Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with Ham

Creamy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with Ham is a mouthwatering dinner salad recipe that you’ll crave all summer long. This easy street corn pasta salad is a delicious one-bowl meal the whole family will love.

Imagine if pasta salad and street corn salad had a baby — this delicious street corn pasta salad is their wacky Aunt June. lol It’s adventurous, a little unexpected and the life of the party.

My street corn salad is packed with pasta, veggies, and ham to make a satisfying meal in a bowl. It’s full of savory Mexican-American flavors, has great texture and a spicy little kick. And, of course, it’s loaded with pops of sweetness from the corn, all wrapped in a creamy, flavorful dressing.

Serve it for weeknight family dinner, share it at potlucks and BBQs or meal-prep it for lunches throughout the week.

It’s a lovely summer salad that will be l enjoyed by everyone lucky enough to share some with you.

The Ingredient Info

Pasta

Choose the pasta shape you love best. I’ve used rotini because I love how it holds the creamy dressing. You can easily make your street corn pasta salad gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. I prefer Jovial brown-rice pasta _{[affiliate link]} because it holds it’s shape without breaking apart while it’s cooking, and it tastes fantastic. It’s made from just brown rice and water. My family can’t tell it from traditional pasta. I’ve provided an Amazon link where you can order it online, but also check your local Walmart. Ours carries several of the shapes now, and it’s so much cheaper.

Corn

I almost always opt for frozen corn. It’s readily available year-round, it’s picked and frozen at the peak of freshness, and it’s affordable. That being said, if you have easy access to fresh sweet corn in the summer, it’s always delicious in this recipe, too.

Ham Steak

Ham steak is simply a single thick slice from a whole picnic-style ham. For just the two of us, it makes so much more sense than buying a whole ham, which is costly. But it’s also perfect for chopping and adding to salads, casseroles, and soups when you don’t have ham leftovers hanging around. I buy it at Walmart. Ham steaks are usually around one-half pound and cost around $2.50.

Beans

I used black beans to add some inexpensive protein. They’re also fairly common in Mexican-inspired food in the U.S. Pinto beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, or small red beans would also be delicious in this salad. Choose the ones you have easy access to. I use canned beans for convenience, but you could certainly cook your own dry beans if you have the time.

Jalapenos, Chili Powder and Cholula

These ingredients add a mild spicy kick to the salad. I deseeded the jalapeno and removed the veins, so the heat level is actually minimal. I also minced it very finely, so it was well distributed throughout the entire salad.

Cholula is a brand of hot sauce. It’s also relatively mild, and I used a small amount in proportion to the other ingredients. Both the jalapeno and Cholula could be left out if you are hyper-sensitive to spiciness. But I don’t recommend leaving out the chili powder.

Let’s talk about chili powder. In almost every other part of the world, chili powder is just that, dried chili peppers that have been ground into powder.

However, in the U.S., chili powder is a combination of dried chilis, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and, depending on the brand, may also include onion powder, cayenne (for heat) and possibly even salt.

In most American recipes, chili powder is added for flavor, and other ingredients are chosen if increased spiciness is desired.

Possible Recipe Variations

Make it a Side without Protein: Leave out the ham and black beans and serve this tasty pasta salad as a simple side dish with grilled chicken, burgers, meatloaf, tacos, Mexican beef or kalua pork.

Change up the Protein: Leftover grilled chicken? Use it instead. Rotisserie chicken would also be excellent in this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.

Add more Vegetables: This recipe leans more toward the Street Corn side of salad ingredients, but you could amp up the pasta salad contribution by using more fresh vegetables. Crunchy celery or diced radishes would add great texture and more vegetable nutrition to your salad. Choose the ones you like in your pasta salads.

Make it Vegetarian: Leave out animal protein altogether and instead increase the amount of beans. Even mix two or three different varieties.

FAQs

More Easy Summer Salad Recipes

How to Make Street Corn Pasta Salad

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions.
2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl to combine while the pasta cooks. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated and the dressing is creamy and smooth. Set the dressing aside for later.
3. Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the ham steak on both sides to get nice caramelization on the outside. The ham is fully cooked, but you want to get some nice color on it.
4. Set the ham on a plate to rest and add the corn to the same skillet you used to sear the ham.
5. Cook the corn, stirring occasionally, to make it tender and to get some char (carmelization) on a few of the pieces.
6. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water while it’s still in the colander to stop the cooking and cool the pasta quickly. Drain off all the water and add the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
7. Chop the ham and add it and the cooked corn to the pasta.
8. Mince onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. I removed the seeds and veins from the jalapeno to minimize the heat level. Leave them in if you want your salad more spicy. Use appropriate precautions when handling hot peppers and never touch your face or eyes until your hands have been thoroughly washed.
9. Add the minced vegetables to the salad bowl.
10. Rinse and drain the black beans and add them to the salad.
11. Crumble in the queso fresco cheese, saving back enough to use to garnish the top of the salad.
12. Mix and toss all the salad ingredients until they are evenly combined.
13. Pour over the dressing and stir to coat all the ingredients.
14. Garnish the top of the salad with the remaining crumbled cheese, chopped fresh parsley or cilantro and some freshly cracked black pepper. Thinly sliced jalapeno and lime wedges are also a pretty garnish if you would like to use them, as well.

The Recipe