Creamy, tangy Mexican street corn salad puts the flavors of elote in a bowl. Esquites are the perfect side dish for a barbecue.
You may have heard of elotes, the cream-slathered ears of corn with cheese, lime and spices, but do you know about esquites? This Mexican street corn salad takes the flavors we love from the indulgent corn on the cob recipe and puts it all in a cup. The mix of sweet corn, spicy jalapenos, smoky chili powder, tangy lime, cool Cotija cheese and creamy mayo makes it hard to stop at just one scoop.
Corn salad may have you thinking summer, but our esquites recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and comes together on the stovetop in about 10 minutes, so you can use it any time of year. Now grab a spoon and get ready to dig in!
What’s the difference between elotes and esquites?
Esquites are essentially elotes off the cob. Both of our versions of these Mexican recipes use the same ingredients, including Cotija cheese, mayo and chili powder. But esquites are essentially the bowl version of Mexican street corn, with the ingredients mixed in a cup or bowl rather than slathered onto a grilled ear of corn. Esquites are easier to serve and eat.
In fact, this esquites recipe doesn’t use a grill at all. The corn is cooked in a skillet, so it’s easy to make this delicious side dish year-round.
Esquites Ingredients
Olive oil
Fresh corn or thawed frozen corn
Mayonnaise
Cotija cheese
Fresh cilantro
Green onions
Jalapeno pepper
Lime juice
Garlic cloves
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Step 1: Cook the corn
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn. Cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes, until the corn is slightly charred.
Test Kitchen Tip: Fresh or frozen corn works in this Mexican street corn salad. If you’re using fresh, here’s how to cut corn off the cob. If using frozen corn, thaw and dry it first.
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