Mexican Street Corn Salad, also commonly known as Esquites or Elote Salad, is a wonderful Mexican side dish. It is made with fresh grilled corn, coated in a tangy mayo and sour cream sauce, then mixed with cilantro and a tangy cheese like Cotija or feta. When you need a side dish for a Mexican dinner that isn’t beans and rice, this is the perfect recipe! It also makes a great appetizer with tortilla chips.
This dish was created as an easier way to eat Elote, which is a delicious Mexican street food. Corn on the cob is coated with mayo cream sauce, chili powder, lime and cheese. All these flavors are “deconstructed” and used in this Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe.
RELATED: Corn Salsa
Jump to:
- Why Youโll Love this Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
- Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad Ingredients
- Mexican Esquites Step by Step Picture Instructions
- Serving Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Variations
- Storing
- Street Corn Salad Recipe FAQs
- More Mexican Side Dishes
- Did you make this recipe?
- How to Make Esquites
- Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
- Uses sweet corn with lightly charred flavor for that authentic street corn taste
- Perfect balance of creamy, tangy, salty, and spicy in every bite
- Fresh lime juice keeps it bright and not heavy
- Cotija adds real flavor (not just saltiness)
- Not overly mayo-heavy like some versions
- Tastes just as good cold or room temperature
- Feels special but uses easy-to-find ingredients
Easy Mexican Street Corn Salad Ingredients
This is the perfect dish to make when sweet corn is in season! Here are the ingredients you need to make Mexican Street Corn Salad:
- Corn on the cob – if you can find sweet corn on the cob, that is the best option! If not you can use frozen corn and sautรฉ it in a pan until the edges start to darken.
- Cilantro – this is a classic herb used in a lot of cuisines across the world, including Mexican food. Cilantro adds a fresh herbaceous flavor to this dish.
- Cheese – Traditionally Cotija cheese is used in esquites. It can be a very strong cheese and isn’t necessarily available in all grocery stores. You can sub crumbled feta cheese as well. If you prefer something MUCH milder, try using a queso fresco.
- Lime – fresh lime juice balances and enhances all the flavors.
- Mayonnaise – mayonnaise is what is traditionally smeared on corn when making Elote. So it is the perfect base to use in the sauce for Street Corn Salad.
- Sour Cream – cuts the flavor of the mayo and adds creaminess to the dressing.
- Chipotle Pepper Chili Powder – this is a smokier version of traditional chili powder. If you cannot find it, just sub all chili powder!
- Garlic – Yum.
- Sugar – Balances all the flavors in the dressing.
Mexican Esquites Step by Step Picture Instructions
You can also pop over to Pinterest and watch Susie make this Mexican Street Corn Salad on a 30 min Pin TV Episode!
- Grill Corn
- Cut corn from the cob
- Lay the corn on it’s side and use a large sharp knife to cut the corn on each side, rotating it about 4-5 times.
- Use a bundt pan to stand the corn up in the center hole, the corn will fall down into the bundt pan. We use this method when we make Creamed Corn. See photo:
- Mix the dressing
- Toss the salad
- Serve
Grill the corn over medium heat until some of the kernels start to brown.
If you can’t get the grill out (or don’t feel like doing it. LOL) you can also “grill” it on the stove top. See below- I used my grill pan and just rotated the corn until it starts to brown.
**if corn on the cob is out of season, just use frozen corn and pan fry it until some kernels start to blacken.
Once the corn cooled slightly, cut the corn kernels from the cob. There are two great ways to do this:
In a bowl mix together all the dressing ingredients. I like to use a whisk so everything gets incorporated and there are no lumps of sour cream.
Mix the grilled corn with the salad dressing. Then add in cilantro and cheese. Give it a taste and add another squeeze of lime juice and salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish the dish with a sprinkle of chili powder and extra cheese. Can be served warm, room temp or cold.
Serving Mexican Street Corn Salad
Now that your Street Corn Salad is ready, there are loads of ways you can serve it:
- Enjoy the salad as a side dish alongside classic Mexican favorites like tacos, enchiladas, or grilled meats.
- Serve it as a light lunch or dinner by pairing it with a protein of your choice, such as grilled chicken or shrimp.
- Top a Mexican Salad with a large scoop of this Esquites
- Use it as a filling for soft tortillas to create flavorful street corn tacos.
- Eat the street corn salad as a dip with tortilla chips or Frito scoops.
- Use like a salsa, as a condiment for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas.
Here are some great Mexican dishes to serve with your Mexican Street Corn Salad. Click any link to be redirected to the full recipe:
Variations
- For an extra layer of flavor, add diced tomatoes, diced red onion or roasted red bell peppers to the salad.
- Add some jalapeno for a little spice and flavor.
- Give the salad a spicy kick by drizzling some hot sauce or sprinkling cayenne pepper on top.
- For added crunch, consider tossing in some roasted pumpkin seeds.
Storing
Store leftover Esquites in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you are making it ahead, keep the sauce and garnishes separate until you are ready to serve.
Street Corn Salad Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen corn works well in this recipe. Thaw it completely and pat it dry before charring it in a skillet to get a little color and flavor. Or if you can find frozen fire roasted corn that is a great option (Trader Joe’s).
You can however it wouldn’t be my first choice. I would opt for frozen corn as the best alternative.
Yes, this is a great make ahead salad or side dish. You can prepare it up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. For the freshest flavor, add extra lime juice, cheese, and cilantro just before serving.
If cotija isn't available, feta cheese is the best substitute. It has a similar crumbly texture and salty bite. Queso fresco can also be used here, it just won’t have the tang that Cotija or Feta will have.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, street corn salad will keep well for 3 days. After that, the texture starts to soften and it will possibly become watery.
More Mexican Side Dishes
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How to Make Esquites
Ingredients
- 6-8 ears of corn - shucked - you will need 4 cups of corn (see note #1)
- 3 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. Sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 Garlic clove - minced
- ยฝ tsp. Kosher salt
- ยผ tsp. Sugar
- ยพ tsp. Chili powder
- ยฝ tsp. Chipotle chili pepper powder
- ยผ cup Cilantro - chopped
- ยฝ cup Feta cheese - crumbled or Cotija cheese
Instructions
- Grill the corn turning every 30 seconds or so until it is charred in spots and bright yellow (about 5-10 minutes depending on the temp of your grill).If you don't have a grill you can pan fry the corn until it is charred in some spots. I have used my grill pan for this multiple times.6-8 ears of corn - shucked
- Set aside to cool and then cut the kernels of corn off of the cob.Lay the corn on it's side and use a large sharp knife to cut the corn on each side, rotating it about 4-5 times.Or use a bundt pan to stand the corn up in the center hole, the corn will fall down into the bundt pan. See photo:
- To make the dressing: In a medium sized bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, salt, sugar, chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Stir to combine.*if you don't have chipotle chili powder just use all regular chili powder.3 tablespoon Mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp. Sour cream, 1 tablespoon Fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 Garlic clove - minced, ยฝ tsp. Kosher salt, ยผ tsp. Sugar, ยพ tsp. Chili powder, ยฝ tsp. Chipotle chili pepper powder
- Add in the 4 cups of charred corn and lightly toss to combine.
- Add in the cilantro and the cheese and give a quick stir. Taste to check seasonings and add another squeeze of lime juice and salt and pepper if needed.ยผ cup Cilantro - chopped, ยฝ cup Feta cheese - crumbled or Cotija cheese
- Serve warm, at room temp., or cold.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- If corn on the cob is out of season, just use frozen corn and pan fry it until some kernels start to blacken.
Elizabeth says
I want to take this on a camping trip. If I made it ahead, how long do you think it could stay refrigerated for before serving?
Susie Weinrich says
I would say 3 days. I would keep the cheese and cilantro in a separate baggie, then sprinkle them in before serving. Have a great camping trip!
Melissa Torres says
We love this Mexican street food but I don’t love the mess of eating it. This is the way to enjoy it! We didn’t have mayo on hand so used miracle whip and it was just as tasty.
Lo says
The combo of mayo and sour cream is SO good. We eat so much sweet corn in the summer but this is now my go-to recipe for esquites. The perfect side dish and leftovers make a great lunch the next day with leftover shrimp. Thanks!