Esquites is a Mexican street snack that is to die for. Traditionally it’s served hot, but this version is good warm, cold, or at room temperature, making it great for picnics.

You can eat it alone as a side dish, scoop it up with tortilla chips, or spoon it onto tacos, nachos, or quesadillas. The only thing you can’t do is eat just a little bit! We dare you to try!

This version of esquites is spicy, but you can tone it down by cutting out the seeds/ribs of the jalapeno and leaving the cayenne off. We love spicy foods, but we know some people are sensitive to it, so make it a bit more tame if that works best for you and your family.

How to make esquites:

First, shuck and clean the corn if needed. Then cut the corn off the cob. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and salt, and saute’ until well charred.

Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool slightly (about 5-10 minutes should do it), then add the remaining ingredients…And that’s it!

Serve your esquites however you wish! Tonight I added it to some tomatoes, Monterrey jack cheese and corn tortillas to make a vegetarian quesadilla.

If you love all things corn and pepper with a bit of kick check out Roasted Poblano and Corn Chowder. It’s perfect in cool weather and so easy to make.

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Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)

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Ingredients

4 ears corn
1 jalapeno finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 T butter
1/2 t salt
1 t chili powder
1/4 t cayenne
3 T fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
3 T cotija or feta cheese
2 T mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 green onions chopped

Instructions

Cute the corn from the cobs.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the corn and salt and saute until charred.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Let cool slightly (about 10 minutes should do it), then add the remaining ingredients.
Serve at any temperature with chips, on its own, or on quesadillas!