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–+ servings
slices of chicken thighs on a bed of lettuce with halved cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, and cotija cheese
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5 from 10 votes

Grilled Mexican Corn Chicken Salad

If you're a fan of Elote or traditional esquites, you will love this tangy, spicy chicken and corn salad.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Resting Time5 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: elote salad, esquites, mexican street corn salad
Servings: 6
Author: Katerina | Diethood

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Corn

  • 4 ears of corn, husks removed
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican cream, or use nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

For the Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

For the Salad

  • 6 to 8 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1 to 2 cups multi-colored cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high. You can also use a grill pan.
    Lightly grease the grill grates with oil.
  • Season the corn and the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer corn and chicken to the grill; cover and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and corn is lightly charred, turning chicken and corn once halfway through cooking.
  • Remove cooked chicken and corn from grill and let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting it into strips.
  • In the meantime, cut the kernels from the cobs and place them in a bowl.
    To the kernels, add 2 tablespoons lime juice, minced garlic, mayonnaise, Mexican cream or yogurt, and ancho chili powder; mix and stir until well combined. Set aside.
  • In a small mixing bowl make the dressing by combining olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
  • Place the mixed salad greens and cherry tomatoes in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing.
  • Top the salad with the corn mixture, chicken slices, and cotija cheese.
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 867IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
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