Esquites, or elote en vaso, is a Mexican street corn salad that includes all the flavors of traditional elote—but off the cob. In this version of the recipe, the corn is blackened in a pan. Esquites can be made in advance and holds up really well once refrigerated. It can be served as a side on taco night, or integrated into your weekly rotation for meal prep!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 20 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups fresh sweet yellow corn (from about 4 ears)
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions (from about 1 bunch)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 Fresno chile, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- Chili powder, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil. Once the butter is melted, add the corn and stir to coat in the butter mixture. Spread the corn into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook until softened, another 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add the corn mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the scallions, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, Fresno chile and 2 tablespoons of the cotija. Add salt to taste. Add the salad to a serving bowl and top with the remaining cotija. Sprinkle with chili powder and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 163 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 315 mg |
Reviews
This is a very easy and delicious recipe. I used frozen corn which meant I could make it year round. It saved really well for left overs also.
Awesome!
Delicious! I made this for a cinco de mayo event and I won! I will keep this going all summer! Thank you Valerie.
Made this tonight as a side for tacos. It was delicious and a big hit with my family. Swap out the chile for one with more or less heat for your taste.
Delicious simple and easy I love Valerie’s recipes she’s the best I hope she’s not another one that is not in the Network anymore
Fantastic Mexican street corn salad! I can’t find quality corn on the cob this time of year, so I used frozen corn. The flavors were fantastic and this is now my new go-to side dish for taco night. The verde chicken from the same episode was also fantastic. Thank you for sharing!
I made this after seeing it on the show. The fresh corn off the cob mixed with those flavors was delicious! I served this with homemade pork taquitos and Pico. A keeper recipe!
Wow, made this after seeing the show today, delicious! The flavors work really well together.
This tastes amazing made this with steaks and a grilled potatoes