🌽🥓 This Creamy Corn Salad Recipe is perfect for your next picnic, potluck, barbecue, or summer holiday, like 4th of July or Labor Day! Made with crispy bacon, jalapeño peppers, green onions, and plenty of shredded cheese, it will be a new favorite side dish and is ready in 15 minutes!
Creamy Corn Salad with Bacon
Who doesn’t love summer sweet corn? It’s a favorite in our house for sure and used in everything from my grilled corn and avocado salad to grilled corn and black bean salad, and this creamy corn salad!
- When corn is mixed into a creamy salad complete with Ranch dressing and crispy bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and jalapeno, it’s even better.
- Irresistibly creamy and full of crisp, smoky bacon, this salad is ready in 15 minutes!
Whether you want to serve this as a side dish for a weeknight family dinner, or bring it to a picnic or potluck, or make it for 4th of July or summer backyard barbecues, everyone will want seconds of this easy corn salad recipe.
Ingredients and Notes
To make this easy creamy corn and bacon salad recipe, you’ll need the following easy-to-find and very common fridge and pantry ingredients, including the following:
- Bacon: Use any type of bacon you like, from hickory-smoked to applewood. I use regular rather than thick-cut, but it’s up to you. I suppose you could use a plant-based bacon product, although I have not tried. Or, omit the bacon completely if desired.
- Corn: Fresh corn is best. See my tips below.
- Jalapeño: Make sure to remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno, whether you’re using all of it or half of it. If you aren’t a fan of heat but still want a bit of crunch, try swapping the jalapeño for red bell pepper or red onion instead
- Green onions or chives
- Mayonnaise: I recommend using real mayonnaise like Hellman’s Mayonnaise or Duke’s Real Mayonnaise, and not something like Miracle Whip or another type of “mayo”. I also recommend using full-fat mayonnaise and not a lite product. This is what gives this creamy corn and bacon salad a true creaminess that you can’t get otherwise.
- Sour cream: If you are really trying to reduce fat/calories, it’s possible that you could use a high-quality plain Greek yogurt (not regular) in place of the sour cream, but the results won’t be as flavorful or creamy.
- Ranch dressing
- Shredded cheddar cheese: I use shredded cheddar cheese; however, you could use a shredded cheddar blend, a shredded Mexican cheese blend, Pepper Jack, Monterrey Jack, or whatever type of shredded cheese you have on hand that sounds good.
- Lime juice
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add a dash of smoked paprika for extra warmth, too.
- Fresh parsley, for garnishing
Note: All ingredients amounts are listed in the recipe card section when you keep scrolling down.
The Best Corn for Creamy Corn Salad
For this easy bacon corn salad with jalapeno, you’ve got 5 options, the way I see it.
The options are listed in order of what I prefer to do or use with grilled fresh sweet corn as my top choice, and canned corn being my least favorite option.
Although even if you do use canned corn, it’s mixed into the lovely creamy sauce, which helps “doctor it up”.
- Grill fresh corn on the cob, slice it from the ear, and use it. Lightly charred corn is my weakness, and this is my favorite way to make this salad. Follow how I suggest grilling corn in my Grilled Mexican Corn (Elote) recipe if you are unsure.
- Boil fresh sweet corn, slice the corn kernels, and use them.
- Use fresh sweet corn without grilling or boiling it, slice it from the ear, and use it. This only works if corn is super fresh and super in-season, i.e. July or August in most parts of the US.
- Use frozen corn. Allow it to thaw, drain it, then use it. You can use “char-grilled corn” or whatever flavor variation of frozen corn that you like.
- Use canned corn. Rinse and drain it, then use it.
How to Make Creamy Corn Salad
It truly does not get any easier than this simple corn salad recipe!
Step 1: Cook the bacon, drain it, and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to blot the grease. I like to dice my bacon first, then fry it because it’s a bit quicker.
Step 2: While the bacon is cooking, add all the remaining ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
Step 3: Add the bacon and stir. Reserve a few bits for garnishing.
Step 4: Cover and chill for about 1 hour in the fridge. You can make this recipe up to 24 hours in advance, and leave it to chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it. Just give it a quick stir to redistribute the ingredients, and you won’t have any issues with it becoming soggy. Keep in mind that the longer the bacon sits in the corn mixture, the less crispy it will be
Step 5: Garnish with parsley, the reserved bacon, and serve!
What to Serve with Creamy Corn Salad
Creamy Corn Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw bacon, about 12 strips, diced into bacon bits
- 3 cups corn*
- 1 jalapeño, seeded; diced very finely**
- ¼ cup green onions or chives, diced into thin rounds
- ¼ cup real, full-fat mayonnaise
- ¼ cup real, full-fat sour cream (full-fat Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- Juice from 1 large lime
- Fresh parsley, for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the bacon, and cook over medium to medium-high heat to render out the bacon fat.
- While the bacon is cooking, to a large bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and stir to combine.
- After the bacon has cooked and is as crispy as desired (about 10 minutes), remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, and place them on a paper towel-lined plate momentarily to blot the grease. Discard the bacon grease or save for another use.
- Add almost all of the bacon o the bowl with all the other ingredients and stir to combine. Tip – Reserve a few bacon bits for garnishing.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Tip – You can make this recipe ahead of time, up to about 12 to 24 hours before you plan to serve it. Any longer isn't a good idea because the creamy sauce will thin out too much as it sits.
- Garnish as desired with the reserved bacon bits, fresh parsley, and serve.
- Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days, noting that as it sits, the dressing will get more soupy and thin out, which is unavoidable. I don't recommend freezing this salad.
Notes
- Grill fresh corn on the cob, slice it from the ear, and use it. Lightly charred corn is my weakness and this is my favorite way to make this salad. Follow how I suggest to grill corn in my Grilled Mexican Corn (Elote) recipe if you are unsure.
- Boil fresh sweet corn, slice the corn kernels, and use it.
- Use fresh sweet corn without grilling or boiling it, slice it from the ear, and use it. This only works if corn is super fresh and super in-season, i.e. July or August in most parts of the US.
- Use frozen corn. Allow it to thaw, drain it, then use it. You can use “char-grilled corn” or whatever flavor variation of frozen corn that you like.
- Use canned corn. Rinse and drain it, then use it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Easy Corn Salad Recipes:
Creamy Corn and Zucchini Salad — A healthy EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and so flavorful! Corn, zucchini, cilantro, queso fresco, and more are tossed in a DELISH creamy lime sauce!
Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad – An EASY and HEALTHY salad that’s ready in 10 minutes and you won’t be able to stop eating it! Juicy corn, creamy avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice is a FIESTA in your mouth!
Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad – An EASY Mexican-inspired corn salad with black beans, zucchini, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, and more!
Mango Chickpea Corn Salad — An EASY salad that’s ready in 5 minutes, HEALTHY, and full of Mexican-inspired flavors!! Great as a meatless lunch, dinner side dish, or for picnics and potlucks.
Mexican Bean Salad — Such a fast and easy recipe to make! Plus, it’s loaded with flavor and textures galore. Two kinds of beans, juicy corn and tomatoes, crisp peppers, and green onions are tossed in a lime-chili-cumin vinaigrette that’s perfectly light!
Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad – Tossed with a tangy cumin lime vinaigrette. It’s incredibly filling thanks to the beans and avocado, and can easily be packed for lunch.
Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad – An EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and you won’t be able to stop eating it! Tender chicken, juicy corn, crisp bell peppers and tomatoes, creamy avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice for the WIN!
