Mexican street corn gets a savory twist with this easy esquites recipe featuring chicken sausage. Perfect for BBQs, picnics, or weeknight snacking.

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Grilled Esquites with Chicken Sausage

Name: Grilled Esquites with Chicken Sausage
Prep time: 15
Cook time: 20
Total time: 35
Yield: 1
Ingredients: ears of corn, shucked (or 6 cups kernels); Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage, links split in ½ lengthwise, casing removed, and hand-crumbled; mayonnaise; finely crumbled cotija; lime zest; lime juice; finely chopped cilantro; finely minced red Fresno chili, seeds removed; kosher salt; Ancho or Pasilla chili powder; cojita; Fresno chili threads; cilantro leaves

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 1

Despite hitting its peak in the middle of grilling season, corn somehow still gets stuck with autumn associations. Maybe it’s the haunted corn mazes. Maybe it’s the cornhole tournaments in college football parking lots. But really, corn is one of summer’s unsung heroes, and Mexican-style esquites might be its ultimate warm-weather form.

This recipe has all the hallmarks of great Mexican street corn: blistered, smoky kernels, creamy mayo, bright citrus, and a little chili kick. But here’s the twist: fold in our Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage, and suddenly this cookout side becomes a full-on main event that’s at once smoky, savory, slightly sweet, and ultra-bright.

See Recipe

A bowl of cheesy, creamy esquites with a package of The Sausage Project's Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage.

A bowl of cheesy, creamy esquites made with The Sausage Project's Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage.

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

Esquites

8 ears of corn, shucked (or 6 cups kernels)

1 Classic Roasted Chicken Sausage, links split in ½ lengthwise, casing removed, and hand-crumbled

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup finely crumbled cotija

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon finely minced red Fresno chili, seeds removed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon Ancho or Pasilla chili powder

Garnish

1 tablespoon cojita

10 Fresno chili threads

8 cilantro leaves

Instructions

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 1

Blister the corn: Working in batches, place shucked ears of corn in a hot cast-iron or heavy-bottom sauté pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side until lightly blistered with black freckling (but not fully charred). Alternatively, use a grill. Let cool, then cut kernels from the cobs into a large mixing bowl.
Note: If using frozen corn, this recipe calls for 6 cups or 30 oz. of kernels.

Prep the sausage: Heat a large sauté pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add crumbled sausage and sauté 5–6 minutes, until browned on the edges. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before adding to the corn bowl.

Assemble the esquites: Stir mayonnaise, cotija, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, Fresno chili, salt, and chili powder into the corn and sausage. Transfer to a wide-rim serving bowl and garnish with extra cotija, chili threads, and cilantro leaves.