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    Recipes » Recipes

    Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: May 30, 2018 · Modified: Sep 28, 2018 by Dee

    Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is a delicious summer side salad that's even easier to make when you cook the pasta in the pressure cooker. It's perfect for potlucks, picnics and holiday parties!

    Jump to Recipe -

    instant pot mexican street corn pasta salad in white serving bowl

    Mexican street corn pasta salad is basically street corn in a bowl. It's loaded with charred corn kernels, peppers, Cotija cheese and pasta shells and mixed with a creamy dressing made with a blend of mayonnaise, sour cream and a touch of lime. If you like street corn but hate the mess, you'll love this easy pasta salad!

    I made this easy pasta salad on a whim over Memorial Day weekend. I had planned on making the usual Instant Pot Mexican street corn, but we could not find corn-on-the-cob anywhere! Note to self -- plan way ahead next time!

    It would  have been easy to just leave corn off the menu, but we were grilling up some tequila lime chicken and zucchini. So, I thought street corn would be the perfect side for that. And seriously, you guys, I really wanted a margarita to go with it all!

    How to make Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

    What makes this Mexican street corn pasta salad different from other pasta salads is you cook the pasta in the Instant Pot instead of boiling it. I know many people think the Instant Pot is only for stews and soups and cold-weather comfort food, but you can really use it anytime. I definitely love making easy Instant Pot recipes all year long!

    So first, you cook the pasta in the pressure cooker. And while that's cooking, you brown some corn on the stove.

    You can definitely cut grilled corn kernels off of the cob if you want to be traditional and all that, but like I said, I didn't have corn-on-the-cob to work with. Besides, this method is so much quicker!

    mix cooked corn with pasta

    When the pasta is done, empty it into a large bowl, and add the cooked corn to the pasta. Then, add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and refrigerate until you're ready to serve the pasta salad.

    instant pot mexican street corn pasta salad in glass serving bowl with cilantro

    This recipe for Instant Pot pasta salad makes a lot of pasta salad. You can  definitely feed a crowd here! And if you don't have a crowd to feed, you can munch on the leftover pasta salad all week long!

    instant pot mexican street corn pasta salad on table with limes

    Looking for more Instant Pot summer side dishes?

    • Instant Pot Southwest Macaroni Salad
    • Instant Pot Potato Salad
    • Instant Pot Corn-on-the-cob

    Recipe for Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

    instant pot mexican street corn pasta salad in white serving bowl

    Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad

    Published by Dee
    Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is an easy pasta salad recipe that's basically street corn in a bowl. It's the perfect summer side dish for potlucks and picnics! 
    5 from 3 votes
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    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Total Time 17 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20
    Calories 360 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Pasta

    • 1 pound medium shell pasta, uncooked
    • 4 ½ cups water
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    For the Salad

    • 1 pound frozen corn
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1 large lime, juice of
    • ½ cup Cotija cheese
    • 2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and chopped
    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions
     

    For the pasta

    • Pour uncooked shells into the Instant Pot, and add the water and sea salt
    • Cover, and turn valve to sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes
    • When time is up, do a quick release, and hit CANCEL
    • When pin drops, uncover, and carefully remove pasta to a large bowl

    For the salad

    • Cook the corn kernels with the olive oil over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly charred 
    • Add corn to the bowl of pasta, then add remaining ingredients, and mix well
    • Season with sea salt and pepper, if desired, to taste
    • Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve

    Notes

    Recipe for pasta was made in 6-quart Instant Pot.
    Can use feta or Parmesan cheese in place of Cotija, if desired 

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 360kcal
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    My family loved this easy Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

      June 07, 2018 at 9:42 am

      I love this pasta salad (mostly because I looooove Mexican street corn)! This will be a hit for so many get togethers this summer!

      Reply
    2. Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling says

      June 03, 2018 at 8:34 pm

      Love all things Mexican Street Corn! This is so perfect for summer!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        June 04, 2018 at 9:16 am

        Thanks, Cathy! It's now one of our favorite summer salads. 🙂

    3. Krista says

      May 31, 2018 at 8:19 am

      I love what you can do in an instant pot! I love this salad!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        May 31, 2018 at 4:49 pm

        Thanks, Krista! I'd be lost without my IP.

    4. I Heart Naptime says

      May 31, 2018 at 6:12 am

      What a delicious instant pot recipe!

      Reply
    5. Jen says

      May 31, 2018 at 5:54 am

      This might just become my new go-to side dish for summer! Sound so full of flavor and super easy to make in an Instant Pot.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        May 31, 2018 at 4:51 pm

        It's super easy to make! Thanks, Jen. 🙂

    6. Anna says

      May 30, 2018 at 9:02 pm

      Loving this pasta salad idea for summer! So easy made in the IP!

      Reply
    7. Amanda says

      May 30, 2018 at 5:28 pm

      This was such an amazing dish everyone loved it !!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        May 31, 2018 at 4:51 pm

        So glad to hear you liked it! Thanks! 🙂

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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