Name: Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 ears corn*; 2 tablespoons Crema Mexican Agria Sour Cream*; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 cloves garlic; 0.25 tsp fine sea salt; 1 lime; 0.5 tsp chipotle chili powder; 1 bell pepper; 1 jalapeno; 0.333 cup cotija cheese; 0.25 cup Cilantro; optional for garnish:

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Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

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Ingredients

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Instructions

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Instructions

Heat your grill to roughly 400 degrees F.

You can grill the corn with the husks on or off. I took the husks off to ensure that I got some nice grill marks on the corn and because I feel like it gives it a nice grilled flavor. FOR HUSKS ON: let your corn soak in water for 10 minutes before grilling. FOR HUSKS OFF: lightly spray spray each cob with cooking spray.**

Place the corn on the grill and grill for roughly 12 minutes, turning the cobs 1/4 turn every 3 minutes. Let the corn cool enough to handle and then carefully cut the corn from the cob and place in a large bowl.

Make the sauce by stirring together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, lime zest and juice, and chili powder.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, cotija cheese, and cream sauce. Toss to combine so that all of the corn is covered in the sauce.

Garnish with additional cheese and cilantro and ENJOY!

Notes

For the corn: you can also use 2 cans of corn to make the recipe a little easier. I suggest getting “fire-roasted” canned corn if you can find it!

For the sour cream: Cacique makes a great Mexican sour cream and is my preferred brand. It’s a little thinner than regular sour cream HOWEVER regular sour cream will work as well in this recipe if that’s what you have.

To cook the corn: You can also make this by cooking the corn in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray the husked corn on the cob with cooking spray and wrap in foil individually. Roast for 20-25 minutes

To store leftovers: store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for a few days.

To make this VEGAN: to make this vegan simply swap the mayo and sour cream for vegan versions. For the cheese, I highly suggest using a vegan feta. I’ve made this recipe with Violife’s crumbled feta and it’s SO GOOD!

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Char Your Corn for Depth 🔥
Grill or pan-sear corn kernels until they develop golden-brown spots; this caramelization creates complex, smoky flavors that elevate the entire salad beyond simple boiled corn.
Balance Crema and Mayo 🧈
Mix Mexican crema with mayonnaise in a 1:1 ratio to achieve the perfect creamy texture—crema alone is too thin, while mayo alone lacks the authentic tang and richness.
Toast Your Chipotle Powder 🌶️
Lightly toast the chipotle chili powder in a dry skillet for 30 seconds before mixing into the dressing to unlock its deep, smoky notes and prevent a raw, flat flavor.
Crumble Cotija Fresh, Not Early ✨
Add cotija cheese as a final garnish just before serving rather than mixing it in; this preserves its crumbly texture and salty punch instead of letting it dissolve into the creamy dressing.
Zest Before You Squeeze 🍋
Always zest your lime before juicing it, then add zest directly to the salad for bright, aromatic citrus flavor that regular lime juice alone cannot provide.