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Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad

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Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad in a bowl.

Even though I live in a big city (38th largest in the U.S.), it can have kind of small town feel.  Now I’ve never actually lived in a small town, so maybe it’s just what I imagine a small town to be like.

For example, if I go to Starbucks, Target, Home Depot or Costco, I am almost 100 percent guaranteed to run into someone I know.  Especially if I’m looking extra grungy/greasy, and double especially if my boys dressed themselves, have Greek yogurt crust around their mouths, and look like they slept in a headstand position.

Maybe I always run into people I know because I have lived here since I was four, but for whatever reason, I get that small town vibe.

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad in a bowl, with a stack of bowls and a bundle of cilantro in the background.

One time I sat down to get a pedicure, heard the lady next to me talking, and realized it was my 5th grade teacher.  And she totally remembered me!

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad in a bowl, with a bundle of cilantro and a lime cut in half next to the bowl.

I also get that small town vibe when I can drive 5 minutes north to the edge of the city and buy a bag of freshly picked sweet corn at a little road side stand from the friendly faced, teenage son of the farmer.  Their corn has been especially good this season, and the word is getting around, so their little stand is hopping.

I say good for them, you know?

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad in a bowl.

If you are able to get your hands on some especially good corn on the cob, I hope you spare a few ears to make this Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad.  The flavor combo will knock your socks off!  Sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, creamy- YES PLEASE!

You should’ve seen how fast I devoured this bowl after I finished my photo shoot.  Cory loved it too, but the boys like theirs straight off the cob with butter and salt.

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad in a bowl.

When you are buying corn on the cob, try to buy it and cook it the same day.  The sugars that are in the kernels will quickly turn to starch after it’s picked, and this makes the corn taste tough, chewy, or gummy.

And here’s a little tip for cutting your corn off the cob without having kernels fly all over your kitchen.  If you own a tube or Bundt pan, stand the ear of corn straight up in the center of the pan, and cut the kernels off so they fall right into the pan.

I thought about taking a picture to demonstrate this for you, but it absolutely requires two hands and I’ve not yet made friends with a tripod so you’ll have to just take my word for it.   It was one of those rare moments I was alone in the kitchen.

So whether you live in a small town or a big one, or just a big one that can sometimes feel small, go buy some really good corn on the cob and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen

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Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad

  • Author: Julie
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Ingredients

  • 6 ears of corn, husk and silk removed
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Boil the corn for 3 minutes, then remove and allow to cool slightly so that they can be handled.
  2. Cut kernels off the cob into a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, lime juice, chili powder, and chopped cilantro.
  4. Pour the chili lime mixture over the corn and mix to coat.
  5. Add the crumbled queso freso and stir. Season with salt to taste.
  6. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes

*Queso fresco is a soft, mild, creamy Mexican cheese that can be crumbled easily. I found it at my local grocery store the cheese section, but if you cannot find it feta would be a good substitution.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Serving
  • Calories: 214
  • Sugar: 5.9g
  • Sodium: 303mg
  • Fat: 11g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4g
  • Trans Fat: 0.4g
  • Carbohydrates: 26g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 7g
  • Cholesterol: 26mg
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Comments

  1. I live in quite a small town and I always ALWAYS bump into people when I’m wearing baggy yoga pants and haven’t brushed my hair :'( Sooo I feel your pain!
    This salad looks amazing. Corn on the cob must make it taste terrific and the flavor combo sounds delicious! xx

    Reply

  5. Just discovered an easier way to cook corn on the cob. Wrap 1 corn, still in the husk (right from the farm), in a damp paper towel and microwave 3 minutes – or 2 for 6 minutes. Once they’re cool enough to peel, you’ll find the corn silk slides off with the husks! Do it before you start your cooking and they will be ready to eat or de-kernel at dinner. And so tasty! Now we can have corn on the cob every day! Colleen

    Reply

  7. Great recipe. I just made it for a friends BBQ tomorrow. I doubled it, cooked half the corn on the stove in a large pot, and the rest in the microwave (in a wet paper towel) while it boiled to save time. I also added a little bit of garlic powder. It is SO good. I tried it and had to quickly put it in the fridge before there was none left for the party 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Mary, thanks for the question. We ate ours at room temperature the first day, and then the little bit that was leftover we ate cold the next day. So either way is delicious, just a matter of personal preference. One tip would be to crumble the cheese over the top just before you serve it. The dressing can sort of cause it to break down a little after a while.

      Reply

  10. This recipe sounds sooo good!!!
    I live in Alaska so corn on the cob is not really available to me this time of year, and when it is it’s not sweet. – would using canned sweet corn (sacrilege, I know) be an okay substitute or should I put this on the back burner until it comes into season?

    Reply

    • I think if I were you I would still try it, even with canned corn. Might not be exactly the same flavor, but still good! Thanks for saying hi all the way from Alaska!

      Reply

      • I think you might get more sweetness from frozen corn. I use a frozen Fire Roasted corn blend with peppers and onions in my Southwest pasta salad. It is so sweet and the peppers and onions are also roasted for sweetness. (by Green Giant)

        Reply

  11. I stopped boiling fresh corn a few years ago. Nuke it on high for 3 minutes per large ear, in the husk. Let rest for 1 minute, then use a paper towel in each hand (careful — it will be hot!) to wipe down the husks and silks in one motion. Voila!

    For the six ears in your recipe, I’d stack them in a pyramid and nuke on high approximately 12-15 minutes for the entire batch. Let rest, and proceed.

    The corn is so unbelievably sweet and juicy steamed in the husks, that I rarely add salt, pepper, or even butter!

    Enjoy!

    Linda

    Reply

  14. I made this tonight with our steak tacos and it was over the top delicious! What a great blend of flavors. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

  15. Made this yesterday for a BBQ it was a huge hit. saved a step cut the corn of the cob and sautee it didn’t have the mexican cheese so I used hollumi cheese yummy.

    Reply

  16. This salad is DELISH!!! OMG! My husband made it for me one night… I shared it with a coworker… we are now having “Mexican food day” at work for the weekend and I’m taking this salad! Can’t wait! It’s so good and fresh!!

    Reply

  17. This recipe is amazing. I needed to make a large quantity and had to add some steamed corn but it worked well.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  18. Sorry but will not make again. Wasted my nice sweet fresh corn on this recipe and all I could taste was the chili powder. Big thumbs down from me and my entire family.

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to hear that. I’m wondering if your chili powder was more potent than mine. Only 1/2 teaspoon for 6 ears of corn is not very much!

      Reply

  20. This was delicious!!! I added more cilantro and lime juice and actually had to make another batch as i ate most of the first one prior to even serving. My new favorite! Thank you 👍

    Reply

    • I use Earth Balance original. It is vegan, non MSG, 0 trans fat, gluten free, non dairy, lactose free and uses Expelier-Pressed oils. Hope this helps. It is really good ad spreads well and you can cook with it.

      Reply

    • I use olive oil instead of butter. The butter solidifies and we didn’t care for the clumps of butter after it did.

      Reply

  22. How many cups would 6 ears of corn make? I am going to use sweet corn in a can. Thanks for sharing your recipe. 😎

    Reply

    • Good question – usually you would get about 3/4 cups kernels from each ear. So about 4-5 cups is what you will need for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  23. This is absolutely the most tastiest dish ever! Great use for sweet corn. Made for a friend who just got out the hospital and she loved it. I think I am going to add a small dice of sweet red peppers this time for a little additional color.

    Reply

    • That’s a great idea Alisa. How sweet of you to make it for your friend and I’m glad she enjoyed! I’ve been enjoying leftovers all week here!

      Reply

  24. This was so delicious. I knew it couldn’t go wrong, but I really didn’t expect it to have such a burst of great flavor. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Dylan, I’m so glad you loved it as much as we do! I know what you mean, there’s something about that combo of sweet, smokey, and creamy and tangy that is just SO GOOD!

      Reply

  25. Hi! I can’t wait to make this recipe this weekend. I love the bowl you used. Where did you get it?

    Thanks,

    Sandra

    Reply

    • Hi Sandra, hope you enjoy the salad! I believe the bowl is from Crate and Barrel, and I think I have also seen a similar one at Target.

      Reply

  26. Just finished making some home made Queso Fresco, super easy, by the way, just milk and lemon. So this salad seems like the next logical thing on my to-do list! Yummy! I have a fridge full of CORN!!! Ten cents an ear at the store this week!

    Reply

  27. I bought fresh corn on the cob from a local farm yesterday but want to make this salad for a party next Saturday. Do you think the corn will still be good if left in the fridge for almost a week? Dang I didn’t think about the fact that the party wasn’t until next week.

    Reply

  28. Made it, loved it! Daughter having a party Saturday and requested it. Couldn’t find the queso cheese the first time so I used feta. Got the queso this time, interested to see the difference. Yum

    Reply

  31. I like to char husked ears of corn on my stove top, gas or electric. They barely cook keeping them crisp and tasty. Not over cooked. Ohh the taste of charred fresh corn!

    Reply

  32. Thank you for the recipe, my family loved it! The only change I made was that I grilled the corn instead.

    Reply

  33. I love this recipe but I like it the more authentic way with a little mayonnaise! I add two tablespoons of mayo mixed with 1/4 teapsoon of garlic powder and then mix that with the melted butter, trust me this will change your life!

    Reply

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