Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Charred corn with lime, mayo, cheese, and chile — elote off the cob, into a cup.
Ingredients
- 400 g Corn kernels
- 3 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1 Lime
- 50 g Cotija
- ½ tsp Chili powder
- 15 g Butter
- ½ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Juice the lime into a small bowl and set it by the stove.
- Roughly chop the cilantro and set it aside for topping.
- Crumble the cotija into small rubble so it is ready for topping.
- Char the corn hard in the butter in a screaming-hot wide skillet, stirring only twice, until blackened in spots, about 6 minutes.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the mayonnaise, the lime juice, the chili powder, and the salt until the corn is glossy.
- Spoon the corn into cups or a bowl, shower it with the cotija and cilantro, and serve it warm with spoons.
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About Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Esquites, sometimes called Mexican street corn salad, takes the flavors of elote off the cob and into a bowl, a beloved antojito that street vendors ladle into paper cups across Mexico. This rendition leans on the mayonnaise-and-cotija style familiar from taquerias, where the corn is charred hard in butter and then dressed while it is still hot enough to go glossy. It is vegetarian, ready in about fifteen minutes, and built to be eaten with a spoon.
The taste is rich, tangy, and smoky all at once: creamy mayo clings to blackened kernels, lime cuts through the fat, cotija adds salty crumble, and chili powder brings a gentle heat, with cilantro for a fresh green lift. The key move is charring the corn in a screaming-hot skillet and stirring it only twice, which lets the sugars caramelize into real blackened spots rather than steaming pale, then dressing it off the heat so nothing splits. Showered with cheese and cilantro and served warm, it is a natural alongside tacos, carne asada, or grilled anything, and it holds up well as a potluck dish.
Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)?
A serving has about 230 calories — 6.2g protein, 16.3g carbs, 15.9g fat, 2.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad) gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad) has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad) dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Cotija, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad) make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.