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Home » Gluten free » Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican Street Corn Salad

November 10, 2019 by Tracy | Updated July 2, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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a bowl of corn salad topped with cheese and then mixed with Pinterest pin text.
bowl of corn cheese pepper and cilantro with a creamy dressing and Pinterest text.
bowl of corn cheese pepper and cilantro with a creamy dressing and Pinterest text.
a bowl of corn salad topped with cheese and a bowl mixed with a spoon held up and Pinterest pin text.
a bowl of mexican street corn salad topped with cheese and Pinterest pin text.
a big bowl of mexican street corn salad topped with cheese and Pinterest pin text.
a big bowl of mexican street corn salad topped with cheese and Pinterest pin text.

This Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe (also known as Esquites) is packed with fresh flavors and cotija cheese! This is the perfect side dish that turns the classic Mexican street food into a delicious and easy to make salad!

a bow of corn salad topped with shredded cheese.

Friends, meet my new FFS... No, not FF Sake. Favorite Freakin' Salad: Mexican Street Corn Salad. Mexican Street Corn Salad, meet your new friends. Colorful. Flavorful. Fresh. What else could you ask for in a salad?

Recipe Video

Ingredients Needed

fresh corn, red pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and onion on counter.

Fresh, that's the name of this salad. This salad is also known as an Esquites recipe, which is a Mexican corn salad.

Fresh or Frozen Corn? Well, there are benefits to each. You can get frozen any time of the year. Fresh is, well, fresh. Either will work for this dish. The most important piece is to be sure you add a little char to the corn from a nice pan fry. That'll add the necessary flavor to mimic the classic Street Corn.

mexican street corn salad dressing ingredients on counter.

What ties it all together? The dressing.

Also this is totally customizable. Like it cheesier? Add more cheese? Want a little more heat? Add a touch more chili powder? Want it creamier? Up the mayo and sour cream!

Did you know you can make your own Mayonnaise From Scratch?

Other Great Ways use Mayonnaise From Scratch

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Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Step-by-Step Instructions

a large bowl of diced tomatoes, onions, corn, and jalapeno.
  • The first thing that really is key to this salad and is what elevates this salad is a giving the corn a quick char by pan frying it.
  • Then add all your fresh veggies into a large bowl.
Mexican street corn salad dressing in a bowl next to mixed veggies.
  • Mix all of your dressing ingredients (except the cheese) into another bowl.
a bowl of corn salad with red pepper, cilantro, and shredded cheese.
  • And then finally mix the dressing with the veggies and half of the cheese and give a good mix.
a bowl of corn salad with red pepper, cilantro, and shredded cheese.
  • Finally, add the rest of the cheese on top with some more fresh cilantro and serve!

This Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe is such a hit; I recently made this on a girls trip to the beach for a taco bar night and it received rave reviews. Thumbs up from 15 diverse women AND a 3 year old? Yup; this one's a keeper.

Other Favorite Side Salads

Avocado Pasta Salad

Asian Cucumber Salad

Grilled Corn and Pepper Salad

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Other Mexican Inspired Dishes

Mexican Corn Ribs

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos 

Enchilada Skillet Pasta

Fresh Green Salsa From Scratch

Fresh Easy Pico de Gallo From Scratch

Fresh Spinach Guacamole

Corn Tortillas From Scratch

Crock Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos

FAQs

What is Cotija Cheese?

It is a delicious salty, crumbly, Mexican cheese from cow's milk.

Can I Substitute Another Cheese?

Totally! Parmesan, Romano, or feta are great substitutes (but Cotija is definitely the best).

Do I have to Char the Corn?

No, not necessarily, but it really does make a difference.

Not only did all the women of my girls' trip love this esquites recipe, but my toddler inhaled it. So if that isn't a glowing review, I'm not sure what else is!

By the way, if you loved this recipe, try out our Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos, too!

Enjoy, friends! Don't forget if you make this salad or any other recipes from the site, please be sure to let me know on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter. I love hearing from you!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican Street Corn Salad turns the classic Mexican street food into a delicious and easy to make side dish!


4.83 from 415 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 4 cups corn approximately 24 oz frozen
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro minced, a few leaves left for garnish.
  • 1 jalapeno diced
  • 1/2 large red onion diced
  • 2/3 cup cotija cheese shredded/crumbled

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice approximately 2 limes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium high and add corn. Cook until slightly charred, approximately 7-10 minutes. Add to large bowl and set aside.
  • Add pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, and onion to large bowl with corn and mix well.
  • In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and mix well until smooth.
  • Add dressing to large bowl with corn and mix well. Add 1/2 cotija cheese and mix well.
  • Add remaining cheese and some cilantro.
  • Serve or cover and store in fridge for up to 8 hrs before serving.

Notes

You can use fresh or frozen corn. Either will work for this dish. The most important piece is to be sure you add a little char to the corn from a nice pan fry. That'll add the necessary flavor to mimic the classic Street Corn.
Adjust the heat by adding more chili powder or tamper it down by using less jalapeno. 
Make it cheesier by adding more cheese.
Make it creamier by adding more mayo or less to make it less creamy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 915IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christy

    January 07, 2023 at 12:41 pm

    Hello! I forgot to buy limes, I have lemon juice. What do you think? Should I make the trip for limes?

    Reply
    • Tracy

      January 07, 2023 at 1:14 pm

      Hi Christy! I think you’ll be ok wish lemon juice as it’ll add the acidity, but be just a little different. Still good though!

      Reply
  2. Sherri

    November 13, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Can I make this dish a day ahead for a party that I need to take to? We leave Friday morning and the party is on Saturday.

    Reply
    • Tracy

      November 14, 2022 at 5:59 am

      Definitely. You can prep it all the day before and just add the cheese and cilantro before serving. Or sometimes I prep the veggies and dressing separately and just toss it all together right before serving, too. Either way, it'll be delicious!

      Reply
  3. Sarah a

    October 28, 2022 at 1:29 pm

    I used feta since the store didn't have any of the cheese mentioned above. It was so good! Also added tajin since I didn't have paprika or cumin

    Reply
    • Tracy

      October 29, 2022 at 7:38 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!

      Reply
  4. Chris

    October 22, 2022 at 6:44 pm

    Can I make this and then put it in a crockpot to serve later? I need this for a football banquet.

    Reply
    • Tracy

      October 22, 2022 at 7:25 pm

      Hi Chris! This salad is great cold. The only cooked portion is the corn and you want the other veggies raw/crunchy. I would prep all the veggies first and the dressing separate. Just toss it all together with the cheese and cilantro before serving. ☺️

      Reply
  5. Johnny Steinbecker

    October 13, 2022 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing meal. My daughter dropped corn on the couch, a lot of corn haha. It started smelling bad and I realized I needed to get an upholstery cleaning in penfield to remove the stains and smell. We now eat the meal in the kitchen together, but boy we love it. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  6. Kristen

    October 09, 2022 at 2:28 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe! I couldn’t find cotija so I used queso fresco and added a touch more salt. Freaking awesome!

    Reply
    • Tracy

      October 09, 2022 at 8:53 pm

      Sounds great, Kristen! So great to hear it, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  7. Debi Smith

    October 03, 2022 at 11:34 am

    Hi there. I want to try this but all I have in the house right now is canned corn….yellow sweet and shoepeg. Will canned work?

    Reply
    • Tracy

      October 03, 2022 at 11:35 am

      Yellow sweet definitely will! Enjoy! 😊

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Tracy!

Mom of two, lover of cheese, spinach, and replacing a box or jar of premade anything with a from scratch version. Here you'll find our whole foods recipes that'll add some easy, approachable from scratch flair to your cooking! Read More…

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