This Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad, also known as Esquites, is fresh, lightly creamy, spicy, & incredibly delicious.
This is one of my favourite corn recipes, I love it’s bright flavors and fresh ingredients. It has so much flavor. I love grilling corn and this salad is a great way to use it!
When you combine corn with the cotija cheese, lime and other fresh ingredients it becomes a really addictive side dish.
What is Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)?
Elotes are the more familiar Mexican street food, it’s typically grilled corn topped with mayonnaise, hot sauce or chile powder, lime, and Cotija cheese.
Esquites is a roasted corn salad – it’s grilled corn that has been cut from the cob then served in a cup and topped with a variation of the same toppings you find with the on-the-cob version.
My version of Mexican Street Corn Salad is my own take on it. I like to add a few extra ingredients to my summer corn salad to bulk it up while still sticking to the flavour profile that makes Esquites so good.
This mexican corn salad recipe is the perfect side dish for any occasion over the summer. In fact, it’s one of the best 4th of july appetizers when you make it on your own grill with fresh sweet corn.
About the Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn Salad
This is a really great fresh corn salad that has so much summer flavor.
Corn – To make things easier we use canned or frozen roasted style corn. You can also pan roast corn kernels in a little butter or oil in a cast iron skillet if you can’t find any already prepared roasted corn. Ideally though, roasting fresh ears of corn at home on your BBQ with the corn husks on is gonna give the best smoky flavor.
Lime – Fresh lime juice and zest adds some freshness and zing! If you don’t have lime on hand, you could use lemon juice and lemon zest in a pinch but I would really recommend the lime, it pairs so much better with the other ingredients in this fresh salad.
Olive oil – Helps create a bit of a dressing.
Jalapenos – If you aren’t a fan of spice, stick to the jalapenos and omit the powdered spices.
Cherry tomatoes – You can substitute with grape tomatoes or standard salad tomatoes chopped.
Chili powder – Add a hint of spice.
Tajin seasoning – Tajin seasoning is aMexican spice blend made with a combination of salt, chili peppers, and dehydrated lime. It adds a bit more zing but if you can’t find any, just add a touch more of the individual ingredients since this flavour profile is already present.
Cayenne – Add a touch more spice!
Sea salt – Ties everything together.
Cotija – If you can’t find Cotija, you can use Queso Fresco or even Feta Cheese.
Garnishes – Garnish with cilantro and lime slices if desired.
Variations of Grilled Corn Salad
You can get really creative with this grilled corn salad recipe since it is already full of bright flavours, try adding these ingredients too!
- Red Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Black Beans
- Avocado
Looking for more Easy Summer Salads?
Check out some of my favourite salad recipes for summer bbqs and backyard parties.
This Watergate Salad is a popular choice for picnics and summer bbq parties. It’s a classic and really great recipe for the whole family to enjoy!
This Honeydew Cucumber Salad is the perfect summer side salad – cool and refreshing it pairs well with so mean meals!
Quick and easy to make, serve this Black Eyed Peas Bean Salad as a side or enjoy it as a salsa with tortilla chips!
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
Yield: 5-6 Servings | Prep Time: 5 mins | Total Time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
3 cups fire roasted canned corn
1 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp olive oil
2 Jalapenos, diced, seeds removed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Tajin seasoning
½ tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
¼ cup cotija
Directions:
In a large bowl add all of the ingredients except cotija.
Toss to combine
Toss in the cotija and gently toss to combine
Mexican Street Corn Salad
This Mexican Street Corn Salad, also known as Esquites, is fresh, lightly creamy, spicy, and incredibly delicious. If you love Mexican corn on the cob then you will love this salad.
Ingredients
- 3 cups fire roasted canned corn
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Jalapenos, diced seeds removed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Tajin seasoning
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- ¼ cup cotija
Instructions
In a large bowl add all of the ingredients except queso fresco.
Toss to combine
Toss in the queso fresco and gently toss to combine
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1/2 CupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 94Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 267mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Liz Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys cooking and baking, food photography, and reading.