In other words, it is the salad version of those famous elotes you can find on the streets of Mexico, or in your home kitchen with my recipe for Mexican Street Corn. Can’t get enough? If you love this Elote salad recipe, be sure to also try our Elote Street Corn Dip and Mexican Street Corn Soup recipe. As a huge Mexican food lover, I could not resist the add this Mexican salad/salsa recipe into my collection of easy side dishes and salads.
What is Esquites?
The word “Esquites” means toasted corn. Esquites (Mexican street corn salad) is the salad form of elotes (Mexican Street Corn served on the cob). The salad version is made by removing corn from the kernel and mixing it with a creamy sauce usually flavored with chile powder, lime juice, and cilantro and then topped with Cotija, an aged Mexican cheese.
Ingredients
There are three sets off ingredients for this Mexican corn side dish:
How To Make Esquites (aka Elote Salad)
This recipe has 3 folds.
Step 1: Cook the corn
I find that the ideal way to cook corn is on the grill. However, I wanted this recipe to be one that you can make throughout the year. So, here are two of my favorite ways to cook the corn for this corn salad recipe.
How To Cook Corn On The Grill: To cook the corn on the grill, first prep your corn. Holding onto the ear of corn in the palm of your hand, simply pull back the husk, tie it with kitchen twine, and lightly brush it with oil (vegetable oil or a little bit of butter). Meanwhile, heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the corn, turning occasionally with a set of tongs until charred in spots. This happens rather quickly, about 2 minutes on each side, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and transfer to a large bowl to cool. How To Cook Corn In A Skillet: If the weather does not permit, you can cook the corn in a skillet. To do so, cut the corn kernels from the cob. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute the corn for 5-7 minutes, in batches if necessary (more on that later), turning occasionally, but also allowing some of the kernels to get a deep, brown char. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Step 2: Make The Dressing
Make the creamy corn salad dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust your seasonings as necessary.
Step 3: Assemble
Assemble the Mexican Sweet Corn Salad by tossing the dressing with the cooled, charred corn, then add the chopped jalapeno, onion, and cilantro, and gently toss to distribute evenly. Transfer to a large salad plate and garnish with crumbled Cotija cheese and more fresh cilantro!
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations:
Make it spicier and/or hot: You can add various spices such as smoked paprika, ground cumin, and ground coriander to the dressing to make it spicier. You can also add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce into the creamy sauce if you like it hot. Change up the fresh veggies: You can swap red onions (or Mexican Pickled Onions) with green onions. If you are not a fan of jalapenos, you can use bell peppers instead.
How To Serve & Store:
To Serve: I usually serve it as a salsa with tortilla chips and lime wedges on the side along with my 4-ingredient guacamole recipe. It also makes a delicious topping for my favorite, baked chicken breasts, flank steak tacos, and brisket tacos. To store leftovers: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Why should you make this recipe?
Other Mexican-Inspired Recipes You Might Like:
One Pan Mexican Quinoa Mexican Egg Casserole Chipotle Cashew Cream Mexican Chicken Quesadilla Chicken Thigh Nachos Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers Corn Tortilla – Made from scratch Need more inspiration? Check out all my Easy Mexican Recipes
Other Corn Side Dishes You Might Like:
Corn and Black Bean Salad Grilled Shrimp Salad with Corn and Avocado Texas Caviar Salad
If you try this Mexican Street Corn recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories. The more contact the corn kernels have with the skillet, the greater the amount of smoky, charred goodness. Even more so, the longer you leave the corn kernels in contact with the hot skillet, the more the sugars will caramelize, giving you a deep, dark char. And if done right, the kernels will start to pop! Covering the skillet prevents the kernels from popping out and the trapped steam ensures the corn kernels cook all the way through. This post was first published in May 2019, but updated with more information in April 2022 with no changes to the original recipe.
