Grilled Corn Salad

Looking for a new and delicious salad recipe? Look no further than this grilled corn salad! It’s perfect for summer BBQs or potlucks.

Summertime means cookouts, and what’s a cookout without grilled corn? Grilled corn is one of those amazing foods that tastes delicious on its own, but can also be used in a variety of dishes. This grilled corn salad recipe is the perfect example – it’s easy to make and features lots of fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Corn salads are a summer staple, and this recipe is extra delicious thanks to the addition of grilled corn. The smoky flavor of the grilled corn really enhances the other flavors in the salad.

This recipe for Grilled Corn Salad is perfect for a potluck or barbecue, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser! The best part is, it’s easy to make so you can spend more time enjoying your company

So fire up the grill and give this easy summer side dish a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Why You Will LOVE This Corn Salad

• Light and fresh flavours, no mayo or fritos, just fresh ingredients.
• Stores well in the refrigerator for a few days
• The grilled corn adds a deep, rich sweetness to the salad
• Refreshing for hot sunny days
• Easy to make
• Super versatile salad that goes with just about anything
• Easy to scale for larger quantities
• Perfect side dish for backyard barbecues

How to Serve Roasted Corn Salad

The options for serving this delicious salad are endless. Here are a few suggestions for serving this corn salad:

• As a side with grilled beef, pork, or chicken entrees.
• Stirred into rice, quinoa, or other cooked grains
• On top of tacos or lettuce wraps
• As a fresh chunky salsa with tortilla chips
• Add to gazpacho for a crunchy texture
• Serve on top of crostini
• As a breakfast side with eggs

Roasted Corn Salad Recipe Variations

Grilled Corn Salad with Cheese – Add crumbled Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta Cheese for a creamy and savoury addition.

Southwest Corn Salad – Toss in a can of rinsed and drained black beans for a little southwest flair.

Mexican Street Corn Salad – Add crumbled cheese as well as a small diced jalapeno pepper, and a pinch of Tajin seasoning for a Mexican inspired salad. Cotija cheese is the best option here but even feta cheese would work. If you can’t get Tajin seasoning, use chili powder instead with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Grilled Crack Corn Salad – Throw in some crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese with a drizzle of ranch dressing instead of the cilantro lime dressing, and omit the cucumber for a delicious roasted crack corn salad.

More Ways to Roast Corn for Salad

Grilling the corn is the best way to to get that deep, rich flavour from the corn that we want. If you don’t have a grill there are other options to get that flavour!

Stove-top – If you have a grill pan then you can grill the cob of corn right on your stove top. Just rub corn with a little olive oil first. You can also cut the corn kernels off the cob and pan-roast the corn in a cast iron skillet on the stove-top over medium heat.

Oven – Cut the corn kernels off the cob, and toss the kernels with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast them on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Canned – You can also purchase fire-roasted corn in a can that works really well. No need to heat, just drain well and toss into the salad.

How to Store Leftover Roasted Corn Salad

Roasted corn salad will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if stored properly in an airtight container. If you are making it ahead of time I would toss it with the juice of 1-2 limes, and only dress it just before serving.

I don’t recommend freezing this roasted corn salad as it may change the texture of the ingredients in an off-putting way.

About the Equipment Needed to Make Salad

To prep this salad you will need a good cutting board and a sharp knife.

You will also need a grill for roasting the corn, and grill tongs. If you don’t have a grill than a grill pan on the stove top or indoor smokeless grill works too.

Of course, you will also need a large bowl for serving.

If you’re not a huge fan of chopping your vegetables with a knife, you can always use a food processor like my Hamilton Beach® Stack & Snap™ Duo Food Processor.

The Stack & Snap™ Duo Food Processor is the perfect helping hand when you are prepping a chopped salad like this one. I like it because it includes a large 14-cup bowl, which is ideal for larger jobs, as well as a 4-cup mini bowl for smaller jobs.

It also includes 4 versatile attachments to chop, mix, slice, shred, puree, and knead every ingredient with ease.

About the Ingredients for Grilled Corn Salad

This easy side dish is made with simple ingredients. Be sure to wash and dry your fresh produce before preparing the salad!

Corn – Fresh, in-season local corn is going to get you the best flavour. Off-season you can use fire-roasted canned corn or you can pan-roast frozen corn in a little butter or oil.

Oil – Olive oil works well for grilling because of it’s higher smoke point, plus it has a very neutral flavour. Please note, extra virgin olive oil is not the same as refined olive oil, and is not a good substitute.

Tomatoes – I like to use cherry tomatoes in salad because they are easy to prep and always taste sweet and delicious. You can substitute with any ripe tomatoes. If you are using this salad as a salsa, then you may want to quarter the tomatoes instead of just halving them.

Cucumber – The cucumber adds a nice refreshing crunch. I used my food processor to quickly chop them into 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice.

Red onion – Red onion is both sweet and sharp tasting, if you aren’t a big fan you can soak the red onion in cold water to tame the sharpness. Throwing the onion into a food processor is a good way to quickly prep without the tears.

Bell Pepper – Red peppers a wonderful crunch and colour to the salad, along with a sweetness that works well with the other flavours.

Avocado – Brings a nice creamy contrast.

Dressing – The creamy cilantro lime dressing has a bright flavour that really ties everything together in this salad. It’s a light dressing made with fresh herbs. The full recipe is in the printable card, if you want more information about the ingredients or substitutions, check out the full creamy cilantro lime dressing recipe for details.

Looking for More Summer Salads?

Check out more of my favourite summer salad recipes!

A summer salad recipe perfect for any occasion, this strawberry spinach salad is easy to make and features a strawberry poppy seed dressing.

This Mexican Macaroni Salad recipe is a very versatile summer salad perfect for picnics and barbecues as as a tasty side dish.

This is the BEST 5 bean salad recipe for potlucks, BBQs, and picnics! It’s quick, easy, and affordable – a perfect salad for any budget.

How to Make Grilled Corn Salad

Yields: 8 Servings | Prep time: 20 Minutes | Cook time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 ears of fresh summer corn, about 4 cups of kernels
• 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 2 Cups (258 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup (143 g) English cucumber, medium diced
• 1/2 cup (26 g) red onion, small diced
• 1/2 cup (74 g) red bell pepper, small diced
• 1 medium avocado, medium diced
• Creamy cilantro lime dressing

Directions:

Preheat grill to high heat (400-450 degrees F).

Remove husks and silk from corn. Brush with olive oil, and season with salt.

Place corn directly on the grill and cook 8-12 minutes, turning occasionally to get a light browning on each side.

Transfer the grilled corn to a plate to cool. Once cooled, assemble the salad.

To assemble, combine the grilled corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and avocado in a large serving bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over with creamy cilantro lime dressing and toss together.