This Mexican Inspired Roasted Elote Cucumber Salad has been on repeat in my kitchen since the second I made it. It’s got all the flavors of street corn, cooled down and put into a salad you can eat for lunch, dinner, or alongside literally anything off the grill. The dressing is made with cottage cheese instead of the usual mayo, so you’re getting a serious protein boost without losing any of that creamy, tangy elote flavor.
Friends, every summer I crave elote-inspired recipes and this salad is the result of yet another craving. I love using the Trader Joe’s Elote Seasoning and I roast the corn in that seasoning until it’s fragrant and a little charred. Then I blend more of it right into a cottage cheese dressing with lime and cotija. It’s smoky, bright, a little spicy, and comes together faster than you’d think.
If you don’t have the TJ’s blend, I gave you a sub below using pantry spices, so don’t let that stop you from making this. And if you’re someone who tracks macros like I do, this one comes in around 15g protein, 20g carbs, and 5g fat per serving, which makes it a super easy one to build a meal around or just enjoy as a great snack or light lunch. I make a big bowl of this on Sundays and eat off it all week. The cucumbers hold up great, and the dressing only gets better as it sits.
What You Need to Make This Mexican Inspired Roasted Elote Cucumber Salad
- Cottage Cheese: Low fat cottage cheese is the base of the dressing here and blends up completely smooth, so don’t worry if you’re not usually a cottage cheese person. I use Good Culture, but any low fat cottage cheese will work.
- Cotija Cheese: Cotija is a crumbly, salty Mexican cheese that’s a staple in elote. It adds a sharp, salty bite to the dressing that cottage cheese alone can’t give you.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice cuts through the richness of the dressing and gives it that bright, tangy finish elote is known for. Bottled juice works in a pinch, but fresh is worth it here.
- Elote Seasoning: I use Trader Joe’s Elote Seasoning for both the roasted corn and the dressing, and it’s doing a lot of the flavor work in this recipe. If you can’t get your hands on it, mix chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder instead.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic blends right into the dressing and adds a savory depth that balances out the tang from the lime and cotija.
- Persian Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers hold up well once dressed, which makes them the right cucumber for this salad. If you can’t find them, English cucumber is your best substitute.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a pop of herby freshness.
- Red Onion: Finely diced red onion adds a little bite and crunch throughout the salad. If raw onion is too strong for you, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes first to mellow it out.
- Frozen Corn: Frozen corn works great here since it gets roasted in the skillet anyway, and it means you can make this salad year round. Just thaw it before cooking.
How to Make This Roasted Elote Cucumber Salad
To make this recipe, start with the corn. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray it with avocado oil. Once it’s hot, add the thawed corn and the elote seasoning and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is roasted and smells like elote. Pull it off the heat and let it cool slightly.
While the corn cooks, chop your cucumbers, cilantro, and red onion and add them to a large bowl. Once the corn is ready, add it to the bowl too.
For the dressing, add the cottage cheese, cotija, lime juice, elote seasoning, and garlic to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if it needs more lime or spice.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until it’s well coated. Serve right away, or let it chill in the fridge for a bit if you want the flavors to come together even more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is one of my go-to make-ahead salads. You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and store it separately, or toss the whole salad together and let it sit in the fridge for a day. The cucumbers won’t get soggy the way lettuce would.
Yes, if corn is in season, cut it right off the cob and roast it the same way.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad keeps well for up to 3 days.
Not easily, since both the cottage cheese and cotija are important and neither have a good fairy-free alternative.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new!
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 Cup Cottage Cheese, low fat Good Culture
- 3 Tablespoons Cotija Cheese, grated
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 2 Teaspoons Trader Joe’s Elote Seasoning, or 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chipotle
- 2 Cloves Garlic
For the Salad
- 4 Persian Cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ⅓ Cup Cilantro, chopped
- ½ Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 ½ cups Frozen Corn, thawed
- 1 Tablespoon Trader Joe’s Elote Seasoning, (or 1 chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chipotle)
Instructions
- To make this, start with the corn. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray it with avocado oil. Once it's hot, add the thawed corn and the elote seasoning and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is roasted and smells like elote. Pull it off the heat and let it cool slightly.
- While the corn cooks, chop your cucumbers, cilantro, and red onion and add them to a large bowl. Once the corn is ready, add it to the bowl too.
- For the dressing, add the cottage cheese, cotija, lime juice, elote seasoning, and garlic to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if it needs more lime or spice.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until it’s well coated. Serve right away, or let it chill in the fridge for a bit if you want the flavors to come together even more.
Rate & review
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