underneath.

How to Make Elote Pasta Salad

This recipe for Elote Pasta Salad has all of the flavors of street corn in an easy to eat pasta salad. You will need to have a large bowl on hand for tossing all of the ingredients.

Process shots showing how to make recipe including grilling the corn and tossing the ingredients together with the dressing.

Step 1: boil pasta and char corn

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in some salt and the rotini noodles. Cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside. 

While the pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add in oil and corn kernels. Cook the corn until the kernels start to char and blacken (you can also grill the corn cob on an outdoor grill). Remove from heat and set aside. 

Step 2: make the dressing

In a bowl, combine the red onion, mayo, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, cayenne and kosher salt. Whisk dressing ingredients together until well combined. 

Step 3: combine ingredients

In a large bowl, add the drained cooled pasta, cooled corn, diced cilantro, cotija cheese, and the dressing. Toss the ingredients together until well combined. 

Step 4: add on avocado

When ready to serve, top the elote pasta salad with avocado chunks and more cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges. 

Elote Pasta Salad with avocado and cotija cheese and lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

  • Defrosted frozen corn can be used. Canned corn won’t char up as well but can be substituted if needed. 
  • Cotija cheese can be found in the deli section of most grocery stores. Queso fresco or feta cheese crumbles can be substituted. 
  • If making ahead, don’t add the avocado or cheese until ready to serve. 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mexican Street Corn? 

Mexican street corn, also known as “elote,” is a popular Mexican street food dish featuring grilled corn on the cob smothered in a creamy, savory, and often spicy mixture of mayonnaise, cheese, chili powder, and lime juice.

What is Elote Pasta Salad?

Elote pasta salad is a Mexican-inspired dish that combines cooked pasta with the flavors of elote (Mexican street corn), featuring ingredients like grilled corn, cotija cheese, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, and cilantro.

Do you need to rinse pasta salad noodles? 

Yes, it’s a good idea to rinse pasta salad noodles after cooking them. Rinsing the noodles with cold water serves several purposes:
1. Cooling: Rinsing with cold water helps quickly cool down the cooked pasta, which is important for a pasta salad as you want the pasta to be at room temperature or slightly cooler before mixing it with other ingredients.
2. Stopping Cooking: Rinsing also stops the cooking process, preventing the pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy.
3. Removing Starch: Rinsing removes excess starch from the surface of the pasta. This prevents the pasta from clumping together and sticking as it cools.
After rinsing, be sure to drain the pasta well before adding it to your pasta salad.

Elote Pasta Salad in a white bowl with avocado on top and a checkered napkin in the background.

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Elote Pasta Salad recipe.

Elote Pasta Salad

Elote Pasta Salad has all of those Mexican Street Corn Salad flavors in a delicious pasta salad! You can use fresh corn or defrosted frozen corn for this recipe.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 386kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rotini pasta (or other similar-shaped noodles)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups corn kernels (from about four cobs)
  • ½ cup mayo
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup red onion, diced
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 limes, juiced (or more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup cotija or queso fresco (crumbled)
  • 1 avocado, diced

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook rotini pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
  • In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in corn and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and lightly charred. Set aside to cool.
  • To make the dressing, in a bowl mix together the mayo, sour cream, diced onion, minced garlic, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt.
  • In large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, corn kernels, dressing, cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Toss to combine. Serve with diced avocado on top.

Notes

  • Defrosted frozen corn can be used. Canned corn won’t char up as well but can be substituted if needed. 
  • Cotija cheese can be found in the deli section of most grocery stores. Queso fresco or feta cheese crumbles can be substituted. 
  • If making ahead, don’t add the avocado or cheese until ready to serve. 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg
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5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I know this recipe is great as a side dish but it also makes a delicious main dish. I liked your suggestion of black beans for a little protein – yum!