I love making pasta salads, especially during the summer months. A few favorite pasta salad recipes include: Italian pasta salad, easy orzo salad, caprese pasta salad, and BLT pasta salad. Grilled steak is also perfect for summertime. Everyone loves st…
I love making pasta salads, especially during the summer months. A few favorite pasta salad recipes include: Italian pasta salad, easy orzo salad, caprese pasta salad, and BLT pasta salad. Grilled steak is also perfect for summertime. Everyone loves steak salad, steak tacos, and steak kabobs. They are summer staples. Well, I decided to make…
This seaweed salad is colorful, delicious, and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. If you enjoy seaweed salads at Japanese restaurants, try this fun twist on the concept.…
This seaweed salad is colorful, delicious, and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. If you enjoy seaweed salads at Japanese restaurants, try this fun twist on the concept. Many prepared seaweed salads are colored with food dyes, but this one obtains its lively color from veggies.
If you’re relatively new to seaweed, like I am, this salad offers a great introduction. It calls for arame, which has a more mild and sweet flavor compared to other seaweed varieties. The crisp textures of cabbage and bell pepper, combined with soy sauce and ginger, contrast beautifully with the seaweed.
This salad is the perfect way to incorporate nutritious seaweed into your diet.Seaweed’s nutritional benefits vary depending on the specific variety, but they are often a good source of fiber, iodine, potassium and magnesium, among others. I try to consume a wide variety of whole foods, so seaweed is a welcome addition.
This easy to make recipe for shrimp tacos features juicy, seasoned shrimp and a crisp cilantro slaw, all wrapped in warm corn tortillas for a fresh, flavorful meal. Ready in 30 minutes for a new weeknight favorite!
This easy to make recipe for shrimp tacos features juicy, seasoned shrimp and a crisp cilantro slaw, all wrapped in warm corn tortillas for a fresh, flavorful meal. Ready in 30 minutes for a new weeknight favorite!
This corn salsa is a delicious blend of fresh corn, crisp red onion, and bright cilantro, all tossed with a tangy lime juice and a hint of spicy jalapeño. It’s a vibrant and flavorful recipe that’s perfect for brightening up any meal or snack!
This corn salsa is a delicious blend of fresh corn, crisp red onion, and bright cilantro, all tossed with a tangy lime juice and a hint of spicy jalapeño. It’s a vibrant and flavorful recipe that’s perfect for brightening up any meal or snack!
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.
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.
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.
*Frozen corn can be used instead, about 4 cups. **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.
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!
This easy fish taco sauce is creamy and tangy with a bit of a kick. Use it as a dip for shrimp or chicken tenders, as well as a sauce for fish tacos. It tastes great with fries, or homemade potato chips too!
This easy fish taco sauce is creamy and tangy with a bit of a kick. Use it as a dip for shrimp or chicken tenders, as well as a sauce for fish tacos. It tastes great with fries, or homemade potato chips too!
I make a lot of salads during the summertime and this effortless Avocado Corn Salad recipe is a forever favorite. It’s the perfect way to use up some garden vegetables and add some freshness to your meals. The creaminess of the avocado, the natur…
I make a lot of salads during the summertime and this effortless Avocado Corn Salad recipe is a forever favorite. It’s the perfect way to use up some garden vegetables and add some freshness to your meals. The creaminess of the avocado, the natural sweetness of the corn, the juicy tomatoes, and the zing from…
Are you ready for the BEST salad recipe? I make a lot of salads and this Charred Corn Cabbage Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is definitely a favorite. The flavors and textures are OUTSTANDING! Remember that viral Green Goddess salad? This salad is …
Are you ready for the BEST salad recipe? I make a lot of salads and this Charred Corn Cabbage Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is definitely a favorite. The flavors and textures are OUTSTANDING! Remember that viral Green Goddess salad? This salad is similar, but it has a Mexican spin! The base of the salad…
I love making pasta salads, especially during the summer months. A few favorite pasta salad recipes include: Italian pasta salad, easy orzo salad, caprese pasta salad, and BLT pasta salad. Grilled steak is also perfect for summertime. Everyone loves steak salad, steak tacos, and steak kabobs. They are summer staples. Well, I decided to make… 
Flavorful beef smothered in a creamy poblano sauce. 
There's more room to play with flavors and textures! 
I make a lot of salads during the summertime and this effortless Avocado Corn Salad recipe is a forever favorite. It’s the perfect way to use up some garden vegetables and add some freshness to your meals. The creaminess of the avocado, the natural sweetness of the corn, the juicy tomatoes, and the zing from… 
Are you ready for the BEST salad recipe? I make a lot of salads and this Charred Corn Cabbage Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing is definitely a favorite. The flavors and textures are OUTSTANDING! Remember that viral Green Goddess salad? This salad is similar, but it has a Mexican spin! The base of the salad…