Elote is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat corn, and Mexican street corn salad (also called esquites) is another perfectly easy way to get my cheesy, mayonnaise-y, addictively seasoned fix. This recipe is absolutely perfect for throwing together for picnics and parties, but is easy enough for weekdays dinners, too.
Ingredients
Corn – Fresh corn, cut right off of the cob. You can use boiled or canned corn, but rich, sweet, perfectly grilled corn is the absolute best. Butter – After a recommendation from some Mexican friends, I’ve started using butter on my elote, and it helps make this salad super rich. And what could be better than buttery corn? Mayonnaise – Good quality mayo really pulls this salad together. Mayonnaise is used in Mexican street corn to coat each ear of corn, and it helps make this salad creamy and rich. Cotija – A salty, hard Mexican cheese, crumbled cotija is another must for perfect elote. If you absolutely can’t find it, check out the top tips. Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is a must for delicious Mexican food. It adds tangy sweetness to the salad and pulls everything together.
How To Make It
Chef’s Tips
Grilled, lightly charred corn is perfect for this salad, but you can boil corn if you prefer. Check out my post on how to boil corn (plus a really easy way to cut the kernels off the cob). If fresh corn isn’t available, you can use canned corn. There are about two ears of corn in each 15-ounce can, so use 4 cans for this recipe. Drain it well and add the corn and 2 cups water to a saucepan over medium heat. Let it simmer until the liquid is almost totally gone, about 5-10 minutes. Make sure you use a good quality mayo without a funky or strong taste. I like Sprout’s Organic Mayo or Hellmann’s. Duke’s is another good option. If you can’t find cotija, you can use fresh parmesan or even feta cheese at a pinch.
How much juice is in one lime? The answer is pretty simple!
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