Recipe of the Month · August 2026

Grilled Corn & Cotija Salad

Serves 4 to 6 · About 20 minutes

August is peak corn season, and this smoky, tangy salad shows it off. Grilled corn kernels tossed with cotija cheese, lime, cilantro, and a little chili is the ultimate backyard side. Inspired by Mexican street corn, minus the mess, it comes together fast and travels well to any cookout.

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh corn, husked
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or Mexican crema
• Half a cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for topping
• 1 lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
• Quarter cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Half a teaspoon chili powder, plus a pinch of cayenne if you like heat
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill the corn, turning every few minutes, until charred in spots all around, about 8 to 10 minutes. (No grill? Char the kernels in a hot cast-iron skillet.)
2. Let the corn cool enough to handle, then stand each ear up and slice the kernels off into a large bowl.
3. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija, lime juice, cilantro, and chili powder. Toss until everything is coated.
4. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and more lime or chili as you like.
5. Top with extra cotija and cilantro, and serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges on the side.

Make it your own

Add diced avocado or halved cherry tomatoes for a heartier salad, swap cotija for feta if that is what you have, or fold in black beans to turn it into a light meal. It is hard to get wrong.