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30 Minutes or Less

Mexican Street Corn Salad

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overhead image of Mexican street corn salad in a large serving dish with fresh cilantro on the side.

It’s CORN! Summer bbq season is upon us, and we need a side dish for our watermelon margaritas, mediterranean grilled chicken salad, and healthy summer fruit crisp. Add this simple and delicious Mexican street corn salad to that lineup and you’ve got yourself a killer summer meal!

This recipe’s specifically for those people who enjoy their corn off the cob. It’s all the incredible flavors of Mexican street corn added to one big bowl, perfect for sharing and much easier to eat! Fresh (or frozen) corn, cilantro, paprika, and cotija cheese come together to make this super flavorful and surprisingly healthy salad.

Ingredients laid out for Mexican street corn salad recipe.

What You’ll Need to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad

Corn: Fresh corn is recommended, but if it’s not in season you can use frozen corn instead! And if you opt for fresh corn, follow the instructions below on how to cut the corn off the cob before using it in this recipe.

Fresh Cilantro: Finely chopped cilantro adds a refreshing burst of herbaceous flavor to the salad, complementing the other ingredients beautifully.

Cotija or Feta Cheese: Crumbled cotija cheese lends a salty, tangy flavor to the salad, while feta cheese can be used as a delicious alternative.

Jalapeño: For a spicy kick, add finely chopped jalapeño to the salad. Omit or adjust the amount according to your heat preference.

Mayonnaise: Creamy mayonnaise binds the ingredients together and adds richness to the salad, while also balancing the flavors.

close up image of Mexican street corn salad in a bowl.

How to Cut Corn Off The Cob

  1. Shuck the corn by peeling off the outer leaves and removing as much of the tassel (the stringy stuff) from the corn as possible.
  2. Stand the corn upright on a cutting board, then carefully slide a knife down one side of the cob, slicing off the corn kernels as the knife moves down the cob. Continue this process all around the cob until all corn kernels have been removed.
  3. Place the corn kernels in a large bowl, then repeat steps 1 and 2 with remaining ears of corn until all corn kernels have been removed. Discard the corn cobs and use just the kernels in this recipe.

Tips and Tricks

Char the Corn: Achieve the perfect smoky flavor by char-grilling the corn kernels in a hot skillet. Stir occasionally to ensure even charring and caramelization. Or, if you can grill whole corn, then remove the charred corn kernels from the cob and use it in this salad.

Customize the Spice Level: Adjust the amount of jalapeño according to your preference for heat. For milder palates, use just half a jalapeño, or no jalapeño at all!

Make-Ahead Option: Prepare the salad ahead of time and refrigerate it until ready to serve. The longer this salad sits, the more flavorful it will get!

Mexican street corn salad in a bowl with fresh limes.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Dairy-Free: To make this salad dairy-free, use your favorite non-dairy feta instead of cotija cheese. I’ve used and love this Violife dairy-free feta.

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Mexican street corn salad, take the dairy-free option above and use vegan mayo in place of the regular mayo.

overhead image of Mexican street corn salad in a large serving dish with fresh cilantro on the side.
5 from 1 vote

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican street corn salad is the perfect addition to any summer meal! It’s fresh, delicious, packed with flavor, and surprisingly easy to make.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels removed (or 2 10-ounce bags frozen corn)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup scallions (green onion), sliced
  • 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese or feta cheese
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • zest and juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or chipotle chili powder

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add corn kernels to the skillet (fresh or frozen) and a pinch of salt. Cook corn for about 10 minutes, stirring about every 2 minutes, until it’s nicely charred.
    Mexican street corn salad step 1
  • Remove corn from the heat and add to a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl with the corn. Toss to combine, then give it a taste and adjust any seasoning as desired.

Notes

  • Either serve this Mexican street corn salad immediately, or cover the bowl and store it in the fridge for up to 8 hours before serving!
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    30 Minutes or Less

    One-Pot Mexican Soup

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    overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    This hearty Mexican soup is full of fresh, delicious flavor! The perfect quick and easy dinner recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight. Requires only a handful of simple ingredients, cooked in one pot, in just 30 minutes!

    overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    What You’ll Need to Make Mexican Soup

    Chicken – This recipe calls for chicken breasts, but really any cut of chicken will work. My one recommendation when it comes to buying your chicken, is to make sure it’s boneless and skinless. This’ll make the cooking and dicing process much easier! Also, for a vegan/vegetarian Mexican soup, check out the “Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs” section below.

    Chicken Broth – I used chicken bone broth in my Mexican soup for an extra boost of nutrients. However, any chicken broth, or even chicken bouillon dissolved in water will do the trick. And if you don’t have chicken broth, feel free to use vegetable broth instead.

    Taco Seasoning – Two tablespoons of taco seasoning load this soup up with TONS of delicious flavor! This addition makes this recipe even easier to throw together. Though if you don’t have taco seasoning, feel free to use a combo of your favorite Mexican spices. I love smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano.

    Jalapeño – While optional, I love throwing in a diced jalapeño for extra flavor and spice! However, for a mild soup, try just half a jalapeño. Or, feel free to leave it out altogether.

    mexican chicken soup in a bowl with a spoon.

    Tips and Tricks

    • I highly recommend doubling this recipe! Leftover Mexican soup tastes just as good, and is easy to reheat and enjoy all week long. Heck, you can even freeze it for up to three months!
    • For a heartier meal, add rice! I love adding in a cup or two of cooked rice to my soup. And to keep things super easy, I typically opt for a pre-cooked microwaveable rice.
    • You can also make this Mexican soup in the Instant Pot! To do that, use the sauté function to cook up with veggies. Then, add the remaining ingredients, seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the chicken, dice it up, then add it back into your soup – that’s it!
    close-up overhead image of Mexican soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortillas on top.

    Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: For a vegan or vegetarian Mexican soup, replace the chicken with two cans of your favorite beans – I love either black beans or navy beans! Also, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

    Make it Gluten-Free: While mostly gluten-free, make sure the taco seasoning you use is 100% gluten-free as well!

    One-Pot Mexican Soup
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    One-Pot Mexican Soup

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    5

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    20

    minutes
    Total time

    25

    minutes

    This hearty Mexican soup is full of fresh, delicious flavor! The perfect quick and easy dinner recipe to throw together on a busy weeknight. Requires only a handful of simple ingredients, cooked in one pot, in just 30 minutes!

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

    • 1 celery stalk, chopped

    • 1 carrot, chopped

    • 3 garlic cloves, minced

    • 1 quart chicken broth

    • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

    • 1-2 pounds chicken breast

    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning

    • salt, to taste

    Directions

    • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, Add in the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeño. Cooked 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are tender.
    • Add in chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, chicken, taco seasoning, and salt.
    • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer, cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, dice into ½-inch pieces, then transfer back into pot. Stir to combine then serve warm with fresh cilantro, lime juice, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

    Recipe Video

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    Dairy-Free

    “Cheesy” Vegan Enchiladas

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    overhead image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish

    Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!

    close-up image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish

    What You’ll Need To Make Vegan Enchiladas

    Tomato Paste – The key to a rich and creamy enchilada sauce is tomato paste. The concentrated flavor in tomato paste gives our sauce an extra tangy and intense taste.

    Vegetable Broth – Most homemade enchilada sauces are made with chicken broth, but to keep ours plant-based, we use vegetable broth instead. Vegetable broth contributes an additional hint of flavor to this already super flavorful recipe. If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can use two cups of water in its place.

    Mushrooms – Finely chopped mushrooms provide our vegan enchiladas with a “meaty” texture! I personally love mushrooms, and add them to many of my vegan recipes. They’re a healthy, delicious, and versatile source of plant-based protein. However, if you don’t enjoy mushrooms, you can use 1/2 cup of cooked lentils instead.

    Black Beans – Our other source of protein is a can of drained and rinsed black beans! They, similar to mushrooms, give this meatless dinner recipe a heartier texture.

    Tortillas – Feel free to use any tortillas you’d like! Corn tortillas or flour tortillas are the standard, but grain-free tortillas taste delicious as well. Though regardless of the type of tortillas you use, make sure they’re no larger than 8-inches. This way, once rolled they’ll fit perfectly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

    Vegan Cashew Queso – The secret ingredient to our “cheesy” vegan enchiladas is half a cup of my vegan cashew queso! It’s super quick and easy to take, coming together in under 10 minutes. While highly recommended, you can make this recipe without the vegan queso if you’d prefer.

    overhead image of vegan enchiladas in a baking dish with cilantro and limes on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free enchiladas, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Also, be sure the corn starch you’re using in the enchilada sauce is also gluten-free.

    Make it Paleo: These vegan enchiladas are very easily made paleo as well! To do this, replace the corn starch with arrowroot starch and black beans with diced, then roasted sweet potatoes. Also, use your favorite paleo tortillas, such as Siete Almond Flour Tortillas for rolling your enchiladas.

    Add Cheese: If not vegan or dairy-free, finish this dinner recipe off with a sprinkling of your favorite shredded cheese right before baking!

    “Cheesy” Vegan Enchiladas

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Intermediate
    Servings

    6

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    30

    minutes
    Total time

    40

    minutes

    Wholesome and comforting vegan enchiladas! Stuffed with mushrooms, black beans, an easy homemade enchilada sauce, and finished off with creamy vegan queso. It doesn’t get any cozier or more delicious than these “cheesy” vegan enchiladas!

    Ingredients

    • For the enchilada sauce:

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil

    • 2 tablespoons corn starch

    • 1 tablespoon chili powder

    • 1 teaspoon cumin

    • 1 teaspoon salt

    • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

    • 6 ounces tomato paste

    • 2 cups vegetable broth

    • For the filling:

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) mushrooms, finely chopped

    • 1 bell pepper, finely chopped

    • 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

    • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    • 1 teaspoon cumin

    • 1 teaspoon paprika

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • For the enchiladas:

    • 8 8-inch tortillas

    • 1/2 cup vegan cashew queso, optional

    Directions

    • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
    • Make the enchilada sauce by whisking together olive oil and corn starch in a large skillet over medium heat, until starch has fully dissolved.
    • Add in the chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, cook for 2 minutes.
    • Pour in apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and vegetable broth, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
    • Prepare the filling by heating olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add in mushrooms, bell pepper, and yellow onion, cook for 3-5 minutes or until veggies are tender.
    • Add in black beans, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and ½ cup of enchilada sauce you made earlier. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
    • Roll enchiladas by placing ¼ cup of filling mixture in the center of each tortilla, ten rolling tortilla around filling to seal. Repeat this process until all 8 tortillas are stuffed and rolled.
    • Spoon half homemade enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Then, place all 8 enchiladas on top of sauce with the seam side facing down.
    • Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then vegan cashew cheese if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

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    30 Minutes or Less

    4-Ingredient Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

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    overhead image of three instant pot shredded chicken tacos on a table with fresh cilantro and limes on the side

    In need of a quick and easy dinner recipe, ready in under 30 minutes? Look no further than these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos! They’re loaded with delicious flavor, and ready to be topped with whatever your heart desires. Salsa, shredded lettuce, cheese, avocado, guacamole – the possibilities are endless!

    two instant pot shredded chicken tacos on a plate with fresh cilantro on the side

    What You’ll Need

    Instant Pot – I was definitely very late to the Instant Pot game. I only just purchased my Instant Pot about 6 months ago, but man do I already LOVE it. I have an 8 quart Instant Pot, and it’s truly the perfect size for either big batch meals or a quick dinner for two. Two pounds of chicken takes only 12 minutes to fully cook in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I set my pot to the “Meat” setting to cook, but depending on your pot, your same setting may be labeled as “Poultry” instead. Once the 12 minutes is up, press the steam release button on the lid of your Instant Pot to manually release the pressure before removing the lid. Then, remove the chicken from the pot, shred it, before placing it back into the pot to absorb that delicious sauce!

    Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for this shredded chicken recipe. They’re perfectly lean, and a blank canvas for the seasonings in this dish.

    Taco Seasoning – One packet of taco seasoning contains all the flavor we need for this recipe! I love the Siete Mild Taco Seasoning, but really any brand will work. I especially enjoy using pre-packaged taco seasoning since it has all the spices we’d want in this taco recipe. This single ingredient makes our entire meal so much quicker and easier to make!

    Top Tips

    • Reserve any leftover sauce in the Instant Pot and spoon it over your tacos! All of the flavor in this dish comes from the sauce our chicken is cooked in. Therefore, use every last bit of it – trust me, it’s delicious!
    • Serve this taco-seasoned Instant Pot shredded chicken over rice or a salad instead. I love turning this flavorful Mexican-inspired chicken into a taco salad or burrito bowl for a new, and exciting meal. This is also a great way to use up any leftover chicken!
    instant pot shredded chicken on a plate with limes and cilantro on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Gluten-Free: Ensure the taco seasoning you’re using is gluten-free, since some contain all purpose flour! Also, serve these Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos over corn tortillas, or Siete Grain-Free Tortillas for a completely gluten-free meal.

    Make it Vegan: For Instant Pot vegan tacos, replace the chicken with one cup of dried lentils! Cook your lentils with the taco seasoning, vegetable broth, and fire roasted tomatoes at high pressure for 15 minutes. The lentils will soak up so much delicious flavor!

    Make it Paleo/Whole30: Use a paleo-compliant taco seasoning such as Siete Taco Seasoning, then serve your shredded chicken over lettuce wraps to turn this into a super healthy, low-carb lunch or dinner.

    4-Ingredient Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: MainDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    12

    minutes
    Total time

    17

    minutes

    In need of a quick and easy dinner recipe, ready in under 30 minutes? Look no further than these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos! They’re loaded with delicious flavor, and ready to be topped with whatever your heart desires. Salsa, shredded lettuce, cheese, avocado, guacamole – the possibilities are endless!

    Ingredients

    • For the Instant Pot shredded chicken:

    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

    • 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning

    • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

    • 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

    • For the tacos:

    • corn or flour tortillas

    • salsa

    • avocado

    • cilantro

    • slice jalapeño

    • limes

    Directions

    • Place chicken breasts in Instant Pot, then pour in broth. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning, then add in diced tomatoes.
      • IP-Shredded-Chicken-Tacos-Step-1
    • Set to Poultry/Meat for 12 minutes, then manually release steam before removing lid.
      • IP-Shredded-Chicken-Tacos-Step-2
    • Remove chicken breasts from Instant Pot and shred with two forks. Place shredded chicken back into Instant Pot and stir to mix in with the sauce.
      • IP-Shredded-Chicken-Tacos-Step-3
    • Fill tortillas with shredded chicken and any toppings you’d like.

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Easy Breakfast Tacos (Freezer Friendly!)

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    breakfast tacos with sliced avocado and vegan sour cream on top, and coffee on the side

    One pan and a few simple ingredients is all you’ll need for the best EVER breakfast tacos! Smoky chorizo, creamy refried beans, fluffy eggs, and fresh avocado piled high atop warm tortillas. And did I mention they take just 15 minutes to make?! There truly is no better way to start the day.

    breakfast tacos with sliced avocado and vegan sour cream on top, and coffee on the side

    What You’ll Need

    Tortillas – Either corn or flour tortillas will work for these breakfast tacos! I actually used Siete’s grain-free tortillas to keep my tacos a little lighter and healthier. Whatever tortillas you use, be sure to heat them up slightly in your pan to make them pliable and crispy around the edges.

    Chorizo – The two most common types of chorizo are semi-cooked chorizo and dried chorizo. For this recipe, we’re looking for either semi-cooked chorizo or fresh chorizo. While uncommon, fresh chorizo works best in this recipe, so if you can find it definitely use it! Though I used semi-cooked chorizo and my breakfast tacos still turned out perfect. For semi-cooked, chop the chorizo into half or quarter moons then quickly cook in a hot skillet. For fresh chorizo, remove the meat from its casing and cook in a hot skillet until completely cooked through, crumbling the sausage as it cooks.

    Eggs – They wouldn’t be breakfast tacos without some scrambled eggs! Luckily, scrambled eggs are super easy to throw together. Use as many or as few eggs as you’d like, I sometimes add a couple more into my scramble for extra protein.

    Refried Beans – Either canned or homemade refried beans will taste delicious in this easy breakfast recipe. For homemade, I recommend this recipe, and for store bought, I prefer the Amy’s Organic Refried Beans.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    • Make it Vegan: Making vegan breakfast tacos is surprisingly easy with a few simple swaps. Cook up some scrambled tofu and double up on refried beans to make up for the lack of chorizo. The end result will be a delicious vegan breakfast with plenty of protein!
    • Make it Paleo: Use Siete Almond Flour Tortillas in place of regular tortillas to turn this into a paleo meal.
    • Make it Whole30: Ditch the tortillas and wrap these breakfast tacos in butter lettuce leaves instead! Also, make sure your refried beans and chorizo are Whole30 compliant. If you can’t find Whole30 compliant chorizo, use Whole30 compliant bacon instead.

    How to Freeze Breakfast Tacos

    1. Wrap tortilla completely around filling, then wrap each individual taco in aluminum foil.
    2. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    3. To reheat, place tacos still in foil in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
    Easy Breakfast Tacos (Freezer Friendly)
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    Easy Breakfast Tacos (Freezer Friendly)

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    10

    minutes
    Total time

    15

    minutes

    One pan and a few simple ingredients is all you’ll need for the best EVER breakfast tacos! Smoky chorizo, creamy refried beans, fluffy eggs, and fresh avocado piled high atop warm tortillas. And did I mention they take just 15 minutes to make?! There truly is no better way to start the day.

    Ingredients

    • 8 small corn or flour tortillas

    • 4 ounces chorizo sausage, removed from casing or chopped

    • 8 large eggs, whisked

    • salt and pepper, to taste

    • 1 cup refried beans

    • 2 avocados, peeled and sliced

    • Optional toppings:

    • salsa

    • fresh cilantro, chopped

    • cheese

    • sour cream

    • hot sauce

    Directions

    • Heat tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, one at a time, until soft and pliable then set aside.
    • Add olive oil to skillet and cook chorizo sausage until browned and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
    • Add whisked eggs to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and scramble until full cooked.
    • Warm refried beans in either the microwave or a small saucepan over low heat.
    • Assemble tacos by spooning some refried beans, then chorizo, then scrambled eggs into each tortilla. Top with sliced avocado and any other toppings you’d like.

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    More Quick and Delicious Breakfast Recipes

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