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What is Esquites?
Esquites is a zesty side dish inspired by the famous dish “Elote”, or Mexican Street Corn. It is mixture of grilled or charred corn tossed with chopped jalapeno and other ingredients, served with a tangy and creamy mayo-based dressing. It’s a very satisfying dish, a perfect summer dish dish, great for barbecues and picnics, definitely a party favorite. You’ll also hear it called “Mexican Corn Salad” or “Mexican Street Corn Salad”, or “Elote Salad”. It’s pretty much one of the kings of the Mexican street foods, where it is typically served in a cup, which is also called “Elote en Vaso”. It’s easier to eat than Mexican Street Corn (Elote), which can get pretty messy, even though it’s super fun to eat. Huge flavor, of course. This particular recipe takes all the awesome qualities of Mexican Street Corn and turns it into salad form. Let’s discuss how to make esquites!
Sweet Corn. Enough for about 6 cups of corn. Vegetable Oil. Jalapeno Peppers. Garlic. Cilantro and Scallions. Fresh Lime Juice. Seasonings. Red pepper flakes, salt. Try this elote seasoning recipe. Hot Sauce. Optional, for a spicier version. Mayonnaise. Cheese. Use queso fresco or crumbled cotija cheese.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the corn for 8-9 minutes, stirring, or until the corn browns and chars. Alternatively, you can grill the corn to get the char, then cool and cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Next, add the corn to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together until the corn is nice and creamy and the ingredients are uniformly mixed. Ready to Serve! Top with a bit of extra crumbly cheese, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve it up! Easy enough, isn’t it? This is a great side dish for summer parties, barbecues, cookouts, or ideal for holiday gatherings as well. Think Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July, Labor Day, even a great Christmas side dish.
Fresh Corn or Frozen Corn
Fresh sweet corn is the best for this recipe, but you can make it with frozen corn. Frozen corn is often much more convenient, especially when corn is not in season. To make this recipe from frozen corn, simply measure out the corn and cook it directly from frozen in a pan over medium heat with oil. Then, follow the remainder of the recipe instructions.
Cheese Options
Cotija cheese is a flavorful, crumbly Mexican cheese popular with Mexican cuisine. You can also use queso fresco or queso blanco. You can often find this as Mexican grocery stores or in some general grocers, or, you can make it yourself like I do. Learn how to make queso fresco here.
Variations
Feel free to add other ingredients to make this your own. Popular additions include black beans, avocados, diced tomatoes, white or red onion, Mexican crema for a lighter version, or pasta for a delicious Mexican Street Corn Salad Pasta. You can make this recipe the day before. I do not recommend freezing it, as it will affect the texture. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Mexican street corn salad recipe! Let me know how the party goes. Enjoy! NOTE: This recipe was updated on 8/30/24 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 7/10/19.
