Mexican Street Corn Salad

Bright, creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites) with charred corn, a tangy chili-lime dressing, and plenty of cotija and cilantro—everything you love about elote in easy, shareable salad form. Perfect for cookouts, tacos, or weeknight grilling sides.

We love summer salads and this street corn salad is a family favorite! If you love Mexican corn on the cob you are going to go crazy for this salad version. Charred corn offers so much flavor to this street corn salad recipe that is only made even better with the addition of onion, avocado and crumbled Cotija cheese.

This Elote salad is covered with the perfect amount of creamy cilantro-lime dressing that is bound to wow your taste buds. Double up the batch and serve a crowd, or include this in your weekly meal prep to include in work and school lunches.

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Email *

Save This Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Mexican street corn salad is easier to eat than Elotes and you can serve it as a side salad or as a dip with tortilla chips.
• There is so much flavor in this salad thanks to a creamy dressing, charred corn, salty Cotija cheese and all of the fresh veggies and herbs.
• This hearty salad can stay in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days, so it is a great option for leftovers, if there are any.

Ingredients For Mexican Street Corn Salad

• ​Sweet corn – Fresh corn is what makes this salad so good! Buy fresh corn on the cob and remove the husks and silk. If you can buy it in season, even better! If you are unable to find corn on the cob, you can use frozen corn in it’s place.
• Olive oil – This is brushed on the corn for grilling. You can use any other oil with a high smoke point like vegetable or canola.
• Jalapeño pepper – Remove the seeds and membranes and dice them up for the salad. They add a nice kick of heat to this dish. If you prefer not to use a jalapeño, we recommend a diced poblano or a sweet bell pepper – red, yellow or orange. Do not add green bell pepper because will be too bitter.
• Red onion – Make sure it’s finely diced so the pieces are uniform with the size of the corn kernels. You can also swap in white, yellow or green onions.
• Avocado – We recommend a slightly firm avocado so it doesn’t get mushed into the salad when it’s stirred.
• Chopped cilantro – If you don’t like cilantro, you can use the same amount of fresh parsley in it’s place.
• Cotija cheese – This is a Mexican crumbling cheese that has a salty flavor. If you can’t find it, you can use feta cheese which is similar.
• Mayonnaise – This is the base of the dressing and makes it so rich and creamy. If you need a swap, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt are your best bets. The salad will end up with a bit of a different flavor, but still creamy and delicious.
• Lime juice – Use fresh-squeezed juice for the best flavor.
• Garlic – Use a garlic press to crush the garlic or mince it with a chef’s knife.
• Seasonings – All you need is ground cumin, salt and ground black pepper to really enhance the flavors of this delicious salad.

How To Make Mexican Corn Salad

1. ​Brush the corn with oil and grill the ears over medium heat until the kernels are lightly charred. Let the corn cool so you can handle it and then slice off the kernels into a large bowl.
2. Add the diced jalapeño, diced onion, and avocado to the bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Mix the mayo, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the corn salad and stir to coat everything evenly.
4. Sprinkle the Cotija and chopped cilantro over the top to serve.

If you love Mexican flavors, you will love this Mexican street corn salad. It’s one of our favorite ways to use fresh sweet corn during the summer – we know your family will love it, too!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling so I can see your grilling masterpieces!

5 from 2 votes

Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe

Creamy Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)—grilled corn in a chili-lime dressing with cotija and cilantro. Easy side for tacos, BBQ, and cookouts.

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:10 minutes mins

Chill Time:1 hour hr

Total:1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

• Pin

Save RecipeSaved!

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Email *

Save This Recipe

6

Equipment

• Basting brush
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 ears fresh sweet corn husked and cleaned
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 jalapeño pepper seeds removed and diced
• ▢ ½ cup red onion finely chopped
• ▢ ½ avocado chopped
• ▢ ½ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
• ▢ 2 ounces Cotija cheese finely crumbled, plus more for serving if desired

Dressing

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice about 1 lime
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat grill to medium heat and lightly oil grill grates.
• Brush olive oil on corn. Place on oiled grill grates.
• Cook corn, turning occasionally until tender and char marks are visible.
• Remove cooked corn from grill and allow to cool until you can easily handle the corn on the cob.
• Cut corn kernels from cob and add to a large bowl.
• Add diced jalapeño and diced red onion to bowl, stir to combine.
• Cut avocado and gently stir into salad.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and ground black pepper.
• Pour dressing over salad and stir until well combined.
• Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Chill until ready to serve, add crumbled Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Tips

Fridge: Mexican street corn salad will keep well in an airtight container in the for up to four days.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 249kcal (12%), Carbohydrates: 20g (7%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 10mg (3%), Sodium: 154mg (7%), Potassium: 369mg (11%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 352IU (7%), Vitamin C: 12mg (15%), Calcium: 58mg (6%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Gimme Some Grilling ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

Storage

Fridge: Mexican street corn salad will keep well in an airtight container in the for up to four days.

How To Serve Mexican Corn Salad

This is the best side dish for so many grilled dishes. We love it with Grilled Flank Steak Tacos, Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken and Grilled Pork Chops.

You can also serve it as an appetizer and scoop it up with tortilla chips! Or even use it as a topping on Blackstone Nachos. The possibilities are endless when you are serving this delicious dish.

More Great Corn Recipes

• You can’t have a party without serving Corn Salsa and chips. Tangy and herby cilantro lime dressing really enhances the flavor of the charred corn, tomatoes and onion. This is such a simple recipe that is bursting with flavor.
• Adding grilled corn to your homemade Guacamole is a major game changer. Your friends and family are going to be begging you for this recipe!
• Bring out the sweetness of your fresh corn on the cob by grilling it. Whether you’re a beginner or consider yourself to be a grill master, we’ve got three different ways for you to cook the best Grilled Corn on The Cob tonight.
• Let’s face it, there is just something extra refreshing about a good-for-you summer salad and our Grilled Corn Salad is a staple in our house during grilling season. Colorful and flavorful, just what you want to serve!

What Is The Easiest Way To Cut Corn Off The Cob?

Ah, yes, this can be a very messy job – but not anymore! If you have a bundt pan, hold the corn on the cob vertically in the middle of the pan and use a sharp knife to cut down the sides of the cob. The corn kernels will fall right into the pan for you!