Description
Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) is a vibrant, flavorful dish that captures the essence of Mexican street corn in a mess-free bowl. Smoky, creamy, and tangy, it’s a perfect side for BBQs, tacos, or any gathering.
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 jalapeño 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)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and let it sit without stirring too much to get smoky, charred bits. Stir occasionally and cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. (Frozen corn may take a couple of extra minutes.)
- Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool slightly.
- Add chopped red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, green onions, jalapeño, and avocado to the cooled corn.
- In the same bowl, add sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined, ensuring the dressing evenly coats the corn.
- Crumble cotija cheese (or feta) into the bowl and toss gently to combine. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Garnish with extra cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If you can’t find cotija, feta works as a great substitute. Cotija offers a more crumbly, salty flavor.
- For more heat, leave the jalapeño seeds in or add an extra pepper. For a milder version, omit the jalapeño.
- To keep the avocado fresh, add it just before serving to prevent browning.
- Char the corn on the grill for an extra smoky flavor, then cut the kernels off and follow the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
