Mexican Street Corn Chicken Pasta (Printable Version)
Smoky elote corn, tender chicken, and creamy cotija dressing tossed with pasta and crispy tortilla topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken & Pasta
01 - 3 cups cooked pasta (rotini or penne)
02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Elote Style Corn
07 - 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, grilled, or canned and drained)
08 - 1 tablespoon butter
09 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
→ Dressing
10 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
11 - 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
12 - 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (plus extra for garnish)
13 - 2 tablespoons lime juice
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
16 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Crispy Topping
19 - 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
20 - 1/2 teaspoon chili-lime seasoning (like Tajín), optional
→ Garnish
21 - 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
22 - Lime wedges
23 - Additional cilantro and cotija cheese
# Directions:
01 - Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and corn kernels, then sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and slightly charred. Sprinkle with chili powder, stir to coat evenly, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - Toss the cooked diced chicken breast with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, crumbled cotija cheese, lime juice, minced garlic, hot sauce, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add the cooked pasta, seasoned chicken, and charred corn to the dressing along with half of the crushed tortilla chips. Toss gently until all ingredients are thoroughly coated.
05 - Transfer the salad to a serving platter. Top with the remaining crushed tortilla chips, additional crumbled cotija cheese, sliced jalapeños, extra cilantro, and a sprinkle of chili-lime seasoning if desired.
06 - Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The smoky sweet char on the corn mixed with the tangy lime crema dressing is the kind of flavor combination that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It holds up beautifully at room temperature, which means potlucks, picnics, and lazy weekend lunches are all fair game.
- That crispy tortilla chip topping adds a crunch that most pasta salads desperately wish they had.
02 -
- If you add all the tortilla chips at once instead of saving half for the top, they will go soggy within twenty minutes and you will lose the textural contrast that makes this salad special.
- Grilling the corn directly on the cob before cutting off the kernels adds a depth of smokiness that pan charring alone cannot quite match, and it only takes about ten extra minutes.
03 -
- Let the corn cool completely before adding it to the dressing, because warm corn will melt the creamy base and thin it out more than you want.
- Taste the dressing on its own before mixing it with the pasta and adjust the salt and lime juice, since cotija cheese varies wildly in saltiness depending on the brand.