Grilled Corn Pineapple Salad
Light, fresh and bursting with flavor, this Grilled Corn Pineapple Salad is perfect for Taco Tuesday or for your Cinco De Mayo Party!
This Grilled Corn Pineapple Salad combines sweet, tangy, spicy, salty flavors with complimentary hints of bitter char and deep caramelization. You may remember my Charred Grilled Corn Salad from last year … well, this has a NEW spin to that recipe.
Grilled Corn Pineapple Salad
If you love Mexican corn on the cob then you will love this version made with pineapple. It’s so good served as a side salad (hello, summer entertaining), or a topping for tacos!
Friends, this salad is chock full of fresh grilled corn, pineapple, fresh tomatoes, Cotija cheese, jalapeno and cilantro, and a super fresh and flavorful cilantro-lime dressing.
It’s heart-healthy, easy and delicious!
Ingredients for Pineapple Corn Salad:
- Corn
- Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh pineapple
- Olive or avocado oil
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Cotija cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Chili powder
Just add black beans
I don’t know about you, but our family gets excited when Abby’s cooking Mexican food. We enjoyed this recipe with tacos, and then leftovers on a steak sandwich the next night. Oh, boy!
This recipe is a fairly simple salad — with summer sweet corn smothered in mayonnaise, crema, Cotija cheese, chili powder, salt and pepper. You can also add drained black beans, if you want to stretch the recipe, but just keep it simple.
What are elotes?
Elote, commonly called Mexican Street Corn, is grilled corn smothered in a creamy mayo sauce and topped with chili powder, cheese and lime.
Traditionally when making elotes (Mexican Street Corn), the ears of corn are smothered in a creamy mayo sauce and topped with chili powder. Cheese is optional, and they are grilled, to give them that perfect smoky flavor that makes them so delicious.
But for this recipe we’re more interested in the kernels than the cob, so if you’re in a pinch for time, you can buy Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn. It’s okay if you have to use a bag of frozen corn. No one will ever know. The secret is in the dressing!
Perfect for a potluck
As potlucks gain popularity, I think we all remember the potlucks we grew up with (jello and potato salads, chicken, lasagna, pizza, lots of whipped topping desserts), and we want to change it up, by making the meal a bit healthier, and not so heavy!
Potluck parties have been around for a long time, and in our home, it’s been an easy way to entertain. They really relieve the stress of the cost of putting on an entire meal by yourself, which is why I think so many people choose to not entertain! I particularly love it when my guests bring a dish!
My favorite kind of potluck? A Mexican-themed party, where everyone is invited to participate in the menu!
Serve warm or chilled with grilled meat, chips, or fish. Or chilled as a side salad.
Enjoy!
Mexican Potluck Menu:
Mexican Ground Turkey Olive Pasta Bake
This salad today or this Layered Grilled Corn Salad
Get the Recipe:
Grilled Corn and Pineapple Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn, boiled 4-5 minutes
- ⅓ c mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ fresh pineapple cut into 4, long spears
- 1-2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 lime, zested and juices, plus more to taste
- 1 c whole cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced
- 1 c Cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Chili powder to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat grill to high heat.
- Brush the boiled corn with mayonnaise and season with kosher salt and pepper. Place on the heated grill and cook 5-6 minutes each side, or until golden and slightly charred. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting off the kernels. Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Brush the pineapple spears with oil and place on the grill. Cook until golden and lightly charred, 6-8 minutes per side. Cut into 1/2’’ pieces and add to the corn.
- Add the lime zest, 3/4 cup of the cilantro, jalapeño, and 3/4 cup of cotija, cherry tomatoes, and mix until combined. Pour over the lime juice and toss once more—taste for additional lime or salt. Garnish with the remaining cilantro, cotija, and chili powder.
- Serve warm or chilled with grilled meat, chips, or fish.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
