Mexican Street Corn, or elote, is a delicious way to dress up corn on the cob. A little creamy, a little spicy, and full of flavor. This dish takes those flavors off the cob and makes it a little easier to eat. Do you ever want to bring a homemade dish to a party, but are in a bit of a time crunch? (I feel like I’m always in a time crunch these days.) This recipe is perfect for that. Even making a double batch, which entailed cooking the corn in two batches, it came together pretty fast. I chose to cook my corn in a cast iron skillet to really get it hot and give it a good char. This Mexican Street Corn Salad was a hit at the party we took it to, as I came home with an empty bowl. The first time I made this I doubled the recipe as written. However, I think it is just a delicious if you go a little easier on the dressing, as I did when I made it again recently. It’s easy to adapt to your crowd’s tastes.


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Mexican Street Corn Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

To feed a crowd, double the recipe. (The photographed dish is the recipe doubled.)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernels removed (about 3 cups fresh corn kernels)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 ounces cotija cheese, finely crumbled (substitute feta if you can't find cotija)
1/2 cup finely sliced scallion greens
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and stemmed, finely chopped
1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced on a microplane grater (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lime
Chili powder or hot chili flakes, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet, non-stick skillet, or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add corn kernels, season to taste with salt, toss once or twice, and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Continue tossing and charring until well charred all over, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and chili powder and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more chili powder to taste. Serve immediately.

barely adapted from Serious Eats