Mexican Street Corn, also known as Elotes, feature grilled corn coated in a creamy mayo mixture and topped with Cotija cheese and cilantro. A fun and easy appetizer or side dish for summer!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Corn Recipe
My family loves this traditional Mexican side dish – in fact, it’s one of our favorites to make during the summer! Here are a few reasons why.
- Authentic Mexican. Mexican street corn is REAL Mexican food, not the Tex-Mex version. It’s a dish you can find being sold from carts on the streets of many Mexican towns.
- Only a handful of ingredients. You’ll need corn, mayo, sour cream, cheese, and just a few other basic ingredients to make this dish.
- Uses the grill. Many of our favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes require the oven but this Mexican street corn recipe is prepared on the grill. Perfect for the summer months!
We’ve also made some fun variations on this classic, including Mexican street corn soup and Instant Pot Mexican street corn!
What You’ll Need
Mexican street corn is made with ears of corn and a few toppings. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Corn – You’ll want raw husked ears of corn.
- Butter – Melted.
- Mayo & sour cream – Combined to make the crema base.
- Chile powder – Adds some heat to the crema.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice is a must here! You’ll want extra wedges for serving.
- Cotija cheese – Cotija cheese is a common Mexican cheese that’s perfect for these elotes because it doesn’t melt.
- Cilantro – For garnish.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn
Here’s a run-down of how to make your Mexican elotes. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Grill the corn. Brush the corn on the cob with the melted butter. Place the corn on the grill gates and cook until slightly charred. Rotate to char the other sides.
- Make the crema. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder, and lime juice.
- Prepare the elotes. Slather the corn with the creamy sauce over the corn kernels, sprinkle with the cheese, and finish with the cilantro.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few key things to keep in mind when making your Mexican street corn.
- Keep a close eye on the corn. You want it charred but not burnt and it can burn quickly.
- Use Mexican crema. If you can find it, try using Mexican crema in place of the sour cream. It’s more authentic but not always easy to find.
- What can I use in place of Cotija cheese? Cotija cheese is fairly popular and easy to find but if you’re having trouble, you can use feta. It’s not exactly the same but the texture is similar.
- Dip it into Cheetos. For a fun twist, roll the corn in crushed Cheetos after you add the mayo. Hot Cheetos are preferred. This is actually a common variation!
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy Mexican street corn as an appetizer or a side dish to your favorite Mexican dishes. Some of our favorites include carne asada, birria, and pork carnitas.
Proper Storage
Mexican street corn is best enjoyed immediately. You can grill the corn and make the mayo mixture in advance but it’s best to not assemble them until you’re ready to enjoy.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes To Try
Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn raw, husked.
- 1 tablespoon butter melted.
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Chile powder
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice plus extra wedges for serving
- 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija Cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Melt the butter and brush each ear of corn with the butter.
- Place each ear of corn on the grill grates and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Turn the corn once it’s a little charred and char the other sides as well. Keep a close eye on the corn as it can burn quickly.
- Add the mayo, sour cream, chili powder and lime juice to a small bowl and mix.
- Once the corn is properly charred, remove the corn to a platter.
- Slather the corn with mayo/sour cream mixture, sprinkle Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.
- Serve immediately with an additional lime wedge!
Last Step:
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