Street Corn Salad
Mexican street corn salad (esquites) is charred corn kernels tossed with diced red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, lime juice, sour cream, Cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro. It tastes like elote off the cob – creamy, spicy, and totally delicious. Perfect for BBQs, taco night, potlucks, or when fresh corn is in season and you want to make something special. Ready in 20 minutes, serves 6-8 people using simple ingredients.
Mexican street corn salad is about to change the way you think about corn!
Also known as esquites or elote salad, this is all the flavors of grilled Mexican street corn but off the cob. Fresh or frozen corn gets charred in butter until it has that signature grilled look, then tossed with red onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, lime juice, sour cream, and salty Cotija cheese. It’s creamy, spicy, and totally addictive.
Elote is traditionally served on the cob with a stick or husks peeled down, topped with creamy dressing and cheese. Esquites is the same dish but the corn is stripped off the cob and served in a cup. You can eat it with a spoon like a well-mannered person, but I prefer it on the cob so it’s nice and messy!
This street corn salad is perfect as a side dish alongside BBQ, burgers, or pulled pork. Think about how delicious this would be with pork carnitas! I also love eating it as a main dish – it’s vegetarian and gluten-free.
More Street Corn Recipes
- Street Corn Wonton Cups – Crispy bites with elote topping
- Street Corn Empanadas – Flaky pastry pockets, Mexican flavors
- Street Corn Pasta Salad – Creamy with elote seasoning
- Black Bean and Corn Salad – Southwestern with lime dressing
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Corn Kernels – Use fresh, frozen, canned, grilled, or roasted. Frozen works great and chars beautifully!
Red Onion – Dice small for a bit of contrast. Substitute white or sweet onion in a pinch. Pickled red onions are a nice flavor contrast too!
Limes – Fresh lime juice and lime zest are best. Don’t skip the zest!
Bell Pepper – Red, yellow, or orange peppers add sweet crunch. Skip green – it’s too bitter for this.
Jalapeño – I prefer fresh but pickled jalapeños work too.
Sour Cream – Fat-free or reduced-fat work. Substitute plain Greek yogurt for tangier flavor.
Cotija Cheese – Salty and crumbly Mexican cheese. Substitute crumbled feta if you can’t find Cotija.
Butter – Unsalted butter for charring the corn. Olive oil works too.
Fresh Cilantro – Chopped for garnish. Skip if you don’t like it.
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How To Make Street Corn Salad
- Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add frozen corn and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until corn is cooked through and has charred look to it. Remove from skillet and place in a large bowl.
- Add diced red onion, fresh lime juice, lime zest, diced bell pepper, chopped cilantro, and diced jalapeño. Stir to combine. Add sour cream and Cotija cheese. Stir to combine completely. Serve immediately warm or chill and enjoy cold!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Serving
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If storing for later, leave out Cotija cheese until ready to serve so it keeps its texture.
Serve Hot or Cold: Esquites is traditionally served warm or hot, but I love it as a cold salad, especially for topping tacos or nachos!
Not Freezer-Friendly: Don’t freeze this. The sour cream and cheese won’t hold up well and it gets mushy and watery.
Best After Sitting: Let it sit in the fridge for an hour to allow flavors to fully combine before serving.
Variations
More Veggies: Add black beans, halved cherry tomatoes, or diced avocado.
Extra Spice: Add hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, Southwest seasoning, taco seasoning, or Tajín.
Different Cheese: Use Mexican cheese blend or queso fresco instead of Cotija. Feta works in a pinch.
In Pasta Salad: Mix with cooked pasta for Mexican pasta salad twist.
With Coleslaw: Mix with coleslaw for crunchy combo.
Grilled Corn: Use grilled fresh corn for deeper smoky flavor.
Roasted: Roast corn in the oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes instead of pan-charring.
More Corn Recipes:
- Corn Salsa – Spicy and fresh
- Frito Corn Salad – With Fritos and cheese
- Crockpot Corn Dip – Hands-off creamy party dip
- Corn Nuggets – Fried cornbread bites
Ways to Serve Street Corn Salad
- As a Side Dish – Next to BBQ, burgers, or carnitas.
- Taco Topping – Pile on street tacos
- Nacho Topping – Load on nachos
- With Tortilla Chips – Scoop like salsa
- In Wonton Cups – Fancy appetizer presentation. This is my favorite!
- In Empanadas – Stuff into pastry pockets
- On Salad – Add to green Fiesta salad
- Burrito Bowl – Mix into rice bowls
- With Quesadillas – Side for chicken quesadillas
- On Sheet Pan Fajitas – Fresh topping for sizzling fajitas
Frequently Asked Questions
Elote is Mexican street corn served on the cob with toppings. Esquites is the same flavors but corn is cut off the cob and served in a cup. Both are yummy and delicious!
Esquites is traditionally served warm or hot, but it’s also delicious as a cold salad! I love it cold for topping tacos or eating with chips.
Yes! Rinse canned corn well and drain completely before charring in the skillet.
Crumbled feta cheese is the best substitute. You can also use queso fresco or Mexican cheese blend.
Yes! Make up to 4 days ahead. Leave out the Cotija cheese until serving so it keeps its texture.
I don’t recommend it. The sour cream and cheese get watery and mushy when thawed.
Cook corn over medium-high heat without stirring too often. Let it sit and develop those charred spots before stirring.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Rinse canned corn fully before using. If using fresh, cook then cut kernels off the cob.
- Let corn sit in the hot skillet without stirring too often so it chars properly.
- Use fresh lime juice and zest for best bright citrus flavor.
- Switch up cheese – Mexican blend, queso fresco, or feta all work!
- Add black beans, cherry tomatoes, or avocado for more veggies.
- Spice it up with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, or Tajín.
- Mix with coleslaw or cooked pasta for new salad twist.
- Let sit in fridge for an hour before serving so flavors combine.
- Serve with lime wedges for those who want extra.
- Leave out crumbled Cotija cheese if storing – add right before serving for best texture.
This Mexican street corn salad recipe is creamy, spicy, and easier to eat than corn on the cob! Perfect for your next BBQ or taco night.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 5 cups corn kernels I use the frozen white shoepeg variety
- ½ medium red onion chopped fine
- 2 limes zested, juiced, juice reserved separately
- ½ large red bell pepper seeded, diced
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeño ribbed, seeded, and diced fine
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ¾ cup Cojita cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and the frozen corn.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring often until the corn is cooked through and has a charred look to it.
- Remove from skillet and place in a large bowl.
- Add the red onion, lime juice, lime zest, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeño.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the sour cream and the Cojita cheese
- Stir to complete. Garnish with more cilantro or sliced green onion and a little lime zest.
- Enjoy with friends and a margarita!
Notes
- Rinse canned corn fully before using if that’s what you have.
- Let corn sit in the hot skillet without stirring too often so it chars properly.
- Use fresh lime juice and zest for best bright citrus flavor.
- Switch up cheese – Mexican blend, queso fresco, or feta all work!
- Add black beans, cherry tomatoes, or avocado for more veggies.
- Spice it up with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, or Tajín.
- Mix with coleslaw or cooked pasta for new salad twist.
- Let sit in fridge for an hour before serving so flavors combine.
- Serve with lime wedges for those who want extra.
- Leave out Cotija cheese if storing – add right before serving for best texture.
Nutrition
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