This delicious grilled corn salad recipe is a quick and healthy Tex Mex-inspired recipe filled with avocado, charred sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, and feta and topped with a cilantro lime dressing. Serve it as an easy vegetable side dish, topping for tacos, or at a summer BBQ. It’s perfect for a crowd! {Gluten-free & Vegetarian}
Grilled Corn Salad with Feta – Perfect for Summer!
If you’re looking for a great way to put that fresh summer produce to good use, this grilled corn salad with feta, cilantro, and lime is exactly what you need in your life! Easy to make and budget-friendly, it can be served hot or cold for the ultimate versatile side dish.
It comes together with fresh ingredients like charred corn, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado and is topped with a honey lime dressing for the most incredible flavour.
Whether you’re looking for a tasty appetizer, vegetable-filled side dish, or a way to enhance your favourite protein, this healthy charred corn salad is always guaranteed to please.
For more satisfying summer salads be sure to try my Mexican Three Bean Salad and Asparagus Tomato Salad, too!
What is Corn Salad?
A classic warm-weather recipe, corn salad is an easy side dish made with various vegetables like corn and tomatoes and often includes cheese. It’s then topped with a zesty dressing for a boost of flavour.
Commonly served as a side at barbecues and summer cookouts, it pairs well with all your favourite grilled recipes like Grilled BBQ chicken thighs and burgers!
Why We Love This Avocado Corn Salad Recipe
- Budget-Friendly: With just 10 ingredients, you likely already have most of what you’ll need on hand, and the rest can easily be picked up at your local grocery store or farmers market.
- Vegetarian: Whether you follow a plant-based diet or are just looking for an easy way to eat more veggies, this healthy corn salad is a tasty recipe that even the pickiest of eaters will love.
- Healthy: Made with whole food ingredients, this tomato corn salad is bursting with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and anti-inflammatory properties!
Ingredient Notes
For the Grilled Corn Salad:
- Corn: Removed from its husk and placed on the grill, the fresh corn provides a sweet and slightly smoky flavour to form the base of this avocado corn salad.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes for this salad because they’re small and sweeter in taste. All that you have to do is slice them in half and add them to the bowl. However, you can also use grape or Roma tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cilantro: I love to lighten up this dish with a dose of fresh cilantro, but you can swap it out with any fresh herbs you prefer such as parsley, basil or dill.
- Feta: Everything tastes better with feta. This popular Greek cheese helps add a creamy texture to this dish. For a vegan option, omit the feta completely, or replace it with a plant-based cheese.
- Avocado: Similar to feta, avocado has a creamy texture and buttery taste that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients. Use a ripe avocado for best results.
For the Lime Dressing:
- Lime Juice: This adds zesty flavour to the salad. For best results, use fresh lime juice if you can. You can also sub in fresh lemon juice.
- Olive Oil: I recommend using extra virgin olive oil to create the foundation of your lime dressing. It has a much bolder, rounder flavour, but regular olive oil will work, too.
- Honey: A small squeeze of honey goes a long way to create an irresistible combination of perfectly sweet and savoury flavours in this Mexican-inspired salad.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavour.
- Salt and Pepper: Add as little or as much as you’d like!
Step by Step Instructions
How to Grill Corn on the Cob without Husks
- Remove the husks and silks from the ears of corn.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Carefully place the ears of corn in the water, and boil for 10 minutes.
- Next, brush corn with a little olive oil.
- Place the ears of corn directly over medium-high heat on a grill.
- Rotate the cobs when dark spots begin to appear (about every 2-3 minutes).
- Continue to cook, rotating the corn cobs until they are uniformly cooked. When finished, the ears will be speckled with dark spots, and the kernels will look crispy.
- Remove the corn from the grill, and season as desired.
How to Grill Corn on the Cob with Husks
- Shuck the corn by peeling the layers husks down one at a time, making sure to keep them intact.
- Remove the silks, and pull the husks back up over the corn.
- Soak the whole corn cobs in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent them from scorching on the grill!
- Place the corn cobs directly over medium-high heat on a grill.
- Cook until the husk begins to blacken. Then, rotate the cob. Continue to cook for about 20-22 minutes, turning frequently until the entire cob has been charred.
- To check that your corn is finished, pull back a layer of the husk, and look for bright yellow kernels.
- Remove from the grill, peel off the husks completely, and serve as desired.
How to Cut Corn off the Cob
- Place the corn vertically on top of the bottom of a small bowl or ramekin in the centre of a larger bowl or baking sheet.
- Hold the bottom of the corn cob firmly with your non-cutting hand.
- Using a large chef’s knife, cut in a downward motion starting at the top of the corn cob, and let the kernels fall into the bowl or pan.
- Gather all of the kernels, and discard the cob.
How to Make Corn Salad
- Place the charred corn kernels in a large mixing bowl, and add the chopped tomatoes, feta, cilantro, and avocado.
- Combine the ingredients for the honey lime dressing in a small bowl.
- Pour in your desired amount of dressing into the bowl with the other salad ingredients, and toss to combine.
- Serve the grilled corn salad warm, cold or at room temperature with your favourite mains and sides!
Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Fresh Corn Salad
- If grilling the corn without the husk: The corn will cook a bit quicker, so watch it closely and turn it frequently to prevent the corn from getting too charred.
- Make ahead: If making this salad ahead of time, I recommend adding the avocado just before serving to keep it fresh.
- To eliminate the mess when cutting the corn off the cob: Place a ramekin upside down in a large bowl. Prop the ear of corn on top of the ramekin and cut the corn off with a sharp knife. The corn should land in the bowl rather than flying all over the place. Alternatively, you can place the tip of the ear of corn in the centre of a bundt pan and cut the corn off using downward strokes. The corn kernels should land in the pan.
- Add dressing to taste: I only used about 2/3rds of the dressing, but you can adapt it to taste. The dressing can be used on other salads as well!
Storage Guidelines
Storing leftovers: The good news about this recipe is that it’s perfect for meal prep! Once fully prepared, the leftover grilled corn salad can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make-ahead: For a longer-lasting option, you can prepare and store the corn salad (minus the avocado to prevent browning) and lime dressing separately. They’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. Then, all you have to do is add in the fresh avocado, pour in the dressing and you’ll be ready to dig in!
Recipe FAQs
Technically, you don’t have to boil your corn before grilling. However, without doing so, your corn will take much longer to cook on the grill which may result in tough kernels. Boiling for a few minutes ahead of time ensures they cook quickly, which prevents excess charring and helps keeps them soft.
Yes! Just place the whole corn cobs on the grill with or without the husks. No foil is needed.
If your corn kernels turn out dry, it’s likely because they were overcooked. To prevent this, be sure to leave the cobs on the grill just long enough to char, and don’t forget to rotate them!
The beauty of this summer corn salad is that it can be served any way you’d like. It’s great served warm and fresh off the grill, or when stored for later, it makes for a refreshing cold salad too!
What to Serve with Corn Salad
Although this recipe is great on its own, I recommend pairing it with some extra protein to make it a complete meal. It’s the perfect side dish!
Here are some great options to pair it with:
- Mexican Chicken Fajitas
- Grilled Chicken (Marinated in one of these Healthy Chicken Marinades)
- Zucchini Turkey Burgers
- Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp
- Blackened Cod
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes
- Grilled Steak (Marinated in this Easy Steak Marinade)
- Tortilla chips
Recipe Ideas & Variations
- Add extra veggies: Try red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber or mix in with lettuce.
- Incorporate extra protein: Add black beans, grilled chicken or crispy bacon.
- Add extra spices: Try some smoked paprika, chili powder or a pinch of cayenne.
- Switch up the cheese: Instead of feta, try cotija or goat cheese.
- For a spicy kick: Add jalapeno or poblano peppers, or drizzle with some hot sauce.
More Healthy Salad Recipes
- Healthy Broccoli Salad (Without Bacon)
- Tossed Green Salad
- Greek Lentil Salad
- Broccoli Apple Salad (No Mayo)
- Spring Mix Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Grilled Corn Avocado Salad with Cilantro, Feta & Lime
Ingredients
For grilled corn salad:
- 4 ears of corn grilled (or about 4 cups of corn kernels)
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 medium ripe avocado diced
Instructions
- Remove husks and silk from ears of corn.
- Place large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Carefully place the ears of corn in the water and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
- Next, put ears of corn over heat on medium-hot grill.
- Rotate when dark spots appear and kernels deepen in color (usually about 2 to 3 minutes) and cook until ears are uniformly cooked (usually 10 to 12 minutes). The corn will be speckled with charred spots and should appear slightly crispy. Remove from grill and allow corn to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the honey lime dressing in a small bowl.
- Once the corn has cooled, cut the corn kernels off the cobs using a sharp knife. Place in large bowl and mix in the chopped tomatoes, feta, cilantro and avocado.
- Pour in desired amount of dressing (I used 2/3rds) and toss to combine. Serve salad warm, cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- If grilling the corn without the husk: The corn will cook a bit quicker, so watch it closely and turn it frequently to prevent the corn from getting too charred.
- Make ahead: If making this salad ahead of time, I recommend adding the avocado just before serving to keep it fresh.
- To eliminate the mess when cutting the corn off the cob: Place a ramekin upside down in a large bowl. Prop the ear of corn on top of the ramekin and cut the corn off with a sharp knife. The corn should land in the bowl rather than flying all over the place. Alternatively, you can place the tip of the ear of corn in the centre of a bundt pan and cut the corn off using downward strokes. The corn kernels should land in the pan.
- Add dressing to taste: I only used about 2/3rds of the dressing, but you can adapt it to taste. The dressing can be used on other salads as well!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in June 2018 and was updated in August 2022 to include better tips and photos.
Avocado, feta and tomatoes – this is my favorite combo for salad. Love your dressing and addition of grilled corn – delicious.
Love that combo too Alina! Can’t go wrong with avocado, feta and tomatoes!
Totally agree that grilling is the BEST way to make corn. And we also love to combine grilled vegetables later. I’ve never combined them with feta cheese before, though. And your dressing sounds fantastic. Yum!
Thanks so much Leslie! Love the idea of adding the grilled vegetables. I bet that’s delicious!
WOW this salad is so beautiful and colorful! Perfect for summer and would make a great healthy dinner on hot days!
Thanks Natalie! It’s a great side for a BBQ!
I too love grilled corn on the cob and using it in salad is just delicious!
Totally agree Julia!