Mexican Street Corn Salad (Elote)
I bring this to every potluck and every time someone asks "who made the corn?" It's me. It's always me. And I'm always slightly smug about it, which is not my most attractive quality but is honest.
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn or 4 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise Kewpie for extra credit
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo, minced this is canned smoked chillies in a tangy sauce
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled or feta as substitute
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
Method
Char the Corn
- If using fresh: grill the ears directly over high heat for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots. Cut the kernels off the cob. If using frozen: thaw, pat dry, and char in a hot skillet with a tablespoon of oil over high heat for 5-6 minutes. Don't stir constantly — let the kernels sit and develop blackened spots. The charring is essential. It adds smoky sweetness that raw or boiled corn simply doesn't have. Without char, this is just corn salad. With char, it's elote.
Make the Dressing
- Mix mayo, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, garlic, and half the chilli powder. The chipotle in adobo is what makes this smoky and slightly spicy — start with 1 tablespoon and taste. If you want more heat, add more. The sauce should be creamy, tangy, and have a slow-building smokiness.
Combine
- Toss the charred corn with the dressing. Add cotija cheese and cilantro. Toss again. Taste: it should be creamy, tangy, smoky, slightly spicy, and sweet from the corn. Adjust lime, salt, or chilli powder as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with extra crumbled cotija, a dusting of chilli powder, and a few cilantro leaves.