Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad

If you’re a fan of elote, this one’s going to be your new go-to. This Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad has all of the daring, tangy, creamy flavors of avenue corn packed into a straightforward hen salad you may throw collectively in about quarter-hour. It’s made with charred corn, cotija cheese, jalapeño, cilantro, and a daring, creamy Tajin-lime dressing. If you’ve already made my Mexican avenue corn dip, you already know precisely what sort of flavors we’re going for right here!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Salad Recipe

a girl wearing a black leather jacket holding a drink

This Mexican avenue corn hen salad comes collectively in about quarter-hour, particularly for those who’re beginning with rotisserie hen. The dressing is creamy however not heavy, the charred corn provides actual smokiness, and the Tajin and lime pack each chew with daring taste. It tastes like elote in hen salad type, which is precisely what it’s speculated to be!

It’s additionally probably the greatest meal prep lunches you may make. A batch lasts 4 days within the fridge, and truthfully, it’s the lunch I look ahead to most after I meal prep as a result of it will get higher because it sits. Pile it on toasted sourdough, scoop it with tortilla chips, or stuff it in an avocado. It’s excessive protein and genuinely exhausting to get uninterested in.

Jordan

Ingredients You’ll Need

a flat lay of recipe ingredients for street corn chicken salad

Shredded cooked hen: Rotisserie hen is the best possibility. Pull it aside, give it a tough chop for bite-sized items, and also you’re completed. Chicken breasts or thighs work too– simply be certain it’s effectively seasoned for the very best taste.
Frozen charred corn, defrosted: This is the ingredient that makes this style like avenue corn as an alternative of simply hen salad with corn in it. The char provides smokiness you don’t get from plain frozen or canned corn. Trader Joe’s frozen charred corn is a superb possibility. Defrost totally and pat dry earlier than utilizing.
Jalapeño: Removing the seeds retains the warmth manageable for most individuals. Leave just a few in if you’d like extra of a kick.
Cotija cheese: This salty, crumbly cheese is what offers the salad its traditional elote taste. You can discover it within the specialty cheese part at most grocery shops. Feta is the very best substitute for those who can’t monitor it down.
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise: Yogurt retains it gentle and provides protein, whereas mayo brings the richness that makes it style like precise hen salad dressing. Mexican crema works as a swap for each if you’d like one thing richer and tangier.
Fresh lime juice: This provides a vibrant, tangy taste to the dressing. Fresh-squeezed limes are all the time my go-to, however a bottle will work in a pinch.
Tajin: A Mexican seasoning created from chili peppers, lime, and salt. Tangy, mildly spicy, and one of many defining flavors of elote. Find it close to the spices or within the Latin meals aisle. It’s additionally the star of my grilled Tajin hen, which is one other enjoyable summer season recipe to strive.
Fresh cilantro: Adds brightness and freshness. Leave it out or swap for sliced inexperienced onion if cilantro isn’t your factor.
Red onion: A bit of chew and shade. Dice it small, so it distributes evenly.
Baby arugula or microgreens: Your inexperienced layer for the sandwich. Arugula’s peppery taste works very well with the creamy dressing. Microgreens are the milder possibility.
Toasted sourdough: Your bread should be toasted if making the sandwich! It retains the bread from going soggy and provides the crunch that makes each chew higher.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad

all of the ingredients for mexican street corn chicken salad in a mixing bowl before the dressing is added.

Step 1: Add the shredded hen, chopped cilantro, diced purple onion, defrosted charred corn, diced jalapeño, and cotija cheese to a big mixing bowl. Toss to distribute evenly earlier than the dressing goes in.

making the tajin-lime dressing for mexican chicken salad

Step 2: In a separate small bowl, whisk collectively the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, recent lime juice, Tajin, and kosher salt till easy. Taste the dressing earlier than including it. It ought to be tangy, barely spicy, and well-seasoned by itself.

mixing the dressing into the street corn chicken salad ingredients until combined in a mixing bowl

Step 3: Pour the dressing over the hen combination and toss till every little thing is evenly coated. Taste and regulate. A bit of further lime juice or a pinch extra Tajin can go a great distance if it wants extra brightness or warmth.

Step 4: To assemble the sandwiches, lay one slice of toasted sourdough on a flat floor. Top with a small handful of arugula or microgreens, then spoon a beneficiant quantity of hen salad on high. Place the second slice over, press gently, and slice in half.

Ways to Serve it

The sourdough sandwich is my private favourite, however this avenue corn hen salad works each approach you eat it.

On toasted sourdough with arugula or microgreens for the very best Mexican hen salad sandwich you’ll make at dwelling
Scooped with tortilla chips straight from the bowl, no additional meeting required
In lettuce cups for a lighter, lower-carb possibility
Stuffed in avocado halves for a lunch that appears far more spectacular than the trouble it takes
On tostadas with further cotija and a squeeze of lime on high

If you like these flavors and wish one thing extra dinner-sized, my avenue corn hen and rice bowls are constructed across the similar elote flavors and are available collectively in about half-hour.

Recipe Tips

Chop the hen after shredding. Smaller items distribute evenly by the dressing and keep put within the sandwich as an alternative of pulling out in a single lengthy strand if you take a chew.
Pat the corn dry. Frozen charred corn releases moisture because it defrosts. Wet corn thins out the dressing and makes the salad watery after a day within the fridge.
Add avocado recent. Don’t combine it into the entire batch for those who’re making this forward. It browns shortly and can have an effect on the looks by day two.
Always toast the bread. Untoasted sourdough turns smooth virtually instantly as soon as the dressing hits it.
Tajin on high proper earlier than serving. If you’re including further Tajin as a garnish, do it proper earlier than consuming for the very best taste. For extra methods to make use of it, my Mexican avenue corn pasta salad is one other scrumptious possibility.

street corn chicken salad served between 2 slices of toasted sourdough bread.

How to Store

This avenue corn hen salad shops effectively in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Add avocado recent every time fairly than mixing it into the entire batch.
This salad doesn’t freeze effectively– the dressing breaks down as soon as thawed and adjustments the feel.

Recipe FAQs

Can I exploit rotisserie hen for this Mexican hen salad?

Yes, and it’s the really helpful shortcut. Already cooked, well-seasoned, and simple to shred. It cuts the entire time all the way down to about quarter-hour.

What can I substitute for cotija cheese?

Feta. Similar salty, crumbly texture, and it really works very well on this dressing.

Can I make this avenue corn hen salad forward of time?

This hen salad really tastes higher the following day as soon as the flavors have had time to come back collectively. Store in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Keep the bread separate and toast it recent if you’re able to eat.

Is this Mexican avenue corn hen salad recipe gluten-free?

The hen salad is gluten-free. Swap in your favourite gluten-free bread for those who’re serving it as a sandwich.

What corn works greatest?

Frozen charred corn offers you the very best taste for the least effort. Trader Joe’s carries one of their frozen part that works nice. No pre-charred corn obtainable? Char recent, frozen or canned corn your self in a dry cast-iron skillet over excessive warmth till you get some shade on it.

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