Avocado Corn Salad
Fresh sweet corn, generous chunks of creamy avocado, crisp red onion, scallions, cilantro, and a simple lime and olive oil dressing with a touch of chili powder. This avocado corn salad is a no-dairy creamy summer side that comes together in about 35 minutes and disappears just as fast.
Made this today for a family cook out and it was gone before the grill was hot!! Sooooooooo good! I used frozen corn and sweet onion! Really delicious ! ~Cindy
Quick Overview: Avocado Corn Salad
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Fresh, creamy, bright, citrusy and lightly spiced
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop or grill
- 🌿 Diet: Gluten free, dairy free, vegan
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
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Table of Contents
Why Is My Avocado Corn Salad So Good!
- No mayo, no sour cream, no dairy: ripe avocado creates all the creaminess on its own.
- While you gently mix, the softer parts of avocado will gently coat the other veggies for creamy consistency, while leaving most of them chunky.
- Fresh sweet corn on the cob gives you a juicy, snappy, burst of sweet texture and flavor.
- The flavor balance is beautiful: lime, red onion, scallions, and chili powder cut through the richness of avocado and corn so nothing tastes flat.
- Five avocados is not a typo: the generous ratio is what makes this salad satisfying as a side, but also works as a dip and topping.
Recipe Tips To Know Before You Cook
- To save a little time, corn can be cooked ahead of time! Just cool it after cooking and keep it in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container.
- To cut corn kernels off the cob, stand corn up in a large mixing bowl or in a rimmed baking sheet. This will help contain the kernels as you cut the off so they don’t fly all over the counter.
- How to tell avocado is ripe: Give the avocado a gentle squeeze – if it’s super soft, it’s over-ripe. Too hard? It’s not quite ripe enough yet. (I have a few more tell tale signs of a ripe avocado in my avocado shrimp salad post and there is a demo video on how to open avocado in stuffed avocado recipe.)
- When mixing in avocado, you can gently mash a few cubes to create the creamy coating for the salad. But leave most of them as diced chunks.
Key Ingredient Notes
All you need a a few simple ingredients but all are intentionally added to do their own job:
- Corn on the cob: Fresh is best for texture and sweetness. Frozen corn works (thaw and pat dry first). Use canned as a last resort and drain it well.
- Avocados: They should yield to gentle pressure but still feel firm. Too soft and they’ll mash completely; too firm and you lose the creamy coating effect.
- Red onion: Sharp crunch that cuts through the richness. For a milder onion flavor, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes and pat dry.
- Scallions or green onion: A lighter, fresher onion layer that brightens the whole salad.
- Cilantro: Mince it fine so it spreads evenly. Not a cilantro fan? Flat-leaf parsley is the best swap.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed only. It flavors the dressing and slows the avocado from browning and give the corn salad bright citrus flavor.
- Chili powder: use basic chili powder for warmth and depth or use chipotle chili powder for a little touch of smoky flavor.
How to Make Avocado Corn Salad
- Cook the corn on the stovetop or grill. Stovetop is faster, (grilling corn on the cob adds a smoky sweetness, worth the extra time). Salt your water well since it’s the only chance to season the corn itself. Let the cobs cool enough to handle before cutting. Once cut, let them finish cooling before mixing, warm corn will soften the avocado.
- Cut the kernels by standing each cob upright inside a large mixing bowl (or rimmed baking sheet). The bowl catches everything so kernels don’t fly across the counter. Cut close to the cob to get the full kernel, not just the tops. You can also scrape the cob with the back side of the knife to get the rest out.
- Build the salad by mixing the corn, chopped avocado, red onion, scallions, cilantro, lime juice and seasoning. As you fold and mix, you can press a few avocado cubes against the side of the bowl with your spoon, this creates a light creamy coating without mashing everything. Serve immediately.
Make Ahead Suggestions For This Corn Salad
I do not recommend making the whole avocado corn salad completely ahead of time, but there are a few things you can do to save time and make it ahead.
- Corn can be cooked ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make a salad.
- You can also prepare most of the salad ahead time. Just do not cut and add avocado until ready to serve. Prepare corn and mix it with onion, scallions, cilantro, and seasoning. Add oil and mix it together. Transfer salad into an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to serve the salad, peel and cut ripe avocados and add it to the prepped salad. Squeeze lime juice all over the avocados and gently mix the salad together until avocado is evenly incorporated.
Variations and Additions To Try
Over the years of making this avocado corn salad, I’ve tried a few things that worked (and some that didn’t, oops) and here is what we liked:
- Fresh diced cucumbers
- Jalapeno peppers
- Green bell peppers
- More spices like cumin and garlic powder
- Black beans (drained and rinsed)
- Cotija cheese (crumbled)
Storing Fresh Avocado Corn Salad
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Because of the avocado, shelf life is short: 1 to 2 days at most.
- To slow browning: the fresh lime juice in salad will help with that. You can also add another squeeze of fresh lime juice over the surface of the salad. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly against the salad, and then seal with the lid. This limits air contact and buys you a bit of time.
What to Serve With Avocado Corn Salad
This salad is made for summer grilling. It’s the side that goes with everything off the grill and here’s what it pairs with best:
- Grilled proteins: grilled shrimp tacos, grilled chicken like grilled chicken in Greek marinade, best grilled steak, or fried fish tacos.
- BBQ mains: my best burgers recipe is a must, smoked ribs, or Mexican braised short ribs and Instant pot pulled pork; the cool, bright flavors cut right through the rich meats.
- As a dip: scoop it with tortilla chips straight from the bowl; with the jalapeño and black bean additions it’s practically a chunky salsa.
- Taco night: this doubles as a topping so pile it right onto any taco in place of separate avocado and salsa.
Avocado Corn Salad Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen or canned corn instead of fresh?
Frozen corn is a good substitute when fresh corn isn’t in season. Thaw it completely and pat it dry before adding to the salad or excess moisture will water down the salad. Canned corn works in a pinch, but drain it very well and keep in mind the texture will be softer than fresh or frozen.
Can I make this without cilantro?
Yes. Flat-leaf parsley is the best substitute. It gives you a similar fresh herb presence without the taste some people don’t like with cilantro.
Can I add protein to make it a main dish?
Yes. Grilled shrimp, like Cajun grilled shrimp, diced chicken (grilled, baked, or rotisserie), or black beans all work well folded in.
How long does avocado corn salad last?
1 to 2 days in the refrigerator, well sealed. The avocado oxidizes quickly even with lime juice, so this salad is best eaten relatively quickly.
More Avocado and Corn Recipes to Try
- If you love this salad, try my avocado shrimp salad and creamy avocado dressing for more avocado-forward recipes.
- For more corn sides, my Cajun corn salad, creamy corn salad, tomato basil corn salad, Mexican street corn salad, and black bean and corn salad are all summer staples worth having in rotation.
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Avocado Corn Salad Recipe
Fresh sweet corn, generous chunks of creamy avocado, crisp red onion, scallions, cilantro, and a simple lime and olive oil dressing with a touch of chili powder. This avocado corn salad is a no-dairy creamy summer side that comes together in about 35 minutes and disappears just as fast.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 417kcal
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn
- 5 avocados
- 1 small red onion
- 1/2 cup diced scallions
- 2 limes – juice only
- 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt
Instructions
Cooking corn on stove-top:
- Heat up a large pot of water over medium-high heat and season it generously with salt. Make sure to take off the husk and all the silk threads from the ears of corn before cooking.
- Once water starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-low and add corn. Cover the pot and let corn cook for about 10 minutes, until tender.
- Take all the corn out onto a cutting board and let it cool enough to be handled.
Cooking corn on a grill:
- Prepare your charcoal until it’s ashed over. Move it to one half of the grill so that you have a cooler grill side and a hotter grill side. Make sure the grate is clean.
- Snip the silk whiskers sticking out of the top of the corn husk but leave the rest of the corn in a husk. Lay it on the grill, with the bottom of the husk towards the cooler side of the grill. Close the grill and cook for 13-15 minutes, turning it every 3-4 minutes.
- Take corn off the grill and carefully, using tongues, take off the husk and the silk. Brush corn with melted butter and place back on the grill. Close the grill and cook, turning it every 3-4 minutes, until lightly charred on all sides.
- Take corn off the grill and let it cool until it can be handled.
Avocado Corn Salad:
- To cut corn kernels off the cob, stand corn up in a large mixing bowl cut side down. Slice the kernels off with a sharp knife from top to bottom, close to the part where kernels attach to the cob. Turn the ear of corn and repeat slicing the kernels off all the way around.
- Dice red onion and scallions and add it to the pot as well.
- Mince cilantro and mix it in with the corn and onions. Add salt and chili powder.
- Cut each avocado in half and take out the pits. Peel avocado skin off and dice the meat into cubes. Add diced avocado to the mixed veggies in the bowl.
- Squeeze lime juice all over the avocado and add oil. Gently mix in avocado until just evenly incorporated.
- Serve right away.
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Notes
- Corn options: Fresh corn on the cob gives the best texture and flavor. Frozen corn (thawed and patted dry) is a good substitute. Canned corn works but will be softer; drain it very well.
- Avocado ripeness: You want avocados that yield to gentle pressure but still feel firm. Overripe avocados will mash completely when stirred in, losing all texture.
- Make ahead: Cook the corn up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge. Mix in everything except the avocado up to 24 hours ahead. Add the avocado and lime juice right before serving.
- Storing: 1 to 2 days, refrigerated. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the salad before sealing to slow the avocado from browning.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 30mg | Potassium: 1055mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 30.3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in March 2019.
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Backyard BBQ Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Salad Recipes, Side Dishes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Yummy and healthy!
I am so glad you liked it!
I think this salad will be delicious, but does it contain olive oil, or was that a misprint in the ingredients?
Hi Ruth, Yes, it does contain olive oil.
Made this today for a family cook out and it was gone before the grill was hot!! Sooooooooo good! I used frozen corn and sweet onion! Really delicious !
Thanks, Cindy! It makes me so happy that everyone liked it!!!
How do you mince cilantro? Never heard of that?
Hi, Gina! I Fold the bunch of cilantro leaves in half and place them on the cutting board, using a rocking motion with the knife I chop the cilantro. Go back over cilantro again and again until completely minced.
My kids do not eat avocado, I hope to make a salad and then give it to them will result in the eating it. Thanks for this.
Oh yea, you can even mix it a little more, so there are no big avocado chunks in it. That way they may not notice the avocado 🙂