Smoky and spicy, this salad is the off-the-cob version of Mexican street corn. It’s made with a lime-flavored mayo and topped with tangy Cotija cheese. To bring the flavor of the grill indoors, the corn is cooked until brown and toasty in a skillet.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20 ounces frozen corn, thawed, or 4 cups fresh corn cut from the cob
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 3 ounces Cotija or feta cheese, finely crumbled
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add corn kernels, cook without moving until dark brown, about 3 minutes. Stir, and repeat until brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until well browned all over, about 10 minutes total. Note: For a smoky flavor, cook the corn until lightly charred in a skillet or wok. The high temperature needed to brown the corn exceeds the limits for most nonstick cookware. If you only own nonstick, heat the corn but don’t cook until dark brown.
Add onion. Cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add garlic and chili powder. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute.
Transfer to a large bowl. Allow corn to cool.
Add jalapeño, cheese, mayonnaise, cilantro and lime juice. Stir to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Analysis: 170 cal, 9 g fat, 15 mg chol, 190 mg sodium, 19 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 5 g protein
Elizabeth Barbone, author of the cookbooks Easy Gluten-Free Baking and How to Cook Gluten-Free, is a regular contributor to Gluten-Free Living. She also blogs at glutenfreebaking.com.
