Elote Pasta Salad

Name: Elote Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 lb elbow macaroni; 2 cups corn kernels; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp chili powder; 2 tbsp jalapeno pepper, minced; 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 1 tsp Tajin seasoning (optional garnish); 1/2 tsp salt

Charred corn, tangy lime, crumbled Cotija, and a kick of chili and jalapeno tossed with pasta in a creamy street-corn dressing; the elote-inspired pasta salad that swept TikTok in May 2026.

35 minEasyServes 6470 cal/serving

MexicanSaladStovetopVegetarianHalal-friendlyPork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Ingredients

1 lb elbow macaroni
2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Tajin seasoning (optional garnish)
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the 1 lb elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water.
2

Meanwhile, heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 cups corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred in spots, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp salt until smooth.
4

Add the drained pasta, charred corn, 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, 2 tbsp minced jalapeno pepper, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro to the dressing and toss to coat evenly.
5

Sprinkle with extra Cotija, chili powder, and 1 tsp Tajin seasoning (optional garnish) if using. Serve right away or chill until ready to eat.

Questions

Can I make Elote Pasta Salad dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled. Swap the sour cream for thick coconut yogurt with a squeeze of lemon; the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor). The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Elote Pasta Salad gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 1 lb elbow macaroni. Swap the pasta for a gluten-free one, cooked a minute short of its package time. Everything else proceeds as written.

How long does Elote Pasta Salad keep?

Dressed, it is best the day it is made. Keep the components separate and refrigerated and they hold about two days; dress just before serving.

Can I halve or double Elote Pasta Salad?

Yes. As written it serves 6. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

Serve it with

Cochinita Pibil main
Pozole Soup main
Pressure Cooker Chicken Tortilla Stew soup

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,512 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.