Mexican Street Corn Salad
Our Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe (also known as Esquites) is packed with fresh flavors and crumbly cotija cheese! This is the perfect side dish that turns the classic Mexican street food into a delicious, easy-to-make salad!
Next, try our Award-winning Roasted Tomato Salsa!
One of our most popular recipes is this elote in a bowl, also known as Esquites, is Our Mexican Street Corn Salad! It’s everything you love about the classic street food, but easier to eat, simple to make, colorful, flavorful, and so fresh. What else could you ask for in a salad?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This healthy, nutritious side salad has become one of our most made and reader loved recipes for a few simple reasons.
- It’s easy to make and great to make in advance!
- The flavors are fresh, bright, and complementary.
- This salad is vegetarian and gluten-free, making it a great option to bring to a group gathering or potluck.
- Well over 600 people have made it and rated it 5 stars!
Ingredients Needed
What makes this esquites the ultimate vegetarian veggie-packed side? All of the fresh vegetables!
- Corn – Fresh, Canned, or Frozen Corn will work for this dish. In the summer, fresh off the cob is our choice, but it’s just as delicious with canned or frozen!
- Red Onion – Red is best bc of the color and sharp, sweet flavor, but white or yellow will also work if that’s all you have.
- Jalapeno – This adds just the right amount of heat.
- Red Pepper – This adds great color, a sweet crunch, and just a little more nutrition.
- Fresh Cilantro – Key to adding that fresh herbal finish!
What ties it all together? The creamy flavor-packed dressing.
- Sour Cream – We love the creamy tang this adds.
- Mayonnaise – Did you know you can make your own Mayonnaise From Scratch?
- Salt, Paprika, Cumin, Chili Powder – Just the right amount of seasoning!
- Fresh Lime Juice – The bright acidity to tie it all together.
- Cotija Cheese – A key component to any street corn recipe!
Customizable!
Our Mexican Street Corn Salad is totally customizable. Like it cheesier? Add more cheese. Want a little more heat? Add a touch more chili powder or jalapeno. Want it creamier? Up the mayo and sour cream! It’s easy to work with your (or your guests’) tastes to make it your own.
Recipe Video
Step-by-Step Instructions
A key step that really elevates the flavor of this salad is giving the corn and jalapeno a quick char by pan-frying it. It adds so much great flavor to that corn by mimicking what you would get on the grill from classic Mexican Street Corn. Once the corn and jalapeno are charred, add all your fresh veggies to a large bowl.
Then mix all of your dressing ingredients (except the cheese) in another bowl. This is where you can stop and refrigerate everything for a day or two for an (even easier) side to whip together when needed!
About an hour before you’re ready to serve, mix the dressing with the veggies and half of the cheese, and give a good mix. Finally, add the rest of the cheese on top with some more fresh cilantro and serve!
Mexican Street Corn Salad, done! This recipe has been a hit since I first made this on a girls’ trip to the beach for a taco bar and when my then 3 year oldabsolutely inhaled it. Thumbs up from 15 diverse women AND a 3-year-old? Yup; it’s a keeper. Check out all of our other delicious side salads here!
Other Mexican-Inspired Dishes
- Mexican Corn Ribs
- Easy Homemade Mexican Rice
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos
- Elote Skillet Pasta
- Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Corn Tortillas From Scratch
- Turkey Taco Cups
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
- Refried Beans From Scratch
Recipe Tips
It is a delicious, salty, crumbly Mexican cheese from cow’s milk.
Totally! Parmesan, Romano, or feta are great substitutes (but Cotija is definitely the best).
No, not necessarily, but it really does make a difference in the flavor.
This salad is great to make ahead. Prep the veggies and the dressing and store them separately and assemble when you’re ready to serve!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Equipment
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
- Char corn: Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium-high and add corn and diced jalapeno. Cook until slightly charred, approximately 7-10 minutes. Add to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add veggies: Add red pepper, onion, and cilantro to a large bowl with charred corn and mix well.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and mix well until smooth.
- Assemble Salad: Add the dressing to the large bowl with the corn and mix well. Add 1/2 cotija cheese and mix well.
- Finish: Add the remaining cheese and some additional cilantro.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! We had extra grilled corn on the cob left from Sunday dinner, and this was the perfect use for it.
Will this still be just as delicious if I don’t have sour cream on hand?
Not quite as good, but even with all mayo it’s still delicious!
This recipe is so easy, and it is absolutely delicious!!! I have made it a couple of times, and my family loves it.
This salad has become my kids favorite thing to eat! Anytime we have anything remotely Mexican they want this salad. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
That’s so great to hear, Jeanna!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Can you use Tajin?
Totally!
Do you cook the onion and red pepper and jalapeño or just add it in raw?
Just add it in raw 🙂
If I’m using fresh corn off the cob do I need to cook the corn before throwing it on a pan to sauté it? Or is just sautéing them enough for them to soften up for eating?
Hi Molly! Just sauteeing it in the pan will do the trick! Enjoy!
This dish is delicious! My husband said it is now one of his favorite salads. I will definitely be making this again. Great side dish for our fish tacos.
Driving through Indiana back to Milwaukee saw a guy selling corn on the side of the road. He gave me 25 wars. I’m sooo excited to try it in this recipe today!
That sounds amazing!! I’m so envious of how amazing that fresh corn is going to be in this! Enjoy 😊
Do I do anything to the corn beforehand or just slice it off the cob and start cooking?
Thanks!
Nope, just slice and saute! Or you could grill the whole cob and then slice it off the cob!
Excited to make this! I see you talking about fresh vs frozen corn… what about canned corn? Does that make a difference? 🙂 Looks delicious!
Canned corn works great, too! Enjoy!!
I have 30 coming to a party. Should I double or triple the recipe?
Triple!
This is SOOO good! Greatly appreciate all you chefs online that take time to post great recipes. Bringing this to 4th of July festivities and I’ve gotta say, feeling pretty damn smooth in my kitchen right now because I know I’m bringing the best dish to the party. Thanks for making me look good!
So good to hear, Meredith! Enjoy!! By tomorrow it may need a little refresh with some extra sauce to make it a little creamier and topped with some extra cheese, but so glad to hear you love it and I’m sure everyone else will, too!
OMG!!!! Made for a dinner party tonight… good thing I made a double batch because I can’t stop “tasting” it :). I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to lighten it up a bit and added some smoked paprika to the regular which gave my frozen pan fried corn that Smokey taste! So delicious
So great to hear, Tracie!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Great idea with the smoked paprika!
A BIG hit!! This just went to the top of our favorite salad list!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this and it was amazing. I decided to only use half of the lime (2 Tbs) in the dressing because I’m not a huge lime fan, and it was the perfect amount for me! I definitely will be making this many times this summer!
Great to hear, Catherine! So glad you enjoyed it.
Can this be made a day in advance?
Definitely! Prep the dressing and set aside and then prep the corn with everything else except the cheese and store in the fridge. Right before you’re ready to serve, toss with the dressing and the cheese! Enjoy!
If I’m making this with frozen corn, should I thaw it before charring? Thx!
Yup! Doesn’t have to be fully thawed but at least mostly. Enjoy!