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Looking for more Mexican-inspired recipes? Everyone always loves my Mexican Street Corn Salad as well as my Classic Sofritas recipe AND my Sheet Pan Quesadillas!
In this post…
Classic Mexican Street Food!
This has been one of my MOST popular recipes for many years, and today, it’s getting a little facelift. The beloved recipe stays the same, but you’ll see beautiful new photos and process photos to easily show you how to make this Mexican Street Corn recipe.
But not only is this one of my most popular recipes, it’s also one of MY FAVORITE recipes as well, and I kind of want to eat it every single day and here’s why:
- It’s a true street food classic! If you’ve ever had elote from a street vendor in Mexico, this recipe will bring back those flavors.
- Super easy to make – Only a handful of ingredients and less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Customizable! Add more spice, switch up the cheese, or turn it into esquites (Mexican street corn salad) if you prefer a spoonable version!
Ingredients to make Mexican Street Corn
Here’s everything you need to make authentic Mexican street corn at home. The FULL written recipe is down in the recipe card!
- Fresh Sweet Corn – You’ll need 4 ears of fresh corn. You can grill them with the husks on or off—totally up to you! Alternatively you can use canned or frozen corn.
- Crema Mexicana Agria Sour Cream – Mexican Crema adds that creamy, slightly tangy base for the topping. If you can’t find it, regular sour cream works too.
- Mayonnaise – A classic addition that makes the sauce extra rich and delicious.
- Cotija cheese – A salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that adds the perfect finishing touch. Feta cheese or Parmesan can work in a pinch!
- For bursts of flavor – Freshly crushed or finely minced for a little punch of flavor. Lime zest + lime juice AND lots of fresh cilantro (although you can leave it out as desired).
How to make it
- Grill your corn. If using fresh corn, start out by grilling it either in a grill pan or on a grill. I do it for about 12 minutes so that it’s lightly charred all around.
- Make the topping sauce. The sauce is very easy to make and simply consists of mixing together all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add toppings and serve! All that’s left to do is simple spread the sauce all over the corn (it WILL be messy but that’s part of the experience!). Then, top with more cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and a good sprinkle of paprika.
Expert Tips!
✔ Want extra char? Let the corn cook a little longer in certain spots for deeper grill marks.
✔ No grill? You can roast the corn in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Alternatively, you can cook it on the stovetop.
✔ Make it spicier! Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or drizzle with hot sauce for extra heat.
✔ Serving for a crowd? Double or triple the recipe for a party-friendly dish!
How to make this into Street Corn SALAD
If you’re looking for a salad version of this recipe, aka esquites, no worries! I have a full recipe for Esquites on my blog as well! It’s pretty similar to this recipe but with the corn kernels removed from the corn cob.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sauce can be made ahead, but for the best texture, grill the corn fresh before serving.
Feta, Parmesan, or queso fresco will work if you can’t find Cotija.
Fresh is best, but if needed, you can char thawed frozen corn or drained canned corn in a skillet for a similar effect.
Watch the recipe video
Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, *or sub for 2 cans of corn, drained
- ¼ cup Crema Mexican Agria Sour Cream, regular sour cream will work as well
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or finely minced)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- ¼ cup Cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Instructions
- TO GRILL YOUR CORN: Heat your grill to roughly 400 degrees F. You can grill the corn with the husks on or off. I took the husks off to ensure that I got some nice grill marks on the corn and because I feel like it gives it a nice grilled flavor. FOR HUSKS ON: let your corn soak in water for 10 minutes before grilling. FOR HUSKS OFF: lightly spray spray each cob with cooking spray.**
- Place the corn on the grill and grill for roughly 12 minutes, turning the cobs 1/4 turn every 3 minutes.
- TO SAUTE THE CORN: You can cook the corn in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in a little oil and once hot, add in the corn. Cook for a few minutes on each side until it starts to darken a little.
- Mix the topping sauce by stirring together the Mexican Sour Cream, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, garlic, lime zest and juice, and cilantro.
- Generously top each corn cob with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with a bit of chipotle chili powder, and top with a bit of extra cotija cheese and cilantro. ENJOY!
Notes
– Canned corn: if using canned corn, simple heat it in a large skillet (or serve it cold) and then mix it with the sauce. Here is my recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I will be making this over and over again. I made enough for two nights but sadly there were none left for the second night.
Kim
I made this for a barbecue with friends and it was a huge hit! Thank you for the easy to follow yet delicious recipe. I will be using it again!
Hi! I was wondering if I can use substitute anything for the chili powder? Maybe paprika? My boyfriend can’t eat chipotle anything lol
yes I’d try paprika!
Loved this! Doubled the recipe and had plenty for 12. Will definitely make this again!
I did use a bit different ingredient list as my base for a lower histamine option—low-fat Mayo, queso fresca, and Greek yogurt, but otherwise I followed your amounts and your spices. Ummm, spot on! Thank you for sharing this life-changing recipe! Because it’s not as healthy as plain corn, it will be an occasional treat but one definitely looked forward to until we eat it. 😋
Delicious! But I have quite a bit leftover and I’m curious about how well this freezes??
I just tried this for the first time and I am hooked! Mexican street corn is my new favorite way to enjoy corn.
This was great and all my family love this. I will certainly make again. Thanks
So easy, messy & delicious. I used my grill pan to grill the corn. I did not have crema or cotija cheese so as suggested, I substituted sour cream for the crema & parmigiana for the cotija. My husband is not a fan of spicy food so I cut the chipotle back but next time I will add more.
So easy and super yummy!