Mexican Street Corn Salad
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Mexican Street Corn Salad is everything you love about elote without wrestling a cob at a picnic table. Charred sweet corn, a creamy lime dressing, and enough cotija to make it interesting. It’s the dish people corner me about at every barbecue.
Late August is the window for this. Corn’s at its sweetest, and the gap between an ear in season and a bag of frozen kernels in February is bigger than you’d think. Frozen works. It just isn’t the same thing.
Char the corn hard, let it cool, toss it with lime, cotija, and enough creamy dressing to coat every kernel. 20 minutes, start to finish.
I bring it to every barbecue I go to and I’ve stopped bothering with a backup dish. It travels, it holds up on a table for an hour, and it goes with anything off a grill.
This recipe is, hands-down, the best of this type. I used fresh corn, and every single morsel was eaten! A new staple in our house. I served it as a side with steak fajitas. (you can only eat so much rice!) ~Anne
What’s The Difference Between Elote And Esquites?
Elote is corn on the cob, grilled whole and slathered with the creamy chili lime coating. You eat it standing up, usually badly.
Esquites is the same flavors served off the cob, in a cup with a spoon. Street vendors in Mexico sell both, often from the same cart.
This salad is the esquites version, scaled up and turned into something you can put on a table. Same flavors, no corn in your teeth, no napkin situation.
- Corn (4 cups, about 5 or 6 ears): Fresh is best in August and it’s not close. Off season, a 16 ounce bag of frozen kernels works fine and goes straight into the hot pan without thawing. Two 15 ounce cans, drained well and patted dry, will also do, but you’ll work harder for the char.
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon): Just enough to keep the corn moving. Any neutral oil works.
- Red bell pepper (½ medium, chopped): For color and a little sweetness. Optional if you’re out.
- Red onion (½ small, finely chopped): Finely is the key word. Big chunks take over.
- Fresh cilantro (½ cup, chopped): If you’re one of the people who tastes soap, swap in flat leaf parsley and a little extra lime.
- Green onions (6, chopped): Milder than the red onion and they go in raw. Use the green parts too.
- Jalapeño (1, diced): Seeds out for mild, seeds in if you want people to notice. Skip it entirely and the salad still works.
- Avocado (½, chopped): Add it last and add it late. It’s there for creaminess, not structure.
- Lime juice (4 tablespoons, about 2 limes): Fresh only. The bottled stuff tastes like a different ingredient.
- Ground cumin (½ teaspoon): Earthy backbone.
- Smoked paprika (½ teaspoon): This is doing the work that a grill would do. Don’t swap in regular paprika and expect the same thing.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon) and black pepper (¼ teaspoon): Season at the end, after the cotija goes in. The cheese is salty and it’ll fool you.
- Sour cream (2 tablespoons): Full fat. Greek yogurt works and makes it tangier.
- Mayonnaise (2 tablespoons): Together with the sour cream this is the whole dressing. It’s less than you’d think, which is deliberate. The corn should stay the star.
- Cotija cheese (½ cup, crumbled): Salty, dry, crumbly, faintly funky. Feta is a good substitute and easier to find. Parmesan is not the same thing but it’ll get you through.
I love this recipe. I’ve doubled and quadrupled it for several events and people always ask for the recipe! It’s so good. I sometimes use feta and sour cream and other times cotijo and Mexican cream. Either way, it’s fantastic! ~Mary
Get a large skillet over high heat with the olive oil, and I mean actually hot, not politely warm. Add the corn and then leave it alone for a minute. That’s the hard part. Stir occasionally and cook 3 to 5 minutes until you’ve got dark spots and the kitchen smells like a fairground. Frozen corn takes a couple minutes longer because it has to shed its water first.
Let it cool. Move the corn to a big bowl and give it 5 minutes. Hot corn turns the dressing into soup, and there’s no coming back from that.
Bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeño go in first. Then the sour cream, mayo, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until every kernel is coated.
Finish it. Crumble in the cotija and fold in the avocado with a light hand. Taste it. It almost always wants more lime. Garnish with extra cheese and cilantro if you’re feeding people you want to impress.
On The Grill
If the grill’s already going, use it. Pull the husks and silk off, brush the ears with a little oil, and set them over high heat. Turn every couple of minutes until you’ve got char all the way around, 8 to 10 minutes total.
Let them cool enough to handle, then stand each ear upright in a wide bowl and cut straight down with a sharp knife. The bowl catches everything. Doing this on a cutting board sends kernels across the kitchen and you’ll be finding them in October.
Grilled corn is smokier than skillet corn and it’s much faster for a big batch.
Making It For A Crowd
As written this serves 4 generously, or 6 to 8 if it’s one of several things on the table. For a party, plan on about ½ cup per person.
| Feeding | Multiply by | Corn you’ll need |
| 12 people | 2 | 8 cups, about 10 ears |
| 20 people | 3 | 12 cups, about 15 ears |
| 30 people | 4 | 16 cups, about 20 ears |
Char in batches no matter what size you’re making. A crowded skillet steams the corn instead of charring it, and the char is the entire point of this salad. For anything past a double batch, go to the grill.
Hold back the avocado and half the cotija until you get where you’re going. Add them right before it hits the table and it looks like you made it there.
Taking It To A Potluck
Travel it cold with a tight lid, and on a hot day nest that container in a cooler bag. It’s best served cool or at room temperature rather than fridge cold, so pull it out 15 to 20 minutes ahead and let the flavors wake up.
There’s sour cream and mayo in here, so don’t let it sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F (32°C). If it’s going to be out a while, set the serving bowl inside a bigger bowl of ice. Nobody notices and it buys you the whole afternoon.
Variations
- Lighter: Swap both the sour cream and the mayo for 4 tablespoons of full fat Greek yogurt. It’s tangier and a little thinner. Add an extra pinch of salt to make up for what the mayo was doing.
- Vegan: Vegan mayo in place of both dairy items, and either skip the cheese or use a vegan feta. You’ll lose some of the salty pop, so be generous with the lime and salt.
- Dairy free: Same as vegan, or use a dairy free sour cream and leave the cheese out entirely. A tablespoon of nutritional yeast gets you closer to that savory edge.
- Extra smoky: Add ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder along with the smoked paprika. It’s a different salad and a very good one.
Serving Suggestions
This lives next to anything off a grill. Carne asada, burgers, chicken thighs, shrimp skewers, ribs. It also works as a dip, which I discovered by accident when someone put a bag of tortilla chips next to the bowl and the salad was gone in 10 minutes.
If you’re building a full spread, put it beside something plain. Rice, plain grilled chicken, a simple slaw. It’s got enough going on that it doesn’t need a competitor.
Birria Tacos
Tacos Al Pastor
Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
Baked Honey Glazed Pork Ribs
Storage
Fridge: Keeps 2 days in an airtight container, though it’s best on day one when everything’s still bright and crunchy. The avocado will darken. It’s still fine to eat, it just won’t be photogenic.
Freezer: Don’t. The dressing splits and the corn goes soft.
Reviving leftovers: A fresh squeeze of lime and a little more cotija brings day two back most of the way. Cold from the fridge it’s also a legitimately good taco filling, which is how it usually ends up at my house.
Try These Delicious Mexican Recipes Next
- Tres Leches Cake
- Taco Lasagna
- Crockpot Pork Carnitas
- Beef Tamale Casserole
- Antojitos
- 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
- Carne Guisada
- Pollo Asado (Chicken Asado)
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Mexican Street Corn Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn (about 5 ears, cut from the cob)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium red bell pepper (chopped)
- ½ small red onion (finely chopped)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 6 green onions (chopped)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (diced)
- ½ avocado (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ½ teaspoon cumin (ground)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream (or yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ cup cotija cheese (or feta, crumbled)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cut the corn off the cob. I used 5 ears to get about 4 cups. You can also use canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen, no need to thaw it out.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and stir it around. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn starts to char, which is why we’re using high heat. If using frozen corn, you will need a couple minutes extra to get the right charred bits.
- Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool for a couple minutes.
- To the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything together until well combined. Adjust lime juice and salt and pepper as necessary.
- To serve garnish with additional cheese and cilantro, if preferred.
Equipment
Notes
- Corn: Fresh gives the best texture and sweetness. One 16 ounce bag of frozen kernels or two 15 ounce cans, drained and patted dry, both get you to about 4 cups.
- Charring: High heat, don’t crowd the pan, and resist stirring. Those dark spots are the flavor.
- Cooling: Give the corn 5 minutes off the heat before it meets the dressing, or you’ll end up with soup.
- Dressing: Start with what’s listed. Add lime or mayo from there. The corn should stay the star.
- Cheese: Cotija is traditional. Feta is the easiest substitute and works beautifully.
- Avocado: Chop and add it right before serving. Lime slows the browning but nothing stops it.
- Make ahead: Char the corn and prep the vegetables up to a day ahead and keep them separate. Toss everything together within an hour of serving.
- Scaling: Double or triple freely, but char the corn in batches or use the grill.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen corn instead of fresh?
Absolutely! Frozen corn works great, no need to thaw it first. Just toss it straight into the hot skillet and char it up. It might take an extra minute or two, but nobody will know the difference.
Can I use canned corn?
You can, but fresh or frozen gives you better flavor and texture. If you’re using canned, make sure to drain it really well and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then crank the heat and get as much char on it as you can.
Will the avocado turn brown if I make it ahead?
A little, yes. The lime juice helps slow it down, but if you want it to look extra fresh, just chop and add the avocado right before serving.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Definitely! You can char the corn and chop all the veggies a few hours ahead, then toss everything together right before serving. If you’re prepping it fully, just hold off on the avocado and final toss until the last minute for best texture.
How spicy is it?
With one jalapeño (and seeds removed), it’s mild with a little kick. Want more heat? Leave in the seeds or add a second jalapeño. Want it totally mild? Skip the jalapeño, the salad will still be loaded with flavor.
Is Mexican Street Corn Salad the same as esquites?
Yes. Esquites is the traditional name for street corn served off the cob. Elote is the version still on the cob. Same flavors, different delivery.
How much should I make per person?
About ½ cup per person when it’s one side among several. The recipe as written serves 4 generously or 6 to 8 as part of a bigger spread.
How long can it sit out at a barbecue?
No more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F (32°C), because of the sour cream and mayo. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice and you can stretch that comfortably.
Can I make it without mayonnaise?
Sure. Use 4 tablespoons of full fat Greek yogurt in place of both the mayo and the sour cream. Tangier, a little thinner, and you’ll want a bit more salt.
