Lime Cilantro Street-Corn Couscous
A fast, zesty couscous side with street-corn vibes, cotija, lime, and chili.
Prep: 5 · Cook: 10 · Total: 15 · Serves: 6 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.7/5 (166 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Elote-style flavors, transformed into a fast couscous side dish.
Story
Pull off the highway, grab a cup of street corn, and keep rolling. That is the energy here, except it is couscous, so it is done in minutes. You get lime, chili, salty cheese, and corn with a little char, all smashed together in one bowl. Make it for tacos night and watch it disappear.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup crumbled cotija or feta
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Bring broth (or water) to a boil in a small pot. Stir in butter and couscous, then cover and turn off the heat.
- Let couscous steam 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- In a skillet, warm the corn over medium-high until it gets a few browned spots, about 3 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix mayo, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and salt.
- Toss couscous with the corn and the lime-mayo mixture until coated.
- Fold in cotija and cilantro, then taste and add more lime if you want it punchier.
Chef Tips
- Browning the corn for a minute makes it taste like it came off a grill.
- Feta works if cotija is hard to find, just use a little less salt.
- This is great warm or chilled, it is a solid picnic side.
Cook's Notes
- **Corn:** A quick char gives you big flavor with almost no time.
- **Couscous:** Cover and let it steam, do not peek.
- **Serving:** Pairs with grilled meats, tacos, or rotisserie chicken.