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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.

bowl filled with grilled corn salad

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.

ingredient for chili lime corn salad

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.

close up of grilled corn salad in a bowl

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!

filled filled with ingredients for grilled corn salad that need to be tossed

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.

spoon scooping some summer corn salad out of a bowl

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spoon scooping some summer corn salad out of a bowl

My Favorite Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 4 mins
  • Cook Time: 16 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 16-20 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

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.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ears of corns, shucked
  • 3 Dellalo Brand roasted piquillo peppers, diced
  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 34 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice of 2 limes)
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Heat grill to medium high heat or 400°F.
  2. Place sweet corn on the grill and grill for 3-4 minutes per side until slightly charred.
  3. Remove from grill, using a knife cut kernels off the cob into a large bowl.
  4. To the corn bowl, add the piquillo peppers, fresh cilantro, queso fresco, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, sea salt, fresh lime juice, and olive oil.
  5. Toss to mix everything and serve!

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pinterest image for chili lime grilled corn salad

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30 comments on “My Favorite Chili Lime Grilled Corn Salad”

  1. Hi! Making this today for a cookout tomorrow but could not find paquillo peppers ANYWHERE in St Louis (and I looked high and low). So I settled for jarred roasted red pepper strips. Can you tell me about how much of these in measured terms I should add to have the right proportion of corn to peppers? 1 cup? Thank you for this fantastic alternative to corn on the cob!

    1. It’s a 1:1 ratio. I’ve had to use roasted red peppers before too, it still works. I just like the piquillo peppers better. 🙂

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    Maria McCabe

    Great recipe dying to try is there a substitute for pickle peppers in case I can not find them

    1. sure, you could use roasted red peppers as well but the piquillo peppers should be right next to them in the grocery store

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    Nutmeg Nanny

    Now THIS is a summer salad! It looks so fresh and packed full of flavor. Plus, who doesn’t love queso fresco…yum!

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    Heather - Butter&Burlap

    Happy (belated) birthday! This salad is amazing in every sense of the word, I love all the flavors you put into this dish! All the spices make me miss my Texas roots. I’m definitely making this as a side dish this weekend!

    1. Hurray for Texas! I love all the inspiration you can get from down here, so many tex mex flavors but also other international flavors! Its such a melting pot! 🙂

      Hope you enjoy this salad Heather!

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    Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates

    Happy birthday beautiful!!! I hope you had a perfect day with your sweet little family!
    I am so jealous you got to go to indulge. That conference looked amazing! And so does this corn salad! 😉 Pinned!

    1. Thanks Mariah! We did have a great day, very relaxing and finished with some good food! Plus my little guy slept in till 8:15am the next morning and THAT is a present in and of itself! Woot woot!

      Indulge was a blast you’ll definitely have to go next year, ChoppedCon is very similar to indulge in terms of “feel” of the conference! 🙂 Thanks for the pin sweet girl!

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    Deb@ Cooking on the Front Burner

    I didn’t know you grew up in Wisconsin! I love this recipe and can’t wait for summer produce!

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    Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life

    Happy Birthday! Those trips sound wonderful…I am just looking forward to my CSA starting this week, so I can get my hands on those farm fresh veggies!
    And I have to tell you, I love everything about this recipe! Once we have local corn, I’ll be making it. I love making corn salads…I could eat them all summer long!

    1. The trips were great! Seriously loved them but I am so a homebody as well! hehe 🙂

      Fresh corn salads are the best!

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    Kacey @ The Cookie Writer

    First off, Happy Birthday!! Secondly, this is seriously the best looking salad I have seen! I really, REALLY wish I had it right now!

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    Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom

    I make a very similar grilled corn salsa that we just love. There is something about grilling corn that just takes it to a whole new level. This looks great!

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    Betsy | JavaCupcake.com

    I love corn! I love salsa!! I need this corn salsa in my life!!! It looks so good!

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    Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files

    Happy happy birthday!!! So wish I could have joined all you ladies at Indulge but glad to hear you had a good time! And I like your style…no cake and a savory corn dish. I will gladly take this dish any night!

    1. Thank you!!!

      I wish you could have come too, it was a blast! But I will for sure see ya at Chopped this year, had too much fun last year to not go again this year! 🙂

  12. Avatar photo
    Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

    Happiest of birthdays to you my friend! I would TOTALLY be shoveling my face full of this grilly-corn goodness instead of cake on my birthday. That chili lime shenanigans is PERFECT.
    It was so fun hanging with you in Portland…have a great vacay! Pinned!

    1. Well thank you sweet friend! Glad we are on the same page, no cake.. just corn salad! Woot Woot!

      It was so fun hanging out with you too, lots of fun roommate times! 🙂