This Elote-inspired pasta salad is loaded with fresh corn, grilled chicken for protein, and tossed in a creamy, tangy, delicious dressing for a delicious meal prep lunch or quick dinner! It has all of the flavors of Mexican street corn, packed into a full meal.

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Creamy chicken salad with herbs and spices in a glass bowl, perfect for sandwiches or salads.

Until I had a baby a few months ago, I didn’t really appreciate the importance of meal prep. Now that my time is extra limited (especially for lunch), I’m all about making hearty, quick meals ahead of time so I always have something on hand!

Salads are my favorite thing to meal prep, since they’re a great way to get in some extra veggies, but sometimes you have to add something a bit more indulgent to the rotation. This Elote Pasta Salad is just that – it’s absolutely delicious and perfect for late summer! (If you have leftover corn, make mango corn salsa next.)

Most importantly, if you’re going to put a lot of time and effort into meal prep, make sure you have the best containers! A few years ago, we got rid of all of our mismatched containers and replaced them with Zwilling Fresh & Save vacuum seal containers. We’ve never looked back! They come in so many shapes and sizes, they’re easy to use, and they keep food fresh for up to 5x longer.

The Fresh & Save bowls are a new addition to the line up and they’re amazing for salads! No extra dishes to wash – just mix everything together right in the bowl, vacuum seal, and refrigerate.

Smart Food Storage Container with Food Preserver for Freshness - Crowded Kitchen.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Boil 16 ounces of your favorite short pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and let it cool. We’re using orecchiette, but other good choices would be ditalini, elbows, farfalle or fusilli.

We butterflied two chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled them before dicing into small pieces. You can use any leftover chicken or even chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken!

Slice the corn off the cobs (or just use frozen corn). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the corn and sauté for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat.

Golden cooked corn kernels in a black and yellow Staub skillet.

While the corn is cooking, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. You can use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream if preferred! Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Creamy hummus topped with paprika and olive oil in a rustic bowl, perfect for healthy snacks or appetizers.

Creamy cinnamon sauce in a rustic blue bowl for desserts or coffee recipes.

Once all of the components have been prepared, add them to a large bowl and mix everything together. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, feel free to sub with green onion.

Chopped cooked chicken, corn, fresh herbs, and grated cheese in a glass mixing bowl for a recipe.

Optional: top with more cotija, cilantro and some tajín. If you’re using Zwilling Fresh & Save bowls, this will stay fresh for up to a week!

Elote Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

Step-by-Step Instructions

📖 Recipe