A creamy, tangy, slightly spicy corn salad — great alongside anything from the grill. Serve straight with chips or as a side.

Ingredients

  • 400 g frozen corn (or kernels from 4 cobs)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 40 g red onion, diced (about ½ small onion)
  • 1 jalapeño, diced (see notes)
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • ½ pot fresh cilantro, chopped (about 0.8 dl)
  • 4 tbsp mayo
  • 4 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 30 g crumbled feta (½ dl) — optional
  • juice of 1 lime

Instructions

  1. Prep: Dice the red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Grate the garlic.
  2. Sear the corn: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn (drain first if using frozen).
  3. Season: Sprinkle over the smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), salt, and pepper.
  4. Cook: Stir and let cook for about 10 minutes, until the corn takes on a bit of color and starts to caramelize.
  5. Cool: Transfer to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes — this keeps the yogurt and mayo from splitting.
  6. Combine: Add the red onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, mayo, Greek yogurt, feta, and lime juice. Toss well.
  7. Serve: With tortilla chips, alongside grilled things, or straight from the bowl.

Notes

Frozen corn works great — 400 g frozen is what we usually use. No need to thaw first; just add it straight into the hot pan.

Heat & herbs to taste: Adjust the jalapeño and cilantro to who’s eating. A whole jalapeño gives a proper kick; use ½ pot of cilantro if you love it, less if you don’t.

Splitting the dressing: If the corn is too hot when the dairy goes in, it can look grainy. Let it cool first.

Variations

Common variants seen in other Mexican-street-corn recipes worth trying if you like the base:

  • Char the corn first. Grill the cobs whole until well-blackened (or run the pan hotter and dry-char the kernels) — adds a smoky depth the plain sauté misses. Cut off the cob after.
  • Cotija instead of feta. Cotija is the traditional Mexican cheese for elote — drier and saltier than feta, closer to the original. Feta is the widely available substitute (and what the tested version uses).
  • Add cumin. ¼ tsp ground cumin alongside the smoked paprika adds warmth. Common in “healthy” variants.
  • Scallions instead of red onion. Milder and grassier, less bite.

Source: Instagram (creator unknown). Family favorite for grill nights. Variation notes drawn from similar recipes on Simply Happy Foodie, Erin Lives Whole, and Love and Lemons.