This Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe, also known as Esquites, includes corn kernels coated in a creamy, sweet, tangy, smoky dressing, then topped with salty cotjita cheese. It’s so easy to make and off the charts delicious. If you love authentic Mexican Street Corn on the cob, then you will love this side salad version. Great for summer potlucks or year round using fresh or frozen corn.
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Corn on the cob is such quintessential summer food and the minute I see it roll into grocery stores, I get so excited! My entire family loves it. When my kids were younger with braces though, we had to improvise for awhile. That’s where this Mexican Street Corn Salad, also known as Esquites, came into play. It’s basically Mexican Street Corn deconstructed into a salad, served in a bowl.
Mexican Corn Salad is so simple and delicious. Plus colorful and pretty! A combination of sweet mayonnaise, salty cheese, tangy lime, and smoky seasonings make the dressing crazy tasty. It gives this salad that Mexican street corn style flavor without all the mess of eating off a cob.
And even though this dish is aligned with summer, using frozen corn allows you to make it year round, and trust me, you’ll want to make it all the time!
What is Esquites?
Esquites, literally means “little corn cup,” which is corn that’s sautéed in butter with onion, chilies, and salt. It gets nice and charred, then served in a cup with a variety of toppings, like lime juice, hot sauce, mayo, and chili powder. It’s smoky, sweet, spicy, tangy, and amazing. If you love Mexican Street Corn (elote), you will go crazy for this salad version.
Ingredients Needed
You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to make this Esquites recipe including corn kernels, Mexican crema, and cotija cheese.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Corn – Fresh corn is my preference for this salad, but you can use frozen (thawed) or canned (drained), when corn is not in season. You’ll need 4 ears of corn (3-4 cups kernels)
- Vegetable Oil – A little to sauté the corn. Olive oil may also be used.
- Mexican Crema – This is a thickened cream, with a tangy flavor. If you can’t find it, sour cream is a great substitute.
- Mayonnaise – Mexican Street Corn is usually rolled in this, which makes all the spices adhere to the cob.
- Veggies – Diced red onion, minced jalapeno pepper, and fresh grated garlic.
- Cotija Cheese – This is the Mexican version of feta cheese, but a little less salty. It’s usually located near the chilled Latin foods or specialty cheeses, but feta is a great alternative, if you can’t find it.
- Cilantro – This herb is a staple in Mexican cuisine and fits in this salad perfectly. If you don’t like it, you can use parsley instead.
- Lime Juice – Fresh lime juice is the way to go here.
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper season the salad and take this dish to level 10.
How to Make Esquites
Making this mexican street corn salad recipe is so easy in just a few simple steps.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Sauté the corn. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in the corn kernels; cook for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times, until lightly charred. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, grated garlic, lime juice, and all the seasonings.
- Combine ingredients. Add the dressing to the bowl with the cooled corn along with the crumbled cotija cheese, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and minced jalapeño pepper. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine and coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Use any corn. Yellow or white corn kernels can be used. Fresh corn is my preference for this salad, but you can use frozen (thawed) or canned (drained), when corn is not in season.
- Sauté or grill the corn kernels. Cutting the kernels off the cob and then cooking them over high heat in a pan gives them a nice char, without needing to use a grill. But grilling your corn (and then removing the kernels after) definitely ads another level of flavor to this salad. Either way is delicious, though!
- Substitute for Mexican Crema. This is a thickened cream, with a tangy flavor. If you can’t find it, sour cream is a great substitute.
- Substitute for Cotija Cheese. This is the Mexican version of feta cheese, but a little less salty. If you can’t find it, you can use feta.
- Is Mexican Street Corn Salad served cold? This salad is typically served warm, but it is also good at room temperature or even cold.
Video: Mexican Street Corn Salad
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this corn salad by itself or it pairs wonderfully with so many dishes. Some of our favorites include grilled chicken, baked chicken taquitos, chicken chorizo meatballs, and classic chile rellenos. Don’t forget to wash it down with some horchata!
Proper Storage
- Can you make Mexican Street Corn Salad ahead of time? You can, but it’s best served right away while the corn is still warm coated in the dressing.
- Storing leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing this dish is not recommended.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 ears fresh corn , shucked, kernels removed (about 3-4 cups fresh corn kernels)
- 3 tablespoons Mexican Crema
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic , grated on a Microplane grater (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh juice from 2 limes
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- coarse salt and pepper , to taste
- 2 ounces (1/4 cup) Cotija cheese , finely crumbled
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves , finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper , seeded and stemmed, minced
Instructions
- Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add in the corn kernels; cook for about 5 minutes, tossing a few times, until lightly charred. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add dressing to the bowl with the cooled corn along with the cotija cheese, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold to combine and coat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
yumyum. flavorful and a great compliment to any summertime meal
Great recipe! Very good cold as well.
Looooove this dip! It was a huge hit when I made it. Question?? Can I make it ahead and then heat it back up when serving the next day? Last time I made it I served it right away.
I’m addicted to this recipe! I’ve made it several times with fresh or frozen and it never disappoints. It’s a crowd pleaser!!
This was DELICIOUS!!
This recipe was delicious! Both my husband and I really enjoyed it. I used the suggested substitute of sour cream and feta cheese. We put the corn salad in toasted wraps and I added bacon pieces to the mix and it took it up a notch. We will definitely make this again.
DELISH!
My husband said don’t lose that recipe.
Can you use frozen corn instead? If you use fresh and do the pan fry do you cut the corn off the cob raw?
Hi Debi – yes, you would pan fry the kernels raw. I would not recommend frozen corn for this recipe, but you could try it. Make sure it’s completely thawed and dry.
Thank you for the recipes, just in time for Cinco de Mayo! I know I can safely pins your recipes for later use!
Wow, so good