If you love elote, this Mexican Street Corn Salad also known as Esquites, is about to become your go-to summer side! It’s creamy, smoky, tangy, and packed with bold flavor. But, without the mess of eating it off the cob.
In this post…
Why You’ll Love This RecipeIngredients neededHow to Make this Mexican street corn salad recipeRecipe TipsFrequently Asked QuestionsMore delicious Mexican inspired recipes to try:Mexican Street Corn Salad Esquites Recipe
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this Esquites!
My Mexican Street Corn recipe is one of THE most popular recipes on my blog, week after week. And as the summer is drawing near, even more people have been making it which makes me so happy to see!
So, I figured that it was finally time to share my OFF THE COB version of it! IT’S SO GOOD and maybe I even like it better than the original!? I dunno, they’re both VERY good 😀
While I love making this with freshly grilled ears of corn, I’ve been turning to cans of fire-roasted corn a lot more lately. Not only does it make the recipes a lot simpler, BUT good fresh corn can be hard to find where I live. Especially when it’s not peak summer months. So, use what you have and it’ll turn out great.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in about 20 minutes!
All the flavors of elote, way easier to eat
Perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and smoky
Great for BBQs, potlucks, and weeknight dinners
Easy to customize the spice level which we do often for our daughter!
Ingredients needed
The simple ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
Sweet Corn. I love using fresh corn that ‘s grilled for that signature smoky, charred corn flavor; frozen or canned can work in a pinch. I like to get the fire-roasted corn when getting canned corn.
Mexican crema (or sour cream). Mexican crema can be found at most grocery stores by the sour cream and it’s traditional to Street Corn. It’s sweeter and thinner than regular sour cream. If all else fails, sour cream or Greek yogurt can be substituted!
Mayonnaise. Gives that classic creamy elote texture!
Garlic. Fresh minced for the best flavor but garlic powder also works.
Lime juice + zest. Brightens everything and balances the richness.
Chipotle chili powder. Adds smoky heat; regular chili powder works too.
Bell pepper. Adds crunch and a subtle sweetness that I love. You could opt to leave this out as desired.
Jalapeño. For heat; remove seeds to keep it mild!
Cotija cheese. Salty and crumbly; feta cheese is a good substitute.
Cilantro. Fresh, herby finish (skip if you’re not a fan).
Optional onion. A little bit of either red onion or green onion.
How to Make this Mexican street corn salad recipe
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written Mexican corn salad recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you 🙂
In a large bowl, combine everything except the dressing ingredients including corn kernels, red bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and cotija. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the creamy dressing ingredients including: Mexican Crema (or sour cream, mayonnaise, chili powder, garlic, lime juice, and zest.
Pour the creamy sauce over top of the veggies and mix until thoroughly combined. Garnish with additional cilantro, cotija, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Get a good char on the corn 🌽 → this is where the flavor comes from!
Don’t skip the lime zest! It truly makes a big difference in this salad.
Let the corn cool slightly before mixing so the sauce doesn’t get watery. I’ve made this mistake several times.
Taste and adjust salt after adding cotija because it’s naturally VERY salty. You probably won’t need any additional salt.
Want it spicier? Add extra jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elote salad (also called esquites) is a Mexican street food-inspired dish made with corn, mayo, crema, lime, chili, and cheese. It’s served off the cob (typically in a small cup) instead of on it.
Yes! Just sauté or roast it first to get some char and deepen the flavor.
It can be either, but it’s most commonly served slightly warm or at room temperature.
Elote is corn on the cob, while esquites (or elote salad) is the same flavor profile served off the cob.
Love a good summer salad? You need to try our Mediterranean Dense Bean Salad recipe as well as our protein packed Edamame Salad and our Avocado Black Bean Salad!
More delicious Mexican inspired recipes to try:
Mexican Street Corn Salad Esquites
Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Notes
For the sour cream: Cacique makes a greatMexican sour cream and is my preferred brand that is widely available in the US. It’s a little thinner than regular sour cream HOWEVER regular sour cream will work as well in this recipe if that’s what you have
To cook the corn: You can also make this by cooking the corn in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray the husked corn on the cob with cooking spray and wrap in foil individually. Roast for 20-25 minutes
To store leftovers: store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days.
To make this VEGAN: to make this vegan simply swap the mayo and sour cream for vegan versions. For the cheese, I highly suggest using a vegan feta. I’ve made this recipe with Violife’s crumbled feta and it’s SO GOOD!
Nutrition
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