Mexican Street Corn Salad

Name: Mexican Street Corn Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons salted butter; 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut off cob); ¼ teaspoon table salt; ½ cup finely grated cotija cheese; ½ cup finely diced onion (red or white); ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro; 3 Tablespoons crema; 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 Tablespoons finely diced jalapeno; 1 Tablespoon lime juice; 2 garlic cloves (pressed); Chili powder or Tajiin (for topping)

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Mexican street corn salad (AKA esquites) transforms traditional street corn into an easy-to-serve salad! Ready in 20 minutes and can be served hot or cold.

Overhead view of a bowl of Mexican street corn salad in a blue serving bowl.

Mexican street corn salad has everything you love about street corn, but is less messy and much easier to eat. The sweet, crisp corn pairs beautifully with the fresh veggies and creamy dressing! We love it with smash burgers and hotdogs, but it tastes amazing with Mexican dishes too, of course.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and easy to prep! It takes just 20 minutes to prepare this salad. It’ll be even faster if you use frozen corn!
Unique side dish. While I love pairing my tacos with black beans or refried beans and rice, this salad is a fun alternative when I want to mix things up with something a little different. Of course, it’s not quite as unique as my Mexican street corn pasta salad… 👀
Customizable spice level. Keep it mild for kids or add some cayenne (or extra jalapeno!) for spice lovers.
Can be served warm or cold. I like it both ways! I’ll eat it fresh warm or enjoy the leftovers cold.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make It
Frequently Asked Questions
More recipes to use that sweet summer corn:
Mexican Street Corn Salad

Ingredients

If you’ve had elotes before, you’ll recognize most of the ingredients listed below:

Corn. I HIGHLY recommend using fresh corn. If it’s out of season or simply not available to you, use frozen. I like sweet corn for its flavor; either white or yellow will work.
Cotija cheese. If you can’t find cotjia cheese, I’ve found that feta cheese is the best substitute. If I’m using feta, I prefer to buy the block and crumble it myself instead of using the pre-packaged crumbles.
Crema. Crema is best, but you can use sour cream in a pinch. Sour cream is thicker and doesn’t have the exact same flavor profile, but it will still work.
Jalapeno. The spiciness of your jalapeno will affect how spicy your salad is. It can really vary from jalapeno to jalapeno, so if you are serving this to kids, test your jalapeno first before adding it. Poblano pepper can be a good substitute if you are worried about spice.
Onion. Really any type will work, but I prefer red onion for its bright color and sharp flavor.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

SAM’S TIP: For a better char and even deeper flavor, grill your corn cobs instead of cooking in a cast iron!

How to Make It

Prep the corn

Overhead view of fresh corn being charred in a cast iron pan.

Add the butter to a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Once melted, add your corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred. Sprinkle with salt and give it one more stir before removing from the heat.

Add the other ingredients

Overhead view of a bowl of ingredients including charred corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, and more.

Add the charred corn into a serving bowl (make sure it’s heatproof, since the corn will still be hot!) along with all of your other prepared ingredients.

Toss, top, & enjoy!

Overhead view of a bowl of corn being stirred together with cilantro, cotija cheese, red onion, and more.

Toss everything together until well incorporated. Top with chili powder or tajin just before serving (I usually leave it on the side so anyone can add what they’d like). And remember, this salad is great either warm or cold.

SAM’S TIP: This salad tastes even better when made in advance; it gives the flavors time to develop and meld. I especially love doing this when I make it for parties or potlucks! Just make sure to put it in the fridge in an airtight container if you plan to make it ahead of time.

Bowl of street corn salad topped with cilantro and chili powder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you eat Mexican street corn salad warm or cold?

You can eat this salad either way, so it’s really a choose-your-own-adventure kind of dish. I like it warm right after it’s made, but once it cools down I usually only enjoy leftovers cold. If you want to serve it warm, I do recommend making and serving it immediately, as it may be a bit awkward to reheat once it’s cooled.

What is the stuff on Mexican street corn?

Mexican street corn is usually topped with a sauce made from a mixture of crema and mayo. This adds flavor and gives something for the cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro and lime juice to stick to. Some people even sprinkle crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos over their street corn–that’d taste great on this salad too!

What can I serve with this salad?

Grilled foods like burgers, hotdogs, chicken, steak, etc., pair nicely with the fresh flavors of this salad. Or you can stick with the Mexican theme and serve your salad as a side with tacos (like my crispy chicken tacos), chicken enchiliadas, etc.