Perfect for when corn is in season, this Grilled Corn Salad is an easy summertime side dish. Filled with flavor from the grilled corn, there is also a hit of smokiness and heat from chipotle peppers.
I love a good summertime side dish! Some of my other favorites are this Herbed Tomato Salad, this Avocado and Tomato Salad, Korean Cucumber Salad, or one of my very favorites – this Tomato and Basil Bake.
There is nothing like all of the fresh produce that is abundant during during the summer. Especially when corn starts hitting the stands during late summer. The corn, tomatoes and zucchini are abundant, and the garden dinners are a regular occurance.
As much as I love corn on the cob, I do like to switch things up, and this Grilled Corn Salad is the perfect way to do that. Especially if you are already grilling up dinner.
What You’ll Need:
This recipe is super simple – all you need is
- Fresh Corn. Shuck the corn and remove any fibers.
- Red Bell Pepper. You can really use any color, but I think the red peppers are a little sweeter than the green.
- Tomatoes. Either grape or cherry work great here. But if you have some other garden fresh tomatoes, feel free to just chop them up and use them instead!
- Green Onions. Just a little bit of onion flavor is a great addition.
- Chipotle Chile. You are looking for canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. You can usually find these with the Mexican food at the grocery store. Remove one of the chiles from the can and mince it. I like to remove the seeds from the chile (before I mince it) to remove some of the heat.
- Lime Juice. Fresh is best!
- Vegetable Oil. I like a neutral oil, but you can use what you like.
- Sugar. This helps to bring out some of the sweetness of the corn.
- Salt. Salt is always important to enhance all of the flavors. You can add this to taste, as well.
- Cumin. This brings in just a bit more smokiness.
How to Grill the Corn
There are many different ways to grill corn. Some you grill the corn in the husks, and some you grill with the corn shucked. For this recipe, I like to char the corn, so I start with shucked and cleaned corn.
This really only takes a few minutes. Heat the grill to medium-high. If needed, grease the grates of your grill.
Place the shucked corn on the grill and let it go until the kernels start to char – or turn black. You don’t want it to burn, but you do want some of that smoky, charred flavor.
Turn the corn as needed so that all sides of the corn get cooked. The cooking time should be about 15 minutes, but this will all depend on how your grill cooks and how hot it is.
Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool before you cut the kernels from the cob.
Tips and Tricks
If you don’t care for the charred corn, you can boil your fresh corn, or even make the salad with frozen corn that has been thawed. If using frozen corn, you’ll need about 2 cups of corn.
Always taste your salad and adjust the salt or other seasonings before serving.
You’ll want to make this at least 30 minutes in advance, but it’s also a good one that can be made even further in advance. I probably wouldn’t make it more than 1 day in advance, though.
More Fresh Corn Recipes
Cheddar Corn Fritters
Mexican Corn Salad
Corn Dip Recipe with Green Chiles
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Smoky Butter
Potato Salad Recipe with Corn and Poblanos
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Chicken and Corn
Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn shucked
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 3/4 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
- 1/2 to 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce, minced (seeds removed for less heat)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium-high. Add the corn and grill until charred, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool the corn completely.
- Cut the kernels from the cobs and place in a medium bowl. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes and green onions.
- In another small bowl, combine the chipotle chile, lime juice, vegetable oil, sugar, salt and cumin. Whisk to combine. Pour over the corn and toss to combine.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
loving the look of these corn salad, definitely perfect for summer!
Colleen says
This looks fabulous – corn is one of my favorite summer foods!
Barbara says
I love your recipe; we make so many things with corn..but never tried it this way. Thanks!
Grace says
i love corn in any preparation, but grilling is a favorite. 🙂
Spryte says
Yum! That looks so good!
MeetaK says
i love corn and this looks really nice and simple. hope you and the baby are doing well? it's been ages since i came around!