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!
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, 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.
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
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 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.
- Mix all of your dressing ingredients (except the cheese) into another bowl.
- And then finally 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!
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
Other Mexican Inspired Dishes
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos
Fresh Green Salsa From Scratch
Fresh Easy Pico de Gallo From Scratch
Crock Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos
FAQs
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.
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
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.
Crystal
My family loved this recipe! I will be making this again for taco night
Tracy
So great to hear, Crystal!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Lynn
We love this recipe so much. We've made it many times and brought it to lots of get togethers and it's always a hit. We saute the jalapeno with the corn, too. So SO good!
DJ
Made this a few times. Very tasty. Easy to make.
Tracy
That's great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing and taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
Kathy
I did not have quite enough corn so I put a can of black beans in. Maybe not quite street corn bur equally as tasty.
Chris
This looks amazing! I've like to use fresh corn on the cob. How many cobs would I use? Silly question I know lol 😀
Tracy
Hi Chris, not silly at all! 2 medium-sized ears of corn will yield about 1 cup so you would need about 8 for this recipe. Enjoy!! Let me know what you think 🙂
Gerhardt
This recipe is amazing and simple. I doubled the recipe and had to substitute cotija with feta. Made it for work a week ago and my boss has ordered me to make it every week. I work at the Ken's Corner Red Apple deli in Clinton on Whidbey Island. It sells quickly 🙂
Tracy
Oh my gosh I love to hear that! Please send a picture on my Instagram @servedfromscratch from your store and I’d love to share it and send folks out to you!
Deb
We had this with Birria tacos and really enjoyed it!! Had to improvise and use feta cheese. Our local grocery store had frozen peaches and cream corn with jalapeño which was great and made preparation faster. Charred the corn/jalapeño slightly when sautéing. Used smoked paprika and ancho chili powder, that’s what I had on hand. Very tasty, did not disappoint!! Thank you so much, such a great recipe!! Will definitely be making it again!!
Tracy
Oh yummmm! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much for sharing!!
Amy
Could I make this a day or two ahead of time?
Tracy
Yup! Although I would suggest keeping the veggies and dressing separate until up to a few hours before you’re ready to serve it.
Shawna
The best new recipe that I have found this summer. We made it over the weekend. The leftovers were great the next day. I am making another batch tonight.
Tracy
That is the best review this summer!! So glad you love it as much as we do, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Vicki
I’ve made this multiple times and it never ceases to impress! Thanks for a great site with so many inspirational links.
Tracy
Thank YOU so much, Vicki!
Mary Beth
So delicious and easy and goes with so many things as a change in a fun side dish.
Tracy
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Kristin
Silly question, but is this to be served cold or hot?
Tracy
Not silly at all! The corn is the only warm part though, so it’s mostly served cold. Enjoy!