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Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or parties, this recipe features all the flavors of Grilled Mexican street corn (Elote) in a delicious, easy to share salad. Creamy and a little spicy, with a salty topping of Cojita cheese and a burst of fresh lime, the flavor combination of this salad is surprisingly irresistible!
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Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 3-4 ears of corn shucked, silk removed
  • 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeno finely chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper finely chopped
Dressing
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 small lime juiced (about 1 tbsp)
  • 1-2 shakes chili powder
  • 1-2 shakes cayenne
  • 1-2 shakes paprika
  • salt & pepper to taste
Topping
  • 2 tbsp Cojita cheese divided
  • 1/2 small lime

Method
 

  1. Heat a grill to high heat and roast the shucked corn for about 2 minutes on each side until browned, about 8 minutes total. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  2. Finely chop the onion, cilantro, jalapeno and bell pepper and place into a medium sized bowl.
  3. Once the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off of the cobs and add them to the bowl.
  4. Toss the contents of the bowl together until well mixed and set aside.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, juice of 1/2 lime with the chili powder, cayenne and paprika. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
  6. Pour the dressing onto the corn mixture and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the crumbled Cojita cheese. Toss everything together until the dressing is evenly distributed.
  7. Squeeze the remaining half of a lime over the top of the salad and top with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Cojita cheese.
  8. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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