Elote Pasta Salad is a creamy, flavor-packed side dish made with fire-roasted corn, gluten-free pasta, a zesty chili-lime dressing, and crumbled feta cheese, inspired by the bold flavors of Mexican street corn. It's a make-ahead friendly recipe that works perfectly for summer BBQs, potlucks, and easy weeknight dinners. Unlike most versions, this recipe uses a combination of avocado oil mayo and full-fat Greek yogurt for a lighter but still incredibly creamy dressing, made entirely from real, minimally processed ingredients.

Recipe At A Glance
- 🥗 Method: Boil, mix, chill
- ⏱️ Total Time: About 30 minutes + 1 hour chill time
- 🌮 Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
- 🌶 Flavor: Creamy, tangy, smoky, fresh
- 🏖️ Best For: BBQs, potlucks, summer gatherings, and meal prep
- 👥 Serves: 6-8 as a side dish
- ✨ What Makes It Different: Made with real-food ingredients: avocado oil mayo, full-fat Greek yogurt, and gluten-free pasta; no processed shortcuts, just bold flavor
I've always loved elote, but corn on the cob can be messy and harder to serve for a crowd. This easy Elote Pasta Salad gives you those same bold street corn flavors in a make-ahead dish you can chill and scoop onto every plate.
Summer cookouts are a big deal here in Texas, so I'm always looking for side dishes that can hold their own next to the main event. I love serving this alongside my Traeger Smoked Brisket, Smoked Baby Back Ribs, or Smoked Chicken Drumsticks. It brings a fresh, creamy, zesty bite to the plate that balances all those rich, smoky flavors beautifully.
As a nutrition coach, one thing I care about in my kitchen is using real ingredients that taste good and feel worth serving. You don't need artificial shortcuts or overly processed ingredients to make a side dish people get excited about. Fresh lime juice, herbs, avocado oil mayo, Greek yogurt, spices, and sweet roasted corn do all the heavy lifting here.
The flavor is bold, bright, and hard to stop eating. You get sweetness from the corn, tang from the lime, creaminess from the dressing, and just enough smoky heat from the spices. It's fun enough for parties, dependable enough for family dinners, and works great for meal prep since the flavors get even better after a little time in the fridge.
If you love these flavors, my Mexican Chicken Salad is another great make-ahead option with that same fresh, zesty profile.
If you are looking for more easy BBQ side dishes, check out my Smashed Potato Salad, High Protein Pasta Salad, Mexican Chicken Salad, American Coleslaw, or Potato Salad With Spring Onions.
Jump to:
- Recipe At A Glance
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions And Variations
- How To Make Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)
- Nadia's Expert Tips & Notes
- What To Serve With Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Storage And Reheating
- Recipe FAQs
- More Side Dish Recipes You'll Love!
- Elote Pasta Salad Recipe (Easy Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients You'll Need

- Pasta: I personally like to keep this recipe gluten-free and opt to use Jovial's brown rice pasta. You can use any short pasta shape that you like, gluten-free or not!
- Mayonnaise: The mayo provides part of the creaminess to the dressing. I recommend using an avocado oil mayo like Chosen Foods.
- Greek Yogurt: Instead of loading up on mayo, I use a combination of both for an elote dressing that's rich and creamy without feeling heavy. I love Maple Hill Creamery or Kalona Supernatural for the cleanest ingredient list.
- Garlic: Freshly grated garlic adds a little punch of kick and flavor. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can substitute it with garlic powder.
- Lime Juice: This is what ties the whole dressing together. Fresh lime juice adds a brightness that bottled just can't replicate. It's worth the extra 30 seconds to squeeze it yourself.
- Paprika, Chili Powder, Cumin, and Cayenne: The spices used to provide a nice smoky, slightly spicy flavor to the dressing. If you don't enjoy a little spice, you can remove or reduce the amount of cayenne pepper.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper: For the seasoning. You must always season your dishes!
- Frozen Fire-Roasted Corn: Here's a simple shortcut I love-using frozen fire-roasted corn. It's a huge time saver and easy to find at the grocery store! Just let it thaw in the fridge before using. But if you're up for a little extra effort, feel free to roast your own fresh corn for an even more flavorful touch.
- Cilantro: The cilantro adds a fresh herbal taste and really helps pull all the flavors together.
- Red Onion: I love adding red onion for the crunch and kick it provides. If you are not a fan, you can leave it out.
- Feta Cheese: Cotija is the traditional choice for elote, but I love the tangy, creamy bite that feta brings here. Look for a block of feta packed in brine; the flavor and texture are so much better than pre-crumbled.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Add-Ins: You can add in your favorite fresh herbs, lime zest, green onions, diced bell peppers, or black beans. To make it a main dish try adding in canned tuna, shredded chicken, grilled steak, or your favorite protein.
- Cheese: Feel free to experiment with the cheese you use. Queso fresco, cotija cheese, or parmesan cheese would work well.
- Add Spice: For an extra kick, add some finely chopped jalapeños to the salad.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, use vegan mayo, skip the Greek yogurt, and a dairy-free cheese alternative.
- Smoky Corn Upgrade: If you have a Traeger or pellet grill, smoke fresh corn directly on the grates at 225 degrees for about 30 minutes before cutting the kernels off the cob. It adds an incredible depth of flavor that takes this salad to a whole new level.
- Cottage Cheese Dressing Swap: For an extra protein boost, replace the Greek yogurt with blended Good Culture cottage cheese. It whips up silky smooth and adds creaminess with even more protein and a clean ingredient list.
How To Make Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add a large pinch of salt to the water along with the pasta, and cook according to package directions.

Step 2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing by adding the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic, lime juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, sea salt, pepper, and cayenne to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Step 3. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain it well and add the cooked pasta to a large bowl along with the corn, cilantro, red onion, and feta cheese. Drizzle ¾ of the creamy sauce over the top and toss everything together to combine.

Step 4. Top with additional cilantro, and crumbled cheese if desired. Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 1 hour to overnight. Before serving drizzle the rest of the dressing on top and toss to combine.
Nadia's Expert Tips & Notes
- Don't Overcook The Pasta: Make sure the pasta is al dente, so it holds up well in the salad. If you overcook your pasta, it can break down and not hold its shape.
- Make Ahead For Best Flavor: Allow the salad to chill for at least one hour as it lets all the flavors meld together, making it even tastier.
- Reserve Some Dressing: Save about a quarter of the dressing, as the salad will dry out a little once it cools. Add the remaining dressing right before serving.
- Char Your Corn for More Flavor: If you want to take the flavor up a notch, toss your thawed fire-roasted corn in a hot cast-iron skillet for 3-4 minutes without stirring. That little bit of char adds a smoky depth that makes this salad taste as if it came off the grill.
- Make It High Protein: The Greek yogurt in this dressing already adds a protein boost over a traditional mayo-only dressing. To make this a full high-protein meal, stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or serve it alongside Traeger Grilled Salmon.
What To Serve With Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Grilled Meats: Pair with Traeger smoked chicken, Traeger grilled salmon, smoked burgers, or smoked hot dogs for a complete meal.
- BBQ Side Dishes: Serve alongside other popular BBQ side dishes like Turkish potato salad, creamy classic potato salad, or Traeger smoked asparagus.
- Mexican Favorites: This salad is perfect alongside grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa, Dutch oven barbacoa, or tacos de barbacoa.
Storage And Reheating
- Storage: Store any leftover elote corn pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature; no reheating needed. Let it sit out for 10-15 minutes before serving if it's been in the fridge overnight.
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Nadia's Tip For Meal Prep
Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead and store it separately in a jar in the fridge. Cook and chill the pasta the night before, then combine everything the morning of your event. Reserve the last quarter of the dressing to toss in right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! You can almost never go wrong with using fresh ingredients. I like using frozen corn in this recipe to save time, and because fresh corn has a short season. I would recommend avoiding canned corn, though.
Absolutely! In fact, it tastes even better when the flavors have had time to develop. Make it the night before and store it in the fridge for a quick and easy side dish.
To add more heat, stir in some chopped jalapeños or increase the chili powder in the dressing.
Short pasta shapes work best because they hold the creamy dressing in every bite. Rotini, ditalini, bow ties, and penne are all great options. I personally love Jovial's brown rice fusilli; it's gluten-free, holds its shape beautifully, and has a mild flavor that lets the dressing shine.
It can be easily made gluten-free by using a brown rice or chickpea pasta in place of regular pasta. I use Jovial Foods brown rice pasta, which holds up well in pasta salads without getting mushy. Just make sure to pull it slightly before al dente, since it continues to soften as it chills.
Very similar! An elote mac salad uses the same iconic street corn flavors: creamy dressing, chili, lime, and cheese, but with macaroni pasta. This recipe works beautifully with macaroni if that's what you have on hand.
Yes! Pasta de elote is simply the Spanish name for the same concept: pasta made with corn and the classic elote toppings. Whether you call it elote pasta salad or pasta de elote, the bold, creamy flavors are exactly the same.

More Side Dish Recipes You'll Love!
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Elote Pasta Salad Recipe (Easy Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- 12 oz Pasta short to medium cut
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 clove Garlic grated
- ¼ cup Lime Juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 16 oz Frozen Fire Roasted Corn thawed
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup Red Onion minced
- ⅓ cup Feta Cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add a large pinch of salt to the water along with the pasta, and cook according to package directions.12 oz Pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing by adding the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic, lime juice, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, sea salt, pepper, and cayenne to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.½ cup Mayonnaise, ½ cup Greek Yogurt, 1 clove Garlic, ¼ cup Lime Juice, ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, ½ teaspoon Cumin, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain it well and add the cooked pasta to a large bowl along with the corn, cilantro, red onion, and feta cheese. Drizzle ¾ of the creamy sauce over the top and toss everything together to combine.16 oz Frozen Fire Roasted Corn, ¼ cup Cilantro, ¼ cup Red Onion, ⅓ cup Feta Cheese
- Top with additional cilantro, and crumbled cheese if desired. Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 1 hour to overnight. Before serving drizzle the rest of the dressing on top and toss to combine.
Notes
- Don't Overcook The Pasta: Make sure the pasta is al dente, so it holds up well in the salad. If you overcook your pasta, it can break down and not hold its shape.
- Make Ahead For Best Flavor: Allow the salad to chill for at least one hour as it lets all the flavors meld together, making it even tastier.
- Reserve Some Dressing: Save about a quarter of the dressing, as the salad will dry out a little once it cools. Add the remaining dressing right before serving.
- Char Your Corn for More Flavor: If you want to take the flavor up a notch, toss your thawed fire-roasted corn in a hot cast-iron skillet for 3-4 minutes without stirring. That little bit of char adds a smoky depth that makes this salad taste as if it came off the grill.
- Make It High Protein: The Greek yogurt in this dressing already adds a protein boost over a traditional mayo-only dressing. To make this a full high-protein meal, stir in shredded rotisserie chicken or serve it alongside Traeger Grilled Salmon.










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