I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Vegetables make the BEST fast food, corn in particular! You can eat corn raw, grilled, boiled, steamed, or even microwaved. But the only thing better than plain ol’ corn has to be this Street Corn Salad! It’s slathered in a tangy, creamy, spicy dressing and chock-full of cotija cheese and fresh cilantro—just like eloté, or ‘street corn,’ but in an easy-to-eat form. Don’t feel like wearing street corn all over your face at your next cookout? This method has you shaving corn off the cob first so you can enjoy every bite nice and clean.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What is Mexican Street Corn Salad?
Street corn salad, or esquites, is essentially an off-the-cob version of authentic eloté. It’s also known as eloté en vaso (corn in a cup) and is a majorly popular Mexican street food or snack. But where eloté is cooked on a grill and served on a stick, corn esquites is served in a cup or bowl—perfect for snacking on the go!
For this recipe, I mimic the chargrilled flavor by quickly roasting the corn kernels in a hot skillet. The corn is then tossed with the easiest and YUMMIEST homemade dressing ever—a mix of mayo, Greek yogurt, lime juice/zest, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt. This street corn salad recipe is tasty, budget-friendly, and SO simple to make!
Ingredients For Street Corn Salad
Here’s what you’ll need to make street corn salad:
- Mayonnaise: This is what traditional Mexican corn is usually covered in before adding the toppings. Use any brand you like, though regular, full-fat mayo will give the best flavor and texture.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Adds tang and creaminess to the dressing.
- Lime: The juice and zest from one lime add a refreshing twist to balance out the other flavors.
- Seasonings: A mix of smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sea salt add the perfect amount of spice and smokiness.
- Cotija Cheese: A crumbly, salty Mexican cheese that pairs perfectly with corn. If you can’t find cotija, feta, grated Parmesan, queso fresco, or goat cheese are great substitutes.
- Corn: I use fresh ears of corn with the husks removed. The flavor of fresh corn is unbeatable, but you can also use frozen corn if that’s what you have on hand.
- Cilantro: Adds freshness and a pop of color.
- Optional Extras: You can leave these out if you’d like, but I love adding pickled red onions and pickled jalapeños to my street corn salad.
Serving Suggestions
I can’t think of any summery meal that this recipe for street corn salad wouldn’t pair well with! Grilled chicken, turkey burgers, or our Tajín shrimp tacos would be great options. I also serve it as a ‘dip’ with tortilla chips – try it out!
Storage Instructions
Street corn salad is delicious when served hot or cold. You can enjoy it right away or store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. An airtight container works best for keeping the salad fresh! Give everything a good mix to redistribute the dressing before serving.
Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
Servings 6 servings, ¾ cup per personIngredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise ($0.24)
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt ($0.12)
- 1 lime ($0.25)
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika ($0.04)
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp chili powder ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp sea salt ($0.01)
Salad Ingredients
- 5 ears of corn, husked* ($1.65)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro ($0.22)
- 3 Tbsp cotija cheese** ($0.62)
Optional but Recommended
- 2 Tbsp pickled red onion ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp pickled jalapeño ($0.08)
Instructions
- Shave kernels from corn cobs into a mixing bowl with a sharp knife.
- Mince cilantro and (if using) dice jalapeños and onions into small pieces.
- Gather dressing ingredients: mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sea salt. Zest and juice lime.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together until smooth.
- In a very hot skillet, add corn kernels and stir them every 30 seconds or so just until there’s a good mix of toasty corn kernels present. You do not need to cook them for long or add any oil, you just want some color on the kernels. Remove from skillet and pour into large serving bowl.
- Toss toasted corn, cotija cheese, cilantro and dressing together until well combined. (Add diced pickled onions and jalapeños if you chose to include them!) This salad can be enjoyed warm or chilled with an extra sprinkle of chili powder on top if you like it spicy! Enjoy.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Notes
**Grated Parmesan, queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese would make great substitutions, if needed. The nutritional information does not include the optional pickled red onions and pickled jalapeños.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
how to make Street corn salad – step by step photos
Use a sharp knife to shave the kernels from 5 husked ears of corn into a large bowl.
Mince ¼ cups of fresh cilantro and (if using) dice 2 Tbsp of pickled red onion and 1 Tbsp of pickled jalapeño into small pieces. Gather 3 Tbsp of cotija cheese and set everything aside while making the salad dressing.
Add 3 Tbsp of mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp chili powder, and ¼ tsp sea salt. Zest and juice one lime, and add the zest and juice to the bowl with the other ingredients.
Whisk everything together until smooth and creamy.
Heat a dry skillet over high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the kernels and stir them every 30 seconds or so until some have charred. You don’t need to add any oil to the skillet or cook them for long – about 5 minutes is more than enough. We just want to add a little color and smoky flavor to the corn.
Take the corn off the heat and add it to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the browned corn kernels.
Add the ¼ cup minced cilantro, 3 Tbsp cotija cheese, and (if using) the 2 Tbsp diced pickled red onions and 1 Tbsp diced jalapeño to the corn. Toss everything together until evenly coated in dressing and well combined. Serve warm, or let it chill in the fridge before serving. I always sprinkle some extra chili powder on top because I like it spicy, but that step is totally optional. Enjoy!
This delicious street corn salad recipe will be the star of your next summer cookout!
I added some chicken in and am using as a lunch meal prep. Super fast, easy, and yummy!
Easy and delicious! Perfect for summer and for feeding lots of folks— I added several cups of thinly chopped purple cabbage and it was great!
If using frozen corn, would you cook it first? I am looking forward to trying this :)
You could just defrost in the fridge first! No need to cook first.
For food safety purposes, you actually should always cook frozen vegetables. Here’s an article from the USDA :) https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/preparing-frozen-food
Instead of slicing the kernels off the cob, rotate the cobs over the open flame of your gas range top. That way it can actually get browned. Did not work in the pan whatsoever. Wear oven mitts or something to protect your hands. Decent recipe, poor instructions
Hi, Juan. We take special care to test every recipe multiple times before we post them. I’m sorry the technique didn’t work for you. I suggest making sure your cast iron skillet is extra “screaming hot” to get the char on the corn. You also don’t NEED to cook the corn first. Corn can be enjoyed raw and is actually super refreshing– so I hope you enjoyed it either way. Thanks!
Excellent recipe, thank you! I’m going to have to hone my corn-shaving skills because I’ll be making this well into perpetuity. Even after omitting the cilantro (I have the unlucky gene), the esquites burst with so much tangy, creamy, umami flavor in every bite!
Yummm! Even without the cilantro, it’s still such a great dish. Enjoy!
I made this tonight as a side for your fish tacos. Followed the recipe to a T and it was delicious! Corn cooked perfectly, just the right amount of spicy, tangy flavor. Yum!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Perfect side for fish tacos… yum!
This looks great! I noticed under the nutrition information for serving size it says “Serving: 1 serving,” can you be a little more specific? I want to have a good estimate when I try it out.
At the top of the recipe card where it has the servings of the recipe, beside that number is has the amount in one serving. For this recipe it’s 3/4 cup. :)
Thank you! Can’t wait to try it.