Grilled Corn Salad combines fresh, grilled, and charred corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and green onions tossed with a little lime juice and topped with feta cheese and fresh basil. This tasty salad is beautiful and bursting with healthy flavors and textures.
This delicious dish is perfect for lunch or a light supper on a hot summer day. Or enjoy this easy salad with grilled shrimp or oven-baked BBQ chicken.
Keep The Grilled Corn Plump
If you have time, brine the corn. Soak the corn for 40-60 minutes in 6 cups of filtered water mixed with ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Dry the corn well with paper towels.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Corn: Use fresh white, yellow, or bicolor corn.
- Bell pepper: You can use any color, but my favorites are red and orange.
- Tomatoes: Grape, cherry, or raisin tomatoes. You can substitute sun-ripened diced tomatoes.
- English cucumbers: They have tender skins that don’t need peeling. If using regular cucumbers, peel them to remove the thick skin before slicing.
- Fresh herbs: Basil is my favorite, but you can substitute dill, mint, chives, or parsley.
- Feta: You can substitute goat cheese. Choose an older, drier goat cheese. You can also substitute Cotija cheese, which has a milder taste. This is a Mexican crumbly cheese. You can find it at most local grocery stores.
How To Make Grilled Corn Salad
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Rub the corn with olive oil. Grill until charred. This will take several minutes on each side. Let the corn cool at room temperature.
- Carefully cut the corn off the cob.
- Combine the grilled corn, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, red onion, and green onions.
- Sprinkle with lime juice and toss to coat.
- Top with the feta and basil right before serving and toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Perfect Pairings for Grilled Corn Salad
- Meat: steak bites, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, or pork steaks
- Seafood: shrimp salad, bacon-wrapped shrimp, or blackened mahi mahi
- Sandwiches: grinder sandwich, crispy chicken sandwich, or broiled tomato sandwich.
Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn, shucked and desilked
- 2 talespoons olive oil
- 1 medium orange or red bell pepper
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes. halved
- 1 cup diced English cucumber
- ⅕ cup diced red onion
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼-½ cup crumbled feta
- torn fresh basil
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 450-500 degrees.
- Rub the corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill for 10-12 minutes or until charred, turning several times. Let the corn cool at room temperature. Carefully cut the corn off the cob.
- Combine the grilled corn, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, red onion, and green onions.
- Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the lime juice. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Catherine
I made this salad with fresh corn from the grill and it was bursting with flavor. It was the perfect side dish for our cookout!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Catherine! We love it too!
Lora
This grilled corn salad is fresh, colorful, and full of bright summer flavor. The charred corn, crisp vegetables, lime juice, and basil made it perfect for my cookout.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lora! So happy that you enjoyed it. n
Mimi
Love that smoky char! It’s the perfect mix of sweet corn and zesty dressing.
Beth Pierce
I agree!
Ben
Nice! I made this to go with some Mexican sliders, and it was amazing. Really great stuff.
Terri
I absolutely LOVE grilling corn! I can’t wait to use it in this salad. It looks so good.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Terri! Enjoy!
Amy
Charring the corn on the grill adds the best smoky depth to this crisp salad! It balances out the sweet kernels and tangy dressing beautifully. It’s a bright, refreshing side dish that pairs perfectly with anything you’re throwing on the grill.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Amy! We love it too!
Tammy
A perfect summer salad! I loved grilled corn salads…this was so delicious and perfect for the weekend bbq!
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it!
Lisa
This was so fresh and perfect for summer! I loved the combination of grilled corn, feta, and lime. It was a great side dish for any backyard barbecue!
Logan Rae
Absolutely delicious and refreshing recipe. It was easy to make and looks impressive to guests with all of its colorful ingredients. Highly recommend.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Logan!
Janie
My cousin grilled some steak so we threw on to this grilled corn salad. It was so bomb and worked well with the grilled corn!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Janie! I am sop glad that you liked it.