Mexican Street Corn Salad is also known as Esquite not to be confused with Elote, which is on the cob. Esquite is smoky, spicy, tangy, a little sweet and incredibly delicious. If you love corn on the cob then you will love this version. Traditionally Esquite is made with fresh corn sautéed in butter, chopped onions, chilies, and salt, then served in disposable cups topped with tasty additions like mayo, lime juice, chili powder, hot sauce, cilantro and any other topping you heart desires. Sold all across Mexico, this street style snack is hugely popular in Mexico and here in the U.S specially in the summer when fresh corn is in season.
My version here is similar yet a bit different, I ditched the mayo, butter and made this a bit healthier by replacing it with a creamy avocado sauce, ground spices and lots of lime juice to makeup for the flavor and it works wonderfully.
Serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips, side dish for barbecues, picnics or simply eat it with a spoon.
Ingredients For Esquite
- Corn – you’ll need about 5-6 ears of fresh corn. I prefer making this salad with fresh corn, frozen pre roasted corn that’s defrosted works well too. Pre roasted corn is easy to find in your grocery stores freezer section. Trader Joes sells them so does WHOLEFOODS.
- Avocado– we use avocados to replace mayo and sour cream, it adds incredible creaminess and extra flavor+ its better for you. I used 3 small baby hass avocados, 2 regular works well.
- Ice– I added ice to blend the avocado into light whipped cream texture for the sauce.
- Yogurt– Use only if you need help moving the avocados in the blender.
- Cilantro – fresh cilantro is key to this recipe for freshness and flavor, If you’re not a fan of cilantro use mint and basil instead but, cilantro is the real deal, it adds the aromatic fresh Mexican flavor to this salad like no other.
- Cheese – Cotija is used traditionally, feta works really well if you have a hard time finding cotija. Just remember feta is salty so adjust accordingly.
- Lime Juice – fresh lime juice is the way to go for all things Mexican.
- Spices– we are going with the classic Mexican spice combo-ground cumin, ground chipotle powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and sea salt. Trust me chipotle powder take the salad that extra mile with its bold smoky flavor and heat. Skip if you can’t find it or can’t tolerate the spiciness
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Mexican Style Street Corn Salad
Equipment
- Skillet
- large bowl
- serving bowl
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz fresh corn, from about 5-6 corns** see notes husk and silk removed
- ½ medium red onion finely diced
- 1 small clove garlic, chopped
- 3 small or 2 regular avocados, ripe and pitted
- ⅓ cup lime juice from about fresh 2-3 limes
- 1-2 medium jalapeno, deseeded if needed finely diced, optional
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika** see notes
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ¼ cup ice cubes
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup cotija (or feta) cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Cut the corn off the cob. Use 5-6 fresh corn ears to get about 4 cups. You can also use frozen roasted corn. If using frozen, defrost and patted it dry and add it to a large bowl.
- Add the scooped avocados, garlic, half the lime juice, ice, and a pinch of salt to a food processor or high-speed blender. Puree until smooth and has a texture of whipped cream.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn, stir to saute. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn starts to char, which is why we’re using high heat. If using frozen unfrosted corn, add a couple of extra minutes to get the right char.
- Add the roasted corn to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining the remaining lime juice, chopped onion, jalapeño, ground cumin, ground chipotle, paprika, and cilantro Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Stir in the crumbled cheese. .
- Spoon the avocado cream to the bottom of a serving bowl and top with the corn salad mixture. Serve with chips. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Cut the corn off the cob, 6 ears will yield about 4 cups.
- If using frozen roasted corn, defrost the corn, pat it dry and add it to a large bowl.
- If using frozen not roasted corn, no need to defrost, cook from frozen and follow step 3.
- For mild corn salad skip the chipotle and jalapeño and use 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
- This recipe is medium hot with the recommended jalapeño and chipotle for reference.
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