Mexican Street Corn Salad is a spinoff of the popular street food, Mexican street corn. Mexican street corn (in Spanish, elote) is grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise and sprinkled chili powder, cojita cheese, and lime.
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In Spanish, this salad is called esquites.
There are many variations to this salad, but the base ingredients to include are corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, cojita, and lime.
This recipe pairs really well with Chicken Pozole Verde and even Beef Chili with Beans.
I based this recipe off the one my sister Margaret uses, which she got from a pub in her town that makes up a really good version of it (I've had it, too).
Ingredients
- Corn
- Olive oil
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Lime juice
- Cojita or feta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Jalapeno
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Char the corn kernels in a skillet.
- Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, cumin and paprika to make the dressing.
- Combine all the ingredients, stirring thoroughly. Test for salt, pepper and lime juice, adjust if desired.
- Serve garnished with additional cheese, red onion and cilantro, if desired.
Substitutions and variations
Leave out any of the ingredients you don't care for. Here are some substitutes for existing ingredients:
- Greek yogurt - instead of sour cream or mayonnaise, or both
- Cheese - If you cannot find cojita cheese, feta cheese is a great substitute (I grated mine with this really cool grater, but crumbled works just as well)
- Chopped red bell pepper would be a flavorful and colorful addition!
Storage
This salad will store in the refrigerator for up to five days (if it lasts that long). Mexican Street Corn Salad won't stand up well to freezing, so I don't recommend it.
Top tips
Mix all the dressing ingredients together before adding them to the rest of the ingredients, because they'll blend much better.
I have found that Mexican Corn Salad tastes even better a day after making it. The extra time in the refrigerator gives all the flavors a chance to really meld and blend together nicely.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Mexican Street Corn Salad:
📖 Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces corn frozen should be thawed, canned should be drained
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons lime juice fresh-squeezed
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cojita
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 10 cilantro sprigs, chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped very small
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet on high heat. Add the corn kernels and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for about five minutes, to get a char on the kernels. Frozen and canned corn may take less time than fresh.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl, allowing it to cool for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, cumin and paprika.
- To the bowl with the corn, add the remaining ingredients and the mayonnaise mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly. Test for salt, pepper and lime juice, adjust if desired.
- Serve garnished with additional cheese, red onion and cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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