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Sweet, smoky, and loaded with fresh summer produce – this Grilled Corn Salad comes together in about 30 minutes and honestly works for everything. Potlucks, weeknight dinners, eating straight from the bowl at 11pm. It’s one of those recipes that just fits!
Love a good hearty salad? You need to try our Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad recipe as well as our protein packed Edamame Salad and our Avocado Black Bean Salad!
An EASY summer corn salad!
When it comes to summer bbqs, this corn salad is my GO TO potluck dish (well, this or my Mexican Street Corn Salad!). I’ve been making a version of this salad for over 10 years and it ALWAYS hits the spot :)
I’m serving mine with a cilantro lime dressing but if you’re not a cilantro person, you can easily swap it out for different herbs!
Why You’ll Love This
- Ready in 30 minutes with minimal hands-on time
- That char on the corn makes ALL the difference in flavor
- Keeps well in the fridge – great for meal prep
- Vegan and works as a side OR a light main
- The cilantro lime dressing is genuinely addictive
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this fresh corn salad recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
For the salad:
- Sunflower seeds – a little crunch and a subtle nutty flavor; pepitas work great too
- Sweet corn on the cob – fresh ears of corn are ideal here; the grill brings out a smoky sweetness you just can’t get from canned
- Red onion – adds a nice bite; soak in cold water for 5 minutes if you want it a little milder
- Red bell peppers – sweet crunch and color; any color bell pepper works
- English cucumber – cool and crisp; no need to peel
- Avocado – adds creaminess; add it right before serving so it doesn’t brown
- Cherry tomatoes – juicy and sweet; quartered so they mix in easily
- Jalapeño – just enough heat; leave it out if you prefer no spice
- Cilantro – essential here, but other fresh herbs such as flat-leaf parsley is a fine swap if you’re in the anti-cilantro camp
Cilantro lime dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil – the base; use a good one since the dressing is simple
- Fresh mint – this might seem unexpected but DO IT – it adds a brightness that really makes the dressing
- Cilantro – doubles up with the salad for big fresh flavor
- Apple cider vinegar + lime juice + lime zest – this trio gives the dressing its tangy, citrusy kick
- Honey – just a touch of sweetness; maple syrup or agave keep it vegan
- Garlic – freshly minced, not powdered
- Optional – I love adding in a little chili powder as well!
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- Make the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend until creamy and few chunks of greens remain.
- Combine the salad ingredients.
Add all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Drizzle on the cilantro dressing and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Get a real char on the corn. Don’t be shy about letting it sit 2-3 minutes per side without moving it – those slightly blackened edges are where the flavor lives.
- Let the corn cool before cutting. Rushing this step leads to corn flying everywhere. Give it at least 5-10 minutes then cut the corn kernels off the cobb.
- Blend the dressing fully. The blender emulsifies it and makes it creamy and bright green – worth the extra dish.
- Add avocado last. If you’re making this ahead, toss everything together and fold in the avocado right before serving.
- Make it a meal. Serve it over a bed of greens or with some black beans mixed in for a more substantial dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! Canned fire-roasted corn is the best swap – it gives you some of that smoky flavor without the grill. Frozen corn works too; just thaw and pat it dry, then char it in a hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes.
Yes – this is actually a great make-ahead side dish. Prep everything and toss with the dressing, but leave the avocado out until serving. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Definitely. A cast iron grill pan on the stovetop works great. Get it really hot and char the corn in batches for that same smoky flavor.
Grilled Corn Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 ears of corn, husk removed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper, for seasoning corn
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ¾ cup english cucumber, diced
- ½ an avocado, diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mint
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- zest of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon of honey, maple syrup or agave work great here as well for a vegan alternative
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Lightly brush each of the ears of corn with olive oil and then generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat your grill and once hot, add corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, rotating so that every side gets a bit charred, 10-12 minutes total. Once done, let cool enough to handle and then cut the kernels off of the cob and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, avocado, garlic, jalapeno, sunflower seeds and cilantro to the bowl.
- Make your dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until combined. About 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the dressing onto the corn salad and combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Notes
- To keep vegan: use maple syrup or agave instead of honey
- Add avocado right before serving to keep it from browning
- No grill? Use a cast iron grill pan over high heat and char in batches
- Fire-roasted canned corn is a solid swap for fresh if needed
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In spite of some unavoidable changes, like using cooked corn and totally forgetting to put cheese on, it was the hit of the barbecue and everyone wanted the recipe. No leftovers. That was the only setback. Thank you for this.
I just made this grilled corn salad and it is AMAZING!! My husband didn’t think he would enjoy it but he had a second serving. He told me to make sure I don’t lose the recipe.
Thank you for sharing this WONDERFUL recipe!
Kaye
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe from my cookbook! It is perfect for this holiday weekend and summer time! So happy to hear that you enjoy the geeky science too. Happy cooking friend!