I've never been much of a corn on the cob fan, but give me a serving of this Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad and I'm going back for seconds!
Elote, Mexican Street Corn
If you live in California, chances are you've eaten some sort of Mexican street corn. Mexican Street Corn or Elote is a street food staple served at Farmer's Markets and just about anywhere else people gather for food. It's usually boiled corn spread with mayonnaise while it's still hot, rolled in cotija, and doused in hot sauce and it's delicious served with shrimp tacos or grilled carne asada!
Esquites on the other hand are the off the cob version of this street corn, usually served in a cup!
Ingredients In Esquites:
The flavors of this warm Mexican street corn salad are all the classics you would find on Elote but a lot easier to eat. You can also add chili powder which is authentic.
- Corn - grilled corn gives a smokey flavor to the salad.
- Jalapeño- for that spicy kick
- Mayonnaise - it wouldn't be Mexican style corn without it!
- Cotija Cheese - this is a mild and extra salty Mexican cheese.
- Cilantro - for freshness and flavor.
- Green Onion - gives this salad another layer of brightness.
- Lime- for a fresh zing!
- Black Pepper and Hot Sauce- Tapatio or Cholula and just a sprinkle of black pepper is all you need for seasoning.
How to Grill Corn on the Cob
The trick to grilling corn is to leave the husks on! They work as a natural steaming device and ensure that your corn is tender and juicy in only 20 minutes. Rotate the cobs by a quarter turn every five minutes to prevent the kernels from charring too much. Don't worry if your husks are completely blackened, the corn inside will be sweet perfection!
Once the corn is finished grilling, remove from the heat and allow to cool long enough that you can handle shucking them. Carefully peel back and remove all of the husks and silk (they come off pretty easily after grilling) and set aside.
How To Make Esquites:
- Grill - Grill corn rotating until cooked through for 20 minutes. Grill the jalapeño for a nice char.
- Prep - Carefully remove husks and silk and discard and slice corn kernels off of the cob into a bowl.
- Assemble - Add chopped jalapeño, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime juice, and green onions and toss until well combined.
- Season- with black pepper to taste a bit more cotija and a few dashes of hot sauce and serve immediately.
What to Serve with Grilled Corn Salad
This salad is delicious served as a side dish for any grilled meats, however it also makes the perfect Cinco de Mayo salad, or as a side for any barbecue! Serve it along side any of my favorite taco recipes:
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- Mahi Mango Fish Tacos
- Vegetarian Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
- Fish Tacos with Coconut Avocado Crema
- Crockpot Shredded Beef Tacos
- The ULTIMATE Guacamole
- Favorite Cinco de Mayo Recipes
This past weekend we made this salad with grilled chicken and zucchini. A simple dinner that was incredibly festive considering it was a random Sunday night. For the twins, I reserved a couple scoops of the corn salad before I mixed in the grilled jalapeño and hot sauce. I hope you will give this corn salad a try. It's a taste of California and one of my favorite dishes.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
Esquites has all of the flavors of Mexican Street Corn in a bowl.
Ingredients
- 5 ears of corn, husks on
- 1 jalapeño, cut in half and seeded
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
- 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons green onion, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- black pepper
- hot sauce (Tapatio or Cholula)
Instructions
- Place corn on grill over medium-hot coals and cover.
- Grill for 20 minutes rotating by a ¼ turn every 5 minutes until corn is cooled through. (Don't worry if husks are charred!)
- Add jalapeño to the grill and cook about 5-10 minutes or until charred. Remove.
- Remove from grill and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Carefully remove husks and silk and discard.
- Stand corn up on it's base and using a sharp knife, carefully cut kernels off of the cob.
- Chop jalapeño finely and set aside.
- Add kernels to a large bowl and toss with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and green onions until well combined. Season with black pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with a bit more cotija and a few dashes of hot sauce and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 195mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g
Tammy Thiele says
Oh man Leah! This looks like such a perfect recipe for summer! We hope to try this next week then expect to put it into weekly rotation!
Leah Bergman says
It’s delicious! I hope you enjoy it.
Imma Dou says
loooove this recipe! It look super healthy but delicious!I have to try it!
Michelle says
This recipe looks incredible! Perfect for summer, I cannot wait to try!
Leah Bergman says
Thank you Michelle! I hope you enjoy it. It's one of my favorites.