Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
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Smoky from the grill and messy in the best way, this flavorful Mexican street corn recipe turns simple corn on the cob into something special.
Mexican street corn, or elote, is a drip-down-your-chin juicy corn on the cob snack sold by street vendors all over Mexico and the American Southwest. In Spanish, the word for corn is elote, and the vendors are often referred to as eloteros. Fresh sweet corn is typically boiled or chargrilled, slathered with a creamy and tangy sauce, dusted with chili powder and crumbly cotija cheese, and served on a wooden stick, similar to a popsicle.
This chargrilled Mexican street corn recipe is quick and easy, and it makes a fabulous side dish to my shrimp tacos, carne asada, or tequila lime chicken.
“This dish stole the show last night! Absolutely delicious!! A true keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Mexican Street Corn
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: Form a creamy, tangy coating that enhances the corn’s flavor. Always use a good quality mayo, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
- Lime Juice: Adds a bright, acidic punch to balance the richness of the sauce.
- Garlic: Provides a savory note to amp up the flavor.
- Cotija Cheese: Lends a salty, crumbly texture that complements the sauce. Cotija cheese is firm and dry and slow to melt so it’s frequently used in Mexican cuisine to add a finishing touch and a pop of flavor. Most large supermarkets carry it (look for it near the Mexican cheeses or the feta cheese), but if you’re unable to find it, feta cheese makes a good substitute due to its salty, crumbly texture. Parmesan can also be used.
- Fresh Cilantro: A fresh contrast to the creamy coating. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, fresh parsley can be substituted.
- Chipotle Chile Powder: Adds a smoky, mildly spicy kick. To tone down the heat, substitute smoked paprika.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Elote
Step 1: Make the sauce. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, and seasoning.
Pro Tip: For extra depth (and if time allows), let the sauce sit in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before using. The garlic mellows and the flavors meld, making it even more flavorful.
Step 2: Grill corn. Set a grill to medium-high and place the ears of corn directly on the grates (no oil needed). Cook the corn, turning them occasionally with tongs, until lightly charred and tender.
Step 3: Add the toppings. Combine the cotija cheese and cilantro on a plate. Brush each ear of corn with the sauce, then roll lightly in the cotija-cilantro mixture.
Step 4: Finish and serve. Sprinkle with a pinch of chipotle chili powder and serve warm with lime wedges.
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Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 8 ears corn, shucked
- 1 cup finely crumbled cotija cheese (see note)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Chipotle chile powder, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, salt, and sugar. Set aside.
- Heat the grill to medium-high (about 400°F/205°C). Place the ears of corn directly on the grill (no need to oil the corn or the grill first). Grill the corn, covered, turning occasionally, until the corn is cooked through and lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
- Let the corn sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Combine the cotija cheese and cilantro on a large, flat plate. Using a pastry brush, coat each ear of corn with the mayonnaise/sour cream mixture and then lightly roll each ear in the cotija/cilantro mixture. Sprinkle each ear all over with a pinch of chipotle chili powder. Serve warm with lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Absolutely fantastic! I’m an ametuer foodie and a harsh critic. This recipe ROCKS!
This was delicious!!! I will be making again and again!
Fabulous! I’ve made this twice in a week. My husband had been to a bbq place & came home raving about the corn he had. The next day Jen posted this recipe, we both love it. He puts bbq seasoning on his instead of chipotle powder & says it’s as good as the restaurant. On my menu for supper club with pulled pork next week.
the sauce was stunning you are most certainly the queen of cuisine
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Excellent!!
Perfect flavors and easy to put together. I shucked the corn after grilling and mixed the other ingredients with it in a large bowl.
I managed to find the Cotija cheese at a Mexican market nearby which really makes the dish!
I served it with bbq shrimp.
Fantastic recipe! Thanks Jen for another great recipe! 😊
This is amazing!! My 13 year old son ate so much corn he didn’t even have room for tacos and that is unheard of in my house. We substituted feta. So good!
This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time in my inbox. I just came home from grocery shopping and had all the ingredients, but had to substitute with feta cheese. Well I have say it fabulous, it was like I had a party going on in my mouth with all the flavours. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for all your great recipes. They always come out and taste fabulous.
Can’t wait to try this!
We recently returned home from vacation in Scottsdale AZ and had this at a Mexican restaurant there. It was fabulous and I’ve been searching for recipes online to recreate it…….search no more!
I’m definitely trying Jen’s version cuz I’m sure it won’t disappoint!!
I’ll report soon! ☺️
Thanks Jen!!
Love this recipe. A good method for grilling the corn is to grill it first unshucked so it gets steamed then shuck and blacken it for a few minutes again on the grill
Great recipe, I loved the combination of flavors.
This looks amazing Jen!! Another one to try. Do you have any suggestions/adjustments for altering this recipe to be off the cob? Don’t want to pull off my tooth bonding!
Ha! You can slice the kernels off the cobs and then add the sauce, cheese, and herbs to taste (you won’t need all of it).
Awesome, thanks!!
Can this be prepared ahead and kept warm for a few hours?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Tammy — sorry!