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Bowl of chicken street corn salad with charred corn, grilled chicken, cotija, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño and creamy chili-lime dressing

Chicken Street Corn Salad

Skillet-charred corn tossed with a lime, Greek yogurt and chili dressing, shredded chicken, cotija, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño. An esquites-style salad that works as a filling lunch, warm or cold.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the corn
  • 4 cups corn kernels from about 5 ears, or 20 oz frozen, thawed and patted dry
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For the dressing
  • 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice about 2 limes
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder plus more for dusting
For the salad
  • 1 pound cooked chicken about 3 cups, shredded rotisserie or grilled
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese or feta
  • ¼ cup red onion finely diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
  • lime wedges to serve

Method
 

  1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until it just smokes. Add a third of the corn in a single layer with a pinch of salt, cover and cook without stirring about 3 minutes, until charred underneath. Remove from heat, wait for the popping to stop, then tip into a large bowl. Repeat with the rest.
  2. Whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic and chili powder until smooth.
  3. Toss the warm corn with half the dressing and let it cool for 15 minutes.
  4. Add the chicken, cotija, red onion, cilantro and jalapeño with the remaining dressing and toss gently. Adjust lime and salt.
  5. Serve dusted with chili powder, with lime wedges.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate covered and eat within 3 to 4 days. Do not leave out more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather).
Make ahead: char the corn and mix the dressing up to a day ahead; combine everything before serving and add avocado at the last minute.
Substitutions: feta for cotija; canned corn, drained and patted dry; grilled shrimp instead of chicken; sour cream instead of Greek yogurt.
No skillet: grill whole ears until charred, then cut off the kernels. If cooking your own chicken, cook it to 165°F.
Nutrition (about 480 kcal and 43 g protein per serving) is an estimate calculated from standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.