Mexican Street Corn Salad

In Mexico, corn is king!

Corn originated in Mexico nearly 10,000 years ago when ancient farmers domesticated the wild grass called teosinte transforming it into large-eared maize that we know today. Mexican Street Corn, or elote, is a centuries-old story blending indigenous heritage with European influences.

Elote, corn on the cob, is a grilled ear combined with lime juice, chili pepper, cotija cheese and mayonnaise, sprinkled with cilantro.

Esquites is basically the same dish, but served off the cob with many of the same ingredients, although variations are endless.

Elote and its many variations are celebrated as a symbol of Mexican heritage. The dish is a staple at street fairs, markets and festivals throughout Mexico.

Mexican Street Corn Salad is easy to make and packed with flavor. Here is my version.

Red bell pepper is not a traditional ingredient, but you do sometimes see it in modern Mexican salads.

Start by grilling corn, a red bell pepper, a jalapeno pepper and a few large garlic cloves.

Brush all the veg with olive oil and grill for a couple minutes on each side or until some char marks form. Remove from the grill and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine mayo, smoked paprika, garlic and lime zest and juice. Slice the kernels off the corn, peel and dice the red bell pepper and chop the jalapeno. Do not peel the jalapeno as the char gives the salad a little smoky taste.

Add the veg to the bowl containing mayo mix. Stir to coat, then add cotija cheese. Lastly add some chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This salad gets even better if it has time to set up. I made it in the morning to serve for a late lunch.

I also thought some Tin Can Margaritas would go nicely with this salad, and they did! These are fun to make and even more fun to sip! I posted the recipe on the old blogsite so if you want to print, you will need to copy and paste. You can easily cut the recipe in half if you are not making for a crowd. Add more water if they taste too strong. Add less triple sec (or Grand Mariner if you’re feeling rich!) if you don’t like your margaritas too sweet.

https://cookwithcindy.com/2020/03/25/a-little-of-this-and-that/

Scroll down on this post to get the recipe. Salud!

My good friend, Dorita Pina, pointed out that I missed the quantity of a key ingredient in the Pistachio Ice cream post of a couple weeks ago. Sorry about that! The recipe has now been corrected. You want to use 1/2 cup of Pistachio paste. 

https://cookwithcindy.com/2025/10/12/pistachio-ice-cream-no-churn/

Print Pin

Mexican Street Corn Salad

A little spicy and packed with flavor. The lime mayo dressing makes it very refreshing.

Ingredients

• 4 large Ears of fresh corn
• 1 large Red bell pepper, to make about 1/2 cup
• 1 Tbsp. Jalapeno pepper
• 3 Cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
• 2 Key limes or 1 large lime, juice and zest
• 1/3 cup Scallions, both white and green parts sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp. Smoked paprika
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Peel the corn and brush with olive oil. Also brush the red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic cloves. Preheat your gas grill and lay the veg on to roast. Grill for a couple of minutes on all sides or until char marks form. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool.
• Once cooled, slice the kernels off the corn, peel and dice the red pepper to make about 1/2 cup, finely chop garlic and jalapeno pepper to make about 1 Tbsp. Add more if you like it spicier.
• In a large bowl, add the juice and zest of 2 key limes, 2 Tbsp. mayo, garlic and smoked paprika. Mix these ingredients thoroughly then add the corn, red pepper, jalapeno and scallions. Stir to coat evenly. Next add the cheese and finally the cilantro.
• Season to taste, cover and chill for at least a couple of hours.