The Best Esquites Recipe (Street Corn Salad)

Name: The Best Esquites Recipe (Street Corn Salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Extra cilantro or crumbled cheese.; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 ½ cups frozen sweet corn; 2 avocados, peeled, pits removed, chopped; 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped; ½ red onion, finely chopped; ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped; ¼ cup crumbled cheese (Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta); 4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 2 teaspoons taco seasoning; 2 teaspoons hot sauce; ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste, or add additional lime juice

posted by Michelle Goth on Mar 4, 2021

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Look no further for the best Esquites recipe! This Mexican Street Corn Recipe is packed with charred corn, avocado, tomato, cheese and creamy lime dressing.

We spend a few weeks a year visiting family in Mexico, and the thing I love the most about our trips is the food! I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you. I enjoy the food at restaurants, but it isn’t my favorite.

My favorite place to get tasty food in Mexico? The street carts!

Around 7pm, you’ll hear the rumbling of carts being pushed into place all around town; on street corners and in the town square. There are all manners of food served, and it varies widely by region. In the Yucatan where we visit, we see tacos and tostadas, fresh fruit and juices, as well as fresh fried churros. But, my two favorite things to order are marquesitas (a fried crepe stuffed with cream or chocolate) and esquites.

Esquites Recipe - Mexican Street Corn Salad

What are Esquites?

Esquites are Mexican Street Corn (or “elotes”), but the corn is cut off the cob. You’ll also hear esquites referred to as “elotes in vaso,” which simply means “street corn in a little cup.” Esquites (for me) are easier to eat and easier to share with your family!

For our family of three, we typically order a cup of esquites, a few street tacos, tostadas or tamales, and a big order or churros or marquesitas to share for dessert. We leave absolutely stuffed, and spend less than $10!

The main ingredient in this esquites recipe is of course: corn. We tested frozen sweet corn, fresh and canned corn in this recipe.

Frozen sweet corn tasted best, but you can also use fresh or canned corn!

The star of this esquites recipe is the corn, of course. But, the other ingredients are the perfect compliments to the sweet, crunchy corn!

Avocado: Don’t skip this ingredient! It adds creaminess and fat to this veggie packed esquites recipe.
Tomato: This ingredient is not always found in street corn salad, but I think fresh tomatoes are a great addition. Any variety of tomato works, just make sure it’s nice and ripe!
Red onion: I like to get my red onion into a very fine diced sized for this recipe, so that you get just a little bit in each bite.

Cilantro: The fresh herb adds so much to this dish, but if you are cilantro-averse, you can substitute fresh parsley.
Cotija cheese: Cotija is my first choice for this esquites recipe. It’s aged and has a lot of “zip” to it! But, you can also use queso freso, a mild crumbled Mexican cheese, or feta!
Plain Greek Yogurt
Lime Juice
Chili Powder
Taco Seasoning
Hot Sauce
Salt: You can also substitute extra lime juice for salt.

How to make Gluten Free Esquites

Most of the fresh ingredients in this esquites recipe are naturally gluten free. But, a few of the prepared ingredients can contain gluten, so you’ll need to check these ingredients to be sure before using them:

Greek Yogurt: All Chobani and Yoplait yogurts are gluten free.
Taco Seasoning: Old El Paso taco seasoning is gluten free.
Hot Sauce: Almost all hot sauces are gluten free, but it’s worth checking your label to be sure gluten wasn’t used as a thickener. I use Valentina, which is gluten free. Cholula, Frank’s and Tabasco are safe options, as well.

I hope that you love this esquites recipe! It’s wonderful by itself, as a side dish or on the top of your favorite Mexican dishes! I recommend pairing it with one of these delicious recipes: