Esquites, aka Mexican Street Corn Salad, is a fresh and easy side dish that pairs well with any summer dinner. Full of craveable flavors and crispy-crunchy textures, it will steal the show at dinnertime!
Corn is to Iowa as flat roads are to Nebraska. PLENTIFUL!
Just a little good-natured, Midwestern ribbing for you. 😉
That is to say, local sweet corn is exploding out of our grocery stores and farmer’s markets and to celebrate, I turned a few ears into a dish I’ve been wanting to develop for years – Esquites, aka Mexican Street Corn Salad.
This fresh side dish highlights charred sweet corn plus a handful of other crispy, zesty ingredients tossed in light and creamy dressing. Full of intense flavor and texture, its the perfect pairing to any grilled summer dinner!
Esquites aka Mexican Street Corn Salad
Esquites, aka Mexican Street Corn Salad, is a popular Mexican-street food that combines corn kernels with mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, and cotija cheese served in a cup or bowl.
It’s creamy with a bigger emphasis on CRUNCH, and I love the flavor of charred sweet corn in contrast to the other fresh ingredients.
While my Iowa-based kitchen is miles away from the street vendors dotting Mexico, I love the commonalities between the ingredients typically found in authentic Esquites, and the one on my counter all summer long: fresh local sweet corn.
Main Ingredients Needed
Raid the farmer’s market or grocery store for the ingredients you’ll need for this easy side dish.
- Sweet corn: of course! You’ll need 4 regular-sized ears of sweet corn, or 5-6 if your ears are on the smaller side.
- Onions: both green onions and red onions provide crunch and a zesty flavor to the sweet corn salad.
- Jalapeno: for a little heat. Feel free to add more if you like.
- Cotija cheese: is a salty, firm, crumbly cheese that I just love. Be sure to read my tip below for how to easily crumble it up vs buying pre-crumbled.
- Cilantro: pairs very well with the other flavors in the dish.
- Mayonnaise and sour cream: form the base of the creamy dressing that’s drizzled over the salad.
- Chili powder: adds a hint of smokey flavor that compliments the grilled sweet corn.
Also, while my recipe doesn’t explicitly call for it because the salad can be served cold and I dislike this particular ingredient served cold – it is DELICIOUS with cooked and crumbled bacon sprinkled on top!
What to serve with Esquites
Since the base of Esquites is grilled corn, I like to pair it with a grilled protein since the grill is already on. That said, you can serve Esquites warm/room temp, or store it in the fridge and serve it cold later in the week.
Here are some great grilled recipes to pair with Mexican Street Corn Salad:
How to Make Esquites
Step 1: Grill the sweet corn.
Start by brushing four cobs of sweet corn with vegetable or canola oil then grill them over medium-high heat until the kernels are evenly charred, about 10 minutes, rotating the cobs every couple of minutes.
You can use a gas or charcoal grill, or cast iron grill pan on the stovetop as I’m showing here.
Transfer the grilled corn to a cutting board then slice the kernels off once they’re cool enough to handle using my go-to method shown in the video below.
Spoiler alert: put the bundt pan away!
Step 2: Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
Add the grilled corn kernels to a large mixing bowl with freshly crumbled cotija cheese, green onions, red onion, jalapeno, fresh cilantro, and garlic then mix with a spatula to combine.
I love Cacique Cotija cheese and urge you to use their fresh cotija vs buying a pre-crumbled canister which contains fillers and anti-caking agents. The taste of fresh is unmatched.
Recipe Tip
Add the entire wheel of cotija cheese to a ziplock bag then remove the air and seal. Squeeze the cheese with your hands – it should instantly crumble with nearly no effort.
Step 3: Make the dressing.
To a small mixing bowl, whisk together the juice of a lime, mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, and salt.
Pour the dressing over the sweet corn mixture then fold with a spatula until just combined. That’s all she wrote!
How to Serve and Store
Esquites is ready to scoop, serve and enjoy right away at room temperature. Alternatively you can scoop the salad into an airtight storage container for up to 3 days and serve it cold. Both ways are equally delicious.
However you serve it I hope you love every last bite of this fresh and flavor-packed Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe – enjoy!
More Fresh Side Dish Recipes
- 4 ears sweet corn, shucked, see notes
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 small red onion, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded then minced
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/2 cup fresh finely-crumbled cotija cheese
- small handful fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 lime
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Brush the corn cobs with vegetable oil then grill them on a gas, charcoal, or grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat until the kernels are evenly charred, ~10 minutes, rotating the cobs as they cook. Once the ears are cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob.
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Measure out 3 cups of charred sweet corn kernels then add them to a large mixing bowl with the green onions, red onion, jalapeno, garlic, cotija cheese, and cilantro then stir with a spatula to combine.
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To a small bowl add the juice of the lime, mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, and salt then whisk to combine. Pour over the sweet corn mixture then stir to coat. Scoop the salad into bowls or onto plates then serve. Alternatively you can refrigerate for up to 3 days then serve cold.
- A standard-sized ear of sweet corn typically yields ~3/4 cup kernels. If your ears of sweet corn are on the smaller side, use 5 or 6 ears to equal 3 cups of sweet corn kernels.
- I love this dish served with cooked and crumbled bacon on top!
Calories: 165kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 412mg, Potassium: 220mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 366IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 78mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
