What is an Elote?

Elotes, also known as grilled Elote Mexicano, Mexican street corn, or Mexican grilled corn, is a popular Mexican street food. “Elote” means “corn on the cob” in Spanish, and the recipe consists of corn on the cob that has been grilled and slathered with a mayo or crema sauce, topped with Cotija cheese, and dusted with chili powder.

In Mexico, it is sold to locals and tourists from street carts much like pretzels or hot dogs in New York. Once you try elotes for the first time you'll be wondering "Where has this been all my life?!"

It's perfectly juicy and crisp, it has a delicious balance of sweet and spicy heat, the creamy coating with a zip of lime and chili powder perfectly compliments it's mellow flavor, and the cheese finish makes it amazingly crave-worthy.

This is a side dish you do not want to miss out on! I'd dare say it's a summer staple and should regularly be added to the dinner rotation.

These are super easy to make and the end result is always sure to impress.

Easy Fish Tacos Recipe

Summer isn't complete with a night of fish tacos! The great thing about this recipe though is that it can be made year round. I've included instructions for grilling, baking or cooking the fish on the stovetop.

Fish Tacos Video

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So you can always just do what's most convenient for you. Or try all three and pick your favorite method (my personal favorite is grilled).

These fish tacos are the best! I've been using this recipe for years and it's just a foolproof, all around delicious recipe for fish tacos. Usually I use talapia but this time I went with cod to switch things up.

Then feel free to swap out my toppings of choice with other favorites you may have (lettuce, tomatoes, mango salsa, corn, etc). You could even get crazy and double up on the seasonings if you want bold flavor. It's tacos, we make them how we want!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

What's not love the classic vendor style, Mexican take on corn on the cob? It's creamy, it's cheesy, it's perfectly spiced and that charred flavor just takes it over the top.

The only slight draw back is that it's a little messy. That's where this easy Mexican Street Corn Salad comes in.

And when you make it in salad form you can have the bonus of those irresistibly smooth and creamy avocados, which makes for the perfect upgrade on the popular street corn. It's the perfect summer side dish for any barbecue.

Feel free to remix this avocado corn salad with other delicious ingredients, like fresh tomato or cherry tomatoes, shrimp right off the grill, black beans, jalapeño, different combinations of spices, or drizzled with mexican crema.

Mexican Pasta Salad Recipe

There is just so much goodness going on in this easy pasta salad — between the tender macaroni, charred fresh corn, sweet tomatoes, salty Cotija cheese, creamy black beans and avocados, the light bite from the red onion, and the zip from the cilantro lime dressing, and spices, my oh my! So good!

This is a perfect pasta salad recipe for BBQs, parties, and potlucks, but of course, it's just the perfect summer side dish to serve with your favorite grilled chicken and steak. Or pack it along for your next picnic!

Try this Mexican macaroni salad for yourself and see what I'm talking about. It's just so tasty!

Mexican Pasta Salad Ingredients

For this homemade pasta salad, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Fresh yellow corn
• Elbow macaroni
• Roma tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
• Black beans
• Avocado
• Cotija cheese
• Red onion
• Salt and pepper

And for the creamy pasta salad dressing, you'll need:

• Mayonnaise
• Greek yogurt
• Lime juice
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Ancho chili powder
• Ground cumin

How to Make Mexican Pasta Salad

• Grill the corn for a few minutes over medium-high heat, just until charred.
• Let the corn cool slightly before cutting off the kernels.
• Boil pasta until al dente (al dente pasta is still firm, almost undercooked), then drain and let cool.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients and let chill in the fridge until ready to use.
• Toss together the pasta salad ingredients in a large bowl and the dressing and serve immediately.

How Long Should I Grill Corn?

You'll want to turn your grill to medium-high heat, or about 450 degrees F. In total, the fresh corn will be grilled for about 8 minutes, but you'll need to turn the corn every 2 to 3 minutes to char it on all sides.

Depending on how hot your grill burns, you may need to grill the corn for more or less time than the recipe calls for!

Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?

Of course! Although I think the best pasta for pasta salad is elbow macaroni. If you use another type of pasta, make sure it's short and holds its shape well (like penne or bow tie pasta).

Can I Use Regular Chili Powder?

If you don't have ancho chili powder, regular chili powder may be substituted, but I love that depth of flavor the lightly smoky ancho chili powder brings, so try it in the future. Cayenne pepper is another option.

Tips for the Best Pasta Salad

• Be generous with the cilantro, it really is about one small full bunch once you mince it up finely. It brings a lot of flavor to the dressing.
• Don't overcook the pasta. It'll soak up the dressing as it sits in the fridge, so you don't want it to be too soft to begin with.
• Canned or frozen corn can be used in place of fresh, but the grilled sweet corn adds great flavor to this Mexican macaroni salad.
• Try serving with a dollop of sour cream, feta cheese, or crumbled queso fresco.
• Remix the ingredients with your favorites or what you have on hand, like bell pepper, black olives, jalapeno, or other chilies.
• If you don't like mayo, try using Greek yogurt for a healthy swap. Add some paprika so you still get that Mexican street corn flavor.
• Serve alongside chips and salsa!

More Pasta Salad Recipes You'll Love:

• Garden Veggie Pasta Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad
• Avocado Caprese Pasta Salad
• Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
• Poppy Seed Chicken and Grape Pasta Salad

This is the third taco recipe I've shared in a week, and I still have one more to share next week! So basically this is Taco Week on Cooking Classy. Tacos are one of my favorite foods, and they are incredibly versatile. My mom always just did the classic American ground beef tacos growing up but they were always one of my favorite dinners she made. Now, I like to remix my ingredients to keep things interesting and to vary our diets. Salmon fillets are a great way to get in omega-3s and more heart-healthy protein, so give them a try.

I recommend serving these tacos with a side of grilled corn on the cob (which you can serve up street style and use up some more of that Cotija), or you can even add it to your tacos for a little more southwestern flair. Add the corn or don't; either way, these are totally irresistible! The salmon is enhanced with all the right spices, the cabbage gives it the perfect little crunch, and the fresh avocado salsa just takes them over the top!

And don't forget the Cotija, what's a taco without cheese? Okay, technically a street taco or a fajita, but I think tacos always need cheese. I even sneak it on both of those just listed. You can serve these in flour tortillas if you'd prefer. I think the majority of the time, though, tacos were made for corn tortillas. Corn tortillas also make this a gluten-free dish. My favorite way to cook corn shells is to brush them with a little canola or vegetable oil, then cook them in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown spots start to appear, then flip and cook the opposite side until golden. I've also seen people shape them around grill grates! But do what you prefer or what your package instructions say, I just don't like a plain, dry taco shell even when they're warmed (and even though that's what's pictured here).

It's definitely that time of year to get out and start grilling, and what better to start with than these tacos? Start by seasoning the flesh side (I like garlic powder and a little taco seasoning). 

As far as toppings go, you can go beyond the grilled corn I mentioned earlier. A crema sauce, spritz from lime wedges or lime zest, mango salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, fajita-style bell peppers, or beans.