Denis Petkov, 19, was found with stab wounds after an incident on East Hanningfield Road, Rettendon, just after midnight on Saturday 11 March.
He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
Mihal Dobrev, of East Hanningfield Road, appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court and pleaded not guilty to murder. Mr Dobrev is due to stand trial on 10 July.
A 37-year-old man has denied murdering a Bulgarian teenager in Essex.