Mexican Corn Salad

Why We ❤️ This Esquites Recipe

August sweet corn is a way of life here in the Midwest. Our family definitely indulges in it, picking up fresh ears from local farms and farmers markets a couple times a week. And while we adore good old-fashioned boiled corn on the cob slathered with butter (if you go to the Minnesota State Fair, you know what I mean – that corn on the cob stand is crazzzy!), I also like to make sweet corn relish, irresistible creamed corn, and super simple shrimp & corn chowder. Here’s why we like this Mexican street corn salad (aka esquites) recipe:

• Fun mix of flavor & texture. This is a bowl of contrast, where crunchy veggies meet a creamy sauce and soft, crumbly cheese. And the flavor! It’s fresh, earthy, smoky, sweet, spicy, and tangy. I love it all!
• Versatile. This is a fantastic side dish with grilled meat. You can also spoon it over carnitas tacos and burrito bowls. Or serve it more like a dip with pulled pork nachos, plus sides of guacamole and easy restaurant style salsa.
• Easy. While the corn grills, quickly prep the rest of the ingredients and make the dressing. Once you pull the corn off the grill, you’ll have everything ready to go, making this one of the easiest side dishes around.

What Is Esquites?

Esquites is a corn salad that is popular street food in Mexico.

It’s a variation of elote, which features whole cobs of corn that are slathered with mayo, seasoned with chili powder and fresh lime juice, and finished with a sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese.

Esquites features all the same ingredients and flavors, except the corn kernels are cut from the cob and thrown into a bowl to make a salad. You can serve this dish warm or cold – whatever you like.

Ingredient Notes

This easy-to-make salad is super fresh, comprised mostly of sweet corn kernels. A creamy, tangy dressing that’s flavored with spices common to Mexican cooking brings it all together. And salty, crumbly Cotija cheese gives an extra nod to Mexico.

• Sweet corn – For the best flavor and texture, use the freshest, most delicious sweet corn you can find.
• Bell pepper – I use red bell pepper but you could use a yellow, orange, or green bell pepper.
• Red onion – For added flavor and crunch. I also like the purple-red color it adds! Yellow or white onion work just fine, though.
• Jalapeño – Add more or less, depending on how much heat you prefer.
• Cilantro – If you don’t care for this herb, omit it or substitute with parsley.
• Cotija cheese – This soft, crumbly cheese is a staple in Mexican cooking. If you can’t find it, feta cheese would be my next choice.
• Sour cream – Use full-fat sour cream for the richest flavor and texture.
• Mayonnaise – This adds creamy, tangy flavor. If you’re a plain Greek yogurt fan, go ahead and sub that in – just know that the dressing won’t have quite the intended flavor.
• Lime juice – Use only freshly squeezed lime juice – it simply has the best flavor.
• Spices – A mix of cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder season the dressing simply and deliciously.
• Green onion – This is optional, if you’d like to sprinkle some over the salad right before serving.

Do I have to Use Fresh Corn?

Esquites is all about the fresh corn flavor and poppable texture, which you simply can’t get from frozen or canned corn. So yes, esquites does require fresh corn.

How to Make Mexican Corn Salad

I like to grill half the corn, then leave the other half uncooked for this recipe. Grilling gives an added smokiness to the salad, plus gives beautiful color. And the uncooked kernels offer super fresh pops of the purest, freshest sweet corn flavor and texture. It’s a wonderful mix!

Here’s how to make this salad:

1. Grill 4 ears of corn over high heat, until charred. Remove from grill and let cool.
2. Cut kernels from grilled corn and 4 uncooked ears of corn.
3. Fold together corn kernels, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and Cotija cheese in a large bowl.
4. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and salt.
5. Pour creamy sauce over corn mixture and fold to incorporate. Garnish with green onion if desired.

Tips & Variation Ideas

• Use the freshest corn. I’ve already talked about this, but it bears repeating – it’s VERY important to use the freshest, best sweet corn for this recipe! Farm stands and farmers markets are known for selling just-picked ears of corn. Also seek out grocery stores that sell local sweet corn – if you’re in the Twin Cities, Kowalski’s does a great job with sourcing locally grown corn.
• To grill, or not to grill? While this salad is known for it’s grilled char, you could skip the grilling if you like. I personally like to grill half the corn and leave half the corn uncooked for this recipe, which offers a fun mix of charred and super fresh flavor and texture.
• How I cut fresh corn: Here’s my method for cutting fresh corn: Place a cob of corn, small end facing up, in the center of a 9″ x 13″ cake pan. Then use a sharp serrated tomato knife to cut down the cob, from the top of the ear to the bottom. When cutting, saw back and forth very slightly with the knife as you go down the cob. Rotate the cob until all the kernels are in the bottom of the pan.
• Add more veggies. You could definitely throw in more bell peppers, plus vary the colors of peppers. Or add some chopped zucchini or halved cherry tomatoes.
• Adjust the spices & heat. You can definitely play with the ratio of dried spices in this esquites recipe, and alter the amount of jalapeño.

Serving Suggestions

Mexican corn salad is super versatile. Here are a few ways I like to serve it:

• Chicken. Serve esquites with grilled chicken recipes, such as honey mustard chicken kabobs, a similarly-flavored southwest salad with grilled chicken, and longtime reader favorite beer can chicken.
• Tacos. Make Mexican corn salad and serve it with tacos! Try grilled pork & pineapple tacos, blackened shrimp tacos, and mole pork tacos.
• Grilled meat. Keep dinner simple and go for the grill! Grilled corn salad is lovely with grilled meats like easy grilled pork chops, sugar grilled steaks, and honey mustard beef kabobs.
• Burrito bowls. Spoon this fresh corn salad over a burrito bowl for extra flavor and crunch. Some easy family favorites include carnitas burrito bowls and a sweet potato bowl or fajita bowl. It would also be great with my Tex-Mex scallop rice bowls!
• With dips. Serve Mexican corn salad as an appetizer rather than a side dish, with a buffet of chips and dips. Include creamy classic guacamole, a bowl of warm salsa, a fruity pineapple salsa, or fresh pico de gallo. For a cheesy dip, add queso fundido or super easy queso blanco.

How to Store Extras

• Store: If you have any leftovers, place the corn salad in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Serve: You can serve it cold, straight from the fridge. Or gently warm it in the microwave or on the stovetop.

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Aguachile
• Mexican Pizza
• Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
• Mexican Coffee