This Mexican street corn salad (esquites) is my go-to recipe when I want to add a tasty side and a pop of colour to my dinner table. Prepared entirely on the stovetop, the salad comes together quickly by roasting fresh corn in a skillet and tossing it in a creamy dressing with chopped jalapeño and cilantro for garnish. Perfect as a make-ahead side dish for a Cinco de Mayo party or potluck too!
Two more sides/salads to go with your Mexican mains: mango salsa and pico de gallo.
About Mexican Street Corn Salad
Come summer and it's so fun to eat the fresh sweet corn that's available so abundantly. And what better way to do this than in a salad? Street corn salad is so versatile... it can be had warm, straight out of the pan, or cold from the fridge if that's how you like it. In this respect, it's very similar to the this Mexican chicken salad, made with a yogurt and sour cream dressing.
The first secret to its deliciousness is that I make it only with kernels freshly scraped off corn cobs. I do NOT make it with canned or frozen corn because it just does not taste the same. Since the starring ingredient in this salad is corn, it has to be sweet and fresh for the salad to really pull its weight.
The second secret to a great-tasting salad is roasting the corn before adding the other ingredients. And there's no need to fire up the oven or grill to do this. (You can, of course, if you want to.. for example, if you've already got the oven going and it's hot). Sauté the corn kernels in a knob of butter and oil in a hot skillet until you get a slight char on the edges, and you're good to go! Takes all of 5 minutes.
If you are a die-hard pasta lover like me, look up this elote pasta salad too.
More easy summer salads: Rustic Italian tomato salad (with onions and basil), butter lettuce salad, and this sweet peach watermelon salad.
Ingredients
INGREDIENT NOTES
1. Corn on the cob: Opt for firm cobs with plump kernels on them. Don't use corn from a frozen packet or can.
2. Cotija cheese: For that mexican flavour! Cotija is easily available in most supermarkets, but you can also substitute with crumbled feta if need be.
3. Jalapeños: Add according to taste. Jalapeños are less spicy than other chilli peppers like Serrano, but it is up to your individual preference.
4. Oil + butter: Used for roasting the corn. Amps up the taste of the salad and your kitchen will smell heavenly!
Instructions
1. Shave off the kernels, using the method pictured below. Place a small bowl upside down in a larger bowl and place the corn cob on it. Then use a sharp knife to strip off the kernels in a vertical motion from top to bottom. Working in sections, you can get all the kernels off one cob in a matter of seconds.
Note: Alternatively, if you have a corn cob stripper, it is a handy appliance for doing the same thing.
2. Roast the corn kernels in oil + butter in a hot skillet for 4-5 minutes. If the skillet is hot enough, the corn should start to char at the edges in a couple of minutes. Keep stirring and in the last minute, add chopped garlic for even better flavour.
3. Take the corn out in a shallow and wide bowl. Allow the heat to dissipate slightly. While still slightly warm, add the rest of the ingredients: salt, sour cream, mayonnaise and lime juice. Mix well and follow with chopped jalapeño, cotija cheese, cilantro and chilli flakes. Add in finely chopped green bell pepper also, if using. Your salad is ready for serving:)
Serving Suggestion
- The salad can be had warm or cold. It tastes good both ways.
- If serving cold, put the bowl of prepared salad in the fridge and take it out about 10-15 minutes before serving. This is a wonderful way to do a make-ahead salad, so you are not rushing when it's time to eat.
- Once you put the salad in the fridge, however, there is no option to reheat it. Mayo, sour cream and cheese don't reheat well.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Equipment
- A sharp knife
- Bowls of different sizes
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 corn cobs husks removed
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- ½ lime squeezed
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 jalapeño finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cotija cheese crumbled
- ⅛ teaspoon chilli flakes
Instructions
- Strip the corn cobs of the kernels using either a corn cob stripper or with a sharp knife. Place a small bowl upside down inside a larger one and position one cob over it. Using the the knife, strip down the cob in sections. The corn will fall in the larger bowl. Do this for all the cobs.
- Heat a skillet until hot and add the butter and oil. Tip in the corn kernels and roast them for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat until just beginning to char at the edges. Add the chopped garlic in the last minute. Take out the corn in a bowl and keep aside. Allow it to cool down a bit.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and salt to the warm corn and mix well. Then add the jalapeño, cotija cheese and chilli flakes. Serve warm if eating immediately. If not, cover with some cling wrap and chill in fridge for a few hours.
Notes
- Use fresh corn for the best taste. Canned or frozen corn does not come close to fresh corn.
- Before stripping the corn cobs, make sure you remove any silk attached to them.
- Don't add the ingredients to corn that's just been roasted. Wait for it to cool down a bit and add them while the corn is warm, not hot.
- Don't reheat the salad after chilling it in the fridge, but take it out and keep it on the countertop for a bit (10-15) minutes before serving.
- You can add finely chopped green bell peppers or even scallions or spring onions to the salad.
- If cotija cheese is not available, substitute with feta.
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