This Mexican Street Corn Salad, also known as Esquites, is smoky, spicy, tangy and incredibly delicious. Inspired from the street corn of Baja Mexico, this salad is so addicting that you might just eat it right out of the bowl.
Time: 20 minutes (10 minutes cook, 10 minutes prep)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn (about 5 ears), cut from the cob
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 4 tbsp lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sour cream (or yogurt)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise (or light mayo)
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled
Instructions
- Cut the corn off from the cob… 5 ears yields approximately 4 cups. You can also use canned corn or frozen corn (no need to thaw!), but fresh corn has the best flavor.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and stir it around. 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 corn, you will need a couple minutes extra to get the right charred bits.
- Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool for a couple minutes.
- To the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything together until well combined. Adjust lime juice and salt and pepper as necessary.
- To serve, garnish with additional cheese and cilantro, if preferred.