Mexican Street Corn-Style Cauliflower
Charred cauliflower tossed esquites-style in a creamy lime-garlic dressing with salty crumbled cheese, chili and cilantro — the flavor of elote without the corn.
Nutrition per serving
¾ cup- Net carbs
- 6.1g
- Calories
- 261kcal
- Protein
- 6.2g
- Fat
- 23g
- Total carbs
- 9.4 g
- Fiber
- 3.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Zucchini esquites: Diced zucchini charred hard in a skillet has the sweet, juicy pop of corn kernels — quicker than roasting, with fewer carbs.
- Skip the oven. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat and cook the zucchini in two batches, leaving it alone for the first 2–3 minutes, then tossing occasionally for 4–5 minutes more, until charred in spots but still firm.
- Season with half the chili powder and the salt, then dress and top as written.
Egg-free: All sour cream (or crema) in the dressing instead of mayonnaise — tangier, and egg-free.
- Whisk the extra sour cream into the dressing in place of the mayonnaise. It is thicker, so loosen it with a splash of water if needed.
Dairy-free (avocado): No cheese or sour cream: a mayo-lime dressing with diced avocado folded in for creaminess.
- Make the dressing with just the mayonnaise, lime and garlic, and fold in the avocado with the cilantro instead of the cheese.
- Add a pinch more salt to make up for the salty cotija.
- Charred cauliflower
- Dressing & toppings
- Charred cauliflower
- Dressing & toppings
- Charred cauliflower
- Dressing & toppings
- Charred cauliflower
- Dressing & toppings
-
2 tbsp sour cream or Mexican cremaleave out -
2 oz cotija or fetaleave out - Also add
Estimated cost $5.67 for 4 servings ($1.42 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a large sheet pan inside.
-
Toss the florets with the oil, half the chili powder and the salt. Carefully spread them on the hot pan in a single layer.
-
Roast 20–25 minutes, stirring once, until tender with deeply charred edges — the char stands in for the smoky blackened kernels of grilled corn.
-
Meanwhile, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest and garlic in a large bowl.
-
Toss the hot cauliflower in the dressing, then fold in most of the cheese and cilantro. Pile onto a platter and finish with the remaining cheese, cilantro and chili powder and the pinch of cayenne. Serve warm.
Tips for success
-
Small florets give the most charred edges per bite. For even more char, finish under the broiler for 2–3 minutes, watching closely. - Cotija is the traditional dry, salty Mexican cheese; feta is the easiest substitute. Either way, crumble it finely so it coats every piece.
- Serve with carnitas, fajita bowls or fish taco lettuce wraps.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Eat cold as a salad, or rewarm briefly in a skillet.
Prep tip: For meal prep, store the roasted cauliflower and the dressing separately and toss them with the cheese and cilantro just before eating.
Best warm on the day it is made. Refrigerate up to 3 days and eat cold as a salad, or rewarm briefly in a skillet.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosZucchini esquites
SwapDiced zucchini charred hard in a skillet has the sweet, juicy pop of corn kernels — quicker than roasting, with fewer carbs.
- cauliflower → zucchini
4.8 g net · 249 kcal · 5.1 g protein · 23 g fat · ≈$1.33 per serving (−1.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Egg-free
DietAll sour cream (or crema) in the dressing instead of mayonnaise — tangier, and egg-free.
- mayonnaise → extra sour cream or Mexican crema
6.7 g net · 197 kcal · 6.4 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$1.42 per serving (+0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free (avocado)
DietNo cheese or sour cream: a mayo-lime dressing with diced avocado folded in for creaminess.
- + 1 medium avocado
- no sour cream or Mexican crema
- no cotija or feta
5.9 g net · 258 kcal · 4 g protein · 23 g fat · ≈$1.43 per serving (−0.2 g net carbs vs the original)
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