It's Cinco de Mayo week everyone! Of course that calls for a fiesta and plenty of delicious food. So grab a margarita and get comfy because some of my blogger friends and I have been cooking up a storm in preparation for the fiesta!
We love Mexican food in our house. Really I doubt much of what we have is very authentic at all. Maybe it's more Tex-Mex. Perhaps it's Mexican fusion? At the very least it's Mexican inspired. Yeah, we'll go with that!
I am not disciplined enough to actually follow through on a weekly food tradition, but if I was Taco Tuesday would be a strong contender. We all love them (and fajitas, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas and more!) MiMi sometimes does taco bars for family dinners too and that is always a hit.
So it was hard to narrow down what I wanted to share with you for #MexicanRecipes week. In the end, I decided to kick the week off with a flavorful side dish. As the weather is turning warmer, I have fresh produce on the brain. This is inspired by the street vendors who grill corn on the cob and do it up right. Of course we don't have fresh corn on the cob quite yet in the Midwest, but some frozen corn toasted in a hot skillet works almost as well!
This is perfect served alongside some tequila lime chicken (recipe coming soon) or would make a great take along for a picnic or potluck. You can make it ahead which is always a bonus too. I made a big batch and served it as a side for dinner. Then I stirred in some beans and leftover chicken for quick lunches at work during the week. It was great both ways!

Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearled barley
- 1 T bacon grease or vegetable oil
- 2 pounds frozen corn, defrosted
- 2-3 green onions
- 1 can green chilis
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 5 oz. queso fresco
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3 T lime juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Cook barley according to package directions, or bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add barley and return to a boil. Drop heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add corn in batches and and cook until there are dark brown bits. Remove the corn and keep toasting the corn until it has all taken a turn in the pan. Set aside.In a large bowl, stir together green onions, chilis, cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder and salt. Add barley and corn and stir to coat. Crumble queso fresco and stir into barley mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.Serve with additional cilantro and queso fresco if desired.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6-8 servingsHappy ##MexicanRecipes
Let’s have a fiesta of Cinco de Mayo inspired recipes all week long!
- Papusas de Queso from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Mexican Restaurant Rice from Palatable Pastime
- Enchiladas to Feed a Crowd from Tip Garden
- Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad from Cooking With Carlee
- Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
- Avocado Paletas (Mexican Avocado Ice Pops) from Caroline's Cooking
- Churro French Toast from Jolene's Recipe Journal
- Beef Tacos from Books n' Cooks
- Easy Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms, Mexican Style from Feeding Big
- One Pan Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Mexican Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas from All that's Jas
Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media.
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Great side dish for any Fiesta.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. I think so too!
DeleteThis sounds sooo good, Carlee! Barley is one of my favorite ingredients so I know I'd love this. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelsie! I used to really only use barley in soup, but I've been really liking experimenting with it in salads lately.
DeleteThis looks so good. We spent many years in the Southwest and love all Mexican foods. I would have never thought to add barley to a salad like this, but I think it is a great addition. You have listed so many wonderful ingredients that I know my family will love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cynthia! I have really been liking using barley in salads lately, so it seemed like the thing to do!
DeleteI have pearled barley sitting on my shelf, and leftover queso fresco from my cheesy spanish rice recipe! this will be perfect to surprise my family! can't wait!
ReplyDeletePerfect timing then! I hope you all love it!
DeleteI love the idea of barley in there - sounds tasty!
ReplyDeleteThank you, I've been loving playing with barley in salads lately so it seemed appropriate!
DeleteI adore this mixture of ingredients. 2 Summers ago I got into street corn recipes and this looks like the BEST one!!
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks Andrea! You are so sweet. We definitely enjoyed it.
DeleteI neeeeeeed to try this Carlee. Here in South Africa you can always find someone making mealies on the side of the road over an open fire. Sorry we call corn mealies ;-) and I can only imagine how delicious this salad must be. We're going to try it at our next braai.
ReplyDeleteI would love if we had food vendors like that here. And how funny that you call it mealies. I really enjoy hearing about those little differences ;-)
DeleteHi Carlee, this sounds like another interesting recipe. I am a big fan of both barley and sweetcorn (especially off the grill). It's a dish I would certainly try for a barbeque, but would have to make some substitutes for the queso fresco and cilantro (unless I can find someone who rows it. We shall see.
ReplyDeletexx
I would guess some feta would stand in nicely for the queso fresco. And it wouldn't be quite the same, but some parsley and chives would probably bring some of that herby flavor as well. That's be beauty of dishes like this, you can always improvise!
DeleteThis looks yummy! I had Mexican corn in a cup at a flea market one time and it was delicious! I will have to try this corn allergy or not.
ReplyDeleteAh! Not a corn allergy! We would be in big trouble if one of us developed that allergy.
DeleteHi Carlee, looking forward to seeing you over at Food on Friday: Rice & Grains. Cheers from Carole's chatter
ReplyDeleteThanks Carole!
DeleteCarlee, we love mexican around here too, whether it's traditional or inspired, any way you serve it, we love it. This looks so delish, love grilled corn, it enhances the flavor of the corn and makes it so good. I'm saving this, it would make a great side to a meal, sometimes we get tired of the same beans and rice sides! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe feel the same way. If it can (sometimes very) loosely be called Mexican, we are sure to scarf it down. I hope you guys enjoy this twist!
DeleteI love the addition of barley in this dish...it truly makes it unique and something I'd love to try!
ReplyDeleteThank you! We really liked the texture and it was a great way to stretch the flavor a bit!
DeleteThis recipe needs to be made asap! Seriously needing to try this!
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed it! My husband doesn't like pasta salads, so he was surprised that he liked it. Though he did like the asparagus barley salad too, so I'm not sure why he was so surprised!
DeleteI love the addition of the Barley to the Mexican Street Corn, a delicious salad! Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
ReplyDeleteCome Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Thanks, Miz Helen. I thought it was a great way to bulk it up and add a fun texture. xoxo
DeleteHi Carlee, haven't seen you for a while! Would love you to share this again with Food on Friday: September. Cheers from Carole's chatter
ReplyDeleteCarole, I am sorry it has been a while hasn't it. I need to mosey over your direction!
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