Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

Whether you call it esquites, Mexican street corn salad, or street corn off the cob, this side dish is always a crowd pleaser. Today I’ll show you how to make it on a Traeger grill or indoors using a skillet on the stovetop. My esquites recipe also cranks up the heat a little with the addition of grilled jalapeño peppers and a couple secret ingredients in the crema. Let’s get after it!

Mexican Street Corn Salad Ingredients

Esquites or “toasted corn” is a Mexican street food that closely resembles elotes or classic Mexican street corn (on the cob). It’s typically made with a creamy sauce of mayo and lime juice, chile powder, cilantro, crumbly cotija cheese, and obviously toasted corn.

But depending on where you get your Mexican street corn salad, the ingredients can vary. We recently fell in love with a street corn dish at chef Roy Choi’s Las Vegas restaurant, Best Friend, which had some of his famous Korean-Mexican flare. Their kalbi dish also inspired our Traeger grilled flanken short ribs.

My Secret Weapons

So, my take on esquites includes Japanese Kewpie mayo and chili garlic sauce. If you’re unfamiliar with Kewpie mayo, it’s a smoother, more umami mayo thanks to using only egg yolks and the addition of MSG. The chili garlic sauce adds a little kick of heat but mainly big garlic flavor.

These two additions make a really unique, tasty take on Mexican street corn, but you can definitely make this recipe with regular mayo and chile powder or other sauces. I’ve included a few ideas in the recipe card’s notes section below.

Traeger Grilled Corn vs Pan Roasted Corn

It’s hard to beat grilled corn on the cob, especially when it picks up some smoke on the Traeger. That said, the pan roasted corn isn’t as far off as you’d expect.

If you have a high-heat cook going on your Traeger like our Mexican grilled chicken breast, this corn would be great to throw on alongside your main dish.

But if you’re debating firing up the grill just for Mexican street corn salad, you can make a close second indoors. Especially with the addition of something like salsa macha or a chipotle chile powder to add some smokiness.

How to Make Both Versions (Recipe Video)

What to Serve with Esquites

With its antojitos or street food roots, it’s great on its own or served with tortilla chips. We like to serve it as a side dish with Mexican and Tex-Mex main dishes. Here are some ideas:

• Traeger Smoked Mexican Pork Tenderloin
• My Favorite Traeger Beef Fajitas
• Traeger Reverse Seared Tri Tip
• Tacos de Bistec
• Ground Pork Tacos Al Pastor
• Oven Baked Beef Tacos
• Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
• Traeger Pulled Beef Tacos
• Smoked Tex Mex Enchiladas

Let me know how you like to serve your Mexican street corn salad in the comments below!

You’ll find the printable recipe card below. If you have a question I forgot to cover, you can leave it in the comments below as well. I hope you enjoy your pan roasted or Traeger esquites!