Elotes Mexican street corn is one of my favorite things in the world to eat. The grilled sweet corn slathered in mayo, cheese and spices is absolutely divine. But I keep my distance from corn on the cob these days as I have deep pockets in my gums. Eating corn on the cob causes irritation (and pain). So I stick to esquites which is the off-the-cob version of elotes . And I actually like it better.
Esquites works well as a side dish for tacos and seared fish. Grilled meat too (if you eat it). My favorite way to eat it though- tossed in a green salad. It adds texture and amazing flavor!
Although you can roast the corn in a cast iron skillet yourself… I prefer to use frozen fire roasted corn. It’s faster to prepare since it only takes like a minute to thaw in a hot pan. My secret ingredient is the chipotle adobo pepper sauce. This single ingredient adds the perfect amount of spice and seasoning. Esquites pairs perfectly with Mahi Mahi. I just season it up and sear it in a cast iron skillet. You can whip up this entire meal in less than a half hour. Here’s the esquites recipe.
Esquites {Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 lb fire roasted corn kernels (thawed)
- 1 tbsp butter (salted)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp chipotle pepper adobo sauce
- 1 cup cotija cheese (crumbled, set aside 2 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped, set aside 2 tbsp)
- 1 lime (wedged)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a hot non-stick skillet (I use cast iron) and add the corn. Cook until completely thawed and hot all the way through. Turn off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and chipotle pepper adobo sauce. Add it to the pan along with the cotija cheese and cilantro. Mix everything together until the corn is well coated.
- Serve garnished with the extra cotija cheese and cilantro, and a lime wedge. Squeeze the lime over the dish before eating.
Notes
- If unable to find frozen fire roasted corn, use fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels. Fry in the butter until roasted.
- Vegan mayo can be used in place of regular mayo.
- The butter can also be substituted with ghee or vegan butter.
