This Mexican street corn pasta salad takes everything you love about elote—sweet corn, creamy dressing, tangy cheese, and bold spices—and turns it into an easy, crowd-pleasing pasta salad.

This easy Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, or an easy make-ahead side dish.

What is Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad?

Mexican street corn pasta salad is inspired by elote, a popular Mexican street food made with grilled corn, creamy sauce, cheese, lime, and spices. You all loved our Mexican street grilled corn salad so we added some pasta for a hearty, flavorful side dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Packed with bold Mexican street corn flavor
• Creamy, tangy, and slightly smoky
• Perfect for BBQs and potlucks
• Easy to make ahead
• Great as a side or a light main dish

Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

• Corn (grilled or roasted): sweet, smoky flavor (the star!)
  • TIP: Most grocery stores sell roasted corn in the freezer section which is a great shortcut!
• Butter: adds richness and helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn
• Salt: enhances the flavor of the corn and the overall dish
• Pasta (ditalini or similar): hearty base that holds the dressing well
• Cotija Cheese: adds a salty, crumbly bite that’s classic for elote
• Avocados: add a creamy texture and fresh flavor
• Cilantro: adds a bright, herby finish
• Red Onion: adds a sharp bite and a little crunch

For the Dressing:

• Mayonnaise or Mexican Crema: adds a creamy base that coats everything evenly
• Sour Cream: adds tanginess and balances the richness
• Chili Powder: adds a mild smoky flavor and a hint of spice
• Cumin: adds warm, earthy flavor
• Lime Zest & Juice: adds brightness and a fresh citrusy kick
• Garlic: adds bold, savory depth
• Salt + Pepper: enhances and balances all the flavors

If you’re looking for the best cilantro lime dressing, this creamy version is fresh, tangy, and packed with flavor. Made with avocado, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and garlic, this cilantro lime salad dressing blends up in just minutes and works on almost everything. Drizzle it over salads, tacos, burrito bowls, grilled chicken, or use it as a dip for veggies.

The avocado gives the dressing a naturally creamy texture without any dairy, while the lime and cilantro add that bright, zesty flavor that makes everything taste better. Basically, once you make this cilantro lime dressing recipe, you’ll want to keep a jar in the fridge at all times.

Salad Dressing Recipes

I’m slowly but surely gathering up all of my favorite salad dressing recipes… for my mom. Haha! I mean, I’m doing it for all of you as well, but this stems from a comment my mom made that I’m not completely ruminating on. 🙂 She said she doesn’t know how to make a good salad. AND, FURTHERMORE, she doesn’t really eat salad in the winter because she associates it with summer. 

Oh heck no. 

Salad is one of the greatest things of my life, so I absolutely have to help her out! Salads are the easiest recipe because literally anything goes. You wanna add roasted sweet potatoes? DO IT! You want to mix cottage cheese in? IT’S DELICIOUS!

So, first up, Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing because it’s healthy, and so bright and zesty! And look at that green color! All the heart eyes!

Why You’ll Love This Cilantro Lime Dressing

• Ready in 5 minutes
• Naturally creamy from avocado
• Fresh and tangy flavor
• Great for salads, tacos, bowls, and wraps
• Gluten-free and dairy-free

Ingredients You’ll Need

This creamy cilantro lime dressing uses simple fresh ingredients that blend into a bright and flavorful sauce.

Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich (Honey Avocado Sauce)

This Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich stacks the flavor in a whole new way! First, make a creamy honey avocado spread. Next, pile turkey, avocado, crispy bacon and tomato on your favorite bread. Finally, dig into the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten!

Make it on 7 Grain Bread or Scroll down to watch on Focaccia!

Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich Ingredients

• Favorite bread: Go for a good sturdy 7 grain or focaccia– trust me.
• Havarti cheese: Mild and creamy; a great complement, but not necessary.
• Bacon: Make it on a sheet pan, starting in a cold oven or pan for ultimate fat-rendering-crispness.
• Deli turkey: Choose fresh deli slices or use leftover Thanksgiving turkey if you’ve got some!
• Avocado: Use a perfectly ripe avocado for a creamier texture; slice thinly.
• Tomato: Always sprinkle a little salt and pepper on tomatoes in a sandwich!
• Greens: I love to used mixed greens or peppery arugula, but anything will do! Romaine or green leaf lettuce would be great!
• Honey Avocado sauce: Blend together the ingredients in a small bowl for the ultimate sandwich spread!

How to Make Turkey Avocado Sandwiches with Honey Avocado Dressing

1. Make sauce: Blend together the sauce ingre

Grilled Chicken Avocado Sandwich with Spicy Mayo

I adore this Grilled Chicken Avocado Sandwich Recipe. They are so simple, but completely delicious. I hate spicy, but for some reason I love the kick of cayenne in the spicy mayo with the cool avocado and flaky, buttery, amazingly delish puff pastry. It’s pretty much perfection.

Watch How to Make a Chicken Avocado Sandwich

The first time I had this recipe I knew it looked good, but it seemed a tad odd to use puff pastry for a sandwich. I am forever converted. You truly must try it yourself to understand, but it’s quite amazing.

Have you ever even had Puff pastry? It’s purdy darn delicious. We don’t make our own. We let the professionals handle it, and Pepperidge Farm does it so well! They make a fantastic puff pastry, and so I stick with them.

This recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, so unfortunately I cannot take the credit, but I’m all about sharing recipes that are delicious even if I didn’t think it up myself. We had already been inspired by a sandwich and had puff pastry lying around so when I saw her show making something similar I had to pounce!

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Avocado Sandwich Recipe

It really doesn’t take many ingredients at all to make these grilled chicken sandwiches, so let’s run through everything you’ll need:

• Puff Pastry: You can find puff pastry in the freezer section of the grocery store by pie crusts.
• Chicken Breasts: boneless and skinless
• Montreal Chicken Seasoning: a blend of spices and herbs like garlic, onion, salt, paprika, orange peel, and bell pepper
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Olive Oil: helps grill the chicken
• Mayonnaise: whatever your favorite brand is
• Cayenne Pepper: adds some heat to the mayo spread
• Baby Spinach: adds freshness
• Read more

Berry Avocado Chicken Salad – Healthy Version

Juicy chicken breast adds a little protein to this simple berry avocado salad with a light poppyseed dressing. Throw on a little gorgonzola, candied nuts and you’ve just made the most perfect dinner salad recipe.

We chose to use Greek yogurt instead of the oil, sour cream or mayonnaise versions. We also found that because of the creaminess of the Greek yogurt there was no need to use an entire cup of sugar like many of the recipes out there. Plus bonus protein from the yogurt! I love when I can make something a little healthier and it still tastes fabulous!

Years ago my friend invited me to a girls night dinner to chat. She had a gift card for us both at a local restaurant and as we were fighting to survive unemployment (link to fighting faith) it was a blessing so I hopped in the car with her. Little did I know she was going to change my whole salad and soup life! She taught me how to turn a “nuts about berries” salad into something incredible, how to take tomato soup and creamy cauliflower soup and combine them with a little orzo on top for the best soup ever and now I’ve been making this berry avocado chicken salad ever since! I think the candied nuts and cheese are essential, but you can do any changes you’d like- feta instead of Mild Blue Cheese or gorgonzola is great too for example. See our entire list of possibilities below!

Ingredients for Chicken Berry Avocado Salad

This berry avocado salad only uses just a few wholesome and fresh ingredients. You’ll only need 4 ingredients for the light poppyseed dressing! Here is everything you will need:

• Chicken Breasts
• Brown Sugar BBQ Rub: Salt and pepper would work great too.
• Butter Lettuce
• Spinach and Kale Combo
• Avocado
• Berries: Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries and Blackberries
• Candied Pecans
• Crumbled Mild Blue Cheese, or gorgonzola

Poppyseed Dressing

• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Sugar
• Prosecco or Champagne Vinegar
• Poppy Seeds

The measurements and details for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe at the end of the post so keep scrolling!

How to Make Berry Avocado Salad

This salad recipe is so easy to make, and taking the time to cook the chicken and make the candied pecans is so worth the extra effort! Here are the basic steps!

1. Cook the Chicken: Season each chicken bread on top and bottom with the BBQ rub and cook over medium-high heat either on the grill or in a pan on the stove top with a drizzle of oil. Then turn the heat d