This Mexican street corn salad is made with all the fresh flavors of elote but the grilled corn is served off the cob and tossed in a zesty creamy dressing. Perfect for summer!
Mexican Corn Salad
Mexican street corn salad, also known as esquites, is a fresh summery recipe that makes an appearance on Cinco de Mayo, at BBQs and summer potlucks throughout grilling season!
Similar to corn salad but served Mexican street corn style with grilled smoky kernels tossed in a creamy dressing topped with chili powder, lime juice, and sliced jalapeno. Serve as an elote dip appetizer, as a corn salsa recipe or add some pasta and turn it into street corn pasta salad!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Corn kernels: The smokiness and char of fire roasted corn kernels is what makes the popular street food a little extra special. I always make grilled corn to use.
- Bell pepper & red onion: Finely chopped, these add a pop of color, added crunch, and sweet and savory flavors.
- Cilantro: A fresh herb that is a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine.
- Cotija cheese: A mild, creamy, crumbly cheese, a bit like feta or queso fresco.
- Sour cream & mayonnaise: Both provide the creaminess for the dressing in this street corn salad recipe. Swap the sour cream for a similar tangy Greek yogurt.
- Lime: Both the zest and fresh lime juice adds a citrusy, zesty, and bright flavor!
- Seasoning: Chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add paprika or smoked paprika for additional flavor.
- Jalapeños: Optional for some flavorful heat. You could also add hot sauce.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
In a large bowl, toss the corn, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, zest and lime juice, ground cumin, and chili powder until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle dressing over salad and gently stir until everything is coated. Top with additional cheese, cilantro, salt, and pepper. For heat, add some sliced or diced jalapeno and an extra squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Type of corn: Try fresh corn or frozen kernels that have first been charred in the skillet or use leftover honey butter skillet corn.
- Add-ins: Try black beans for protein, diced avocado, or green onions in this street corn salad.
- Warm or cold: I prefer to let it chill for a few hours to let the flavors develop, but it can definitely be served warm if you like, especially if you are using grilled corn.
- Storage: Keep leftovers of Mexican corn salad stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving Ideas
This Mexican street corn salad recipe is so versatile and can be a main dish, an appetizer or dip, a topping, or a Mexican side dish!
- It can be used alongside pico de gallo and guacamole on carne asada tacos, skirt steak tacos, shredded beef tacos, or carnitas tacos.
- Serve with all your grilling recipes from meat to fish and seafood.
- Use it on top of or inside black bean and sweet potato taquitos with a side of cilantro lime rice.
- Serve with homemade tortilla chips and enjoy it as a dip! The options are endless!
Want more easy Mexican salad recipes? Try cowboy caviar, Mexican salad, black bean salsa or taco salad!
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Mexican Street Corn Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups roasted corn kernels (or about 5 ears grilled and cut from the cob)
- 1 red bell pepper , finely chopped
- ½ small red onion , finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped cilantro , plus more if needed
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese , or crumbled feta cheese, plus more if needed
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream , or Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1-2 limes , zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin , more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine salt), more to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- jalapeno pepper , finely diced (optional for heat)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together 4 cups corn, 1 red bell pepper, 1/2 small chipped red onion, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, and 1/2 cup cotija cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons sour cream, 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, zest from 1 lime, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder until smooth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Drizzle dressing over corn mixture and gently stir until well coated. Add additional cheese, cilantro, salt, or pepper, if desired. You can also add in some jalapeno if you'd like to take up the heat. Add an extra squeeze of lime if needed.
Notes
- Fresh corn: Cook in 1 Tablespoon olive oil on high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the corn starts to char.
-
Frozen corn: Cook in 1 Tablespoon olive oil on high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the corn starts to char.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 4th of July, Cinco De Mayo, Gluten-Free, Mexican, Nut-Free, Salads, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
My absolute favorite picnic, pot luck or summer salad! Always a big hit.
It’s perfect for this time of year! Thanks for the review Lisa!
This bursting with flavors! A new fam favorite! So delicious!
This is seriously the best salad!! I love street corn, so to have it as a salad makes me so happy!!
I made this for our Taco Tuesday party and it was gone in minutes!! So delicious! I gave the recipe to 3 friends lol
Excellent recipe for Mexican street corn! So light and delicious. The grilled corn really tasted wonderful in the salad. The dressing was perfect!
27/05/23 Made this for tea to go with chicken wrapped in pancetta and it was delicious I did add some extra to the salad so some cucumber and chickpeas and we loved it definitely a keeper and will be making again especially as the warm weather is here 😊😊
the layers and the flavors of this amazing side dish are to die for! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
Street corn as a salad, yes, please!! This is so good & tasty & will be great all summer long!!
This was the perfect side to go with our taco night. I loved the flavor from the grilled corn!