Save It
Please welcome my friend and fellow blogger Megan Keno from Country Cleaver who is sharing a recipe for one of my favorite things to eat—Mexican Street Corn! ~Elise
Whenever we go back to my husband’s hometown for any of the summer holidays – Flag Day, July 4th, or Labor Day – there is always a little taco cart sitting at the park with the rest of the food trucks.
This one cart always a line stretching out in front and around the corner with people waiting to get their mitts on classic street tacos, burritos, and grilled Mexican street corn (elotes) slathered in sauce.
There is absolutely no way to eat this messy corn on the cob delicately, but usually you’re not alone since half of the other people gathering for the event are equally covered in it as well. Small town events, and their street cart food, mean that summer is really here!
When we are far away from the lively celebrations of his hometown, my husband and I can relive the fun by grilling corn on the grill and making our own version of Mexican street corn in just a few minutes. The charred kernels and the tangy sauce really make this different from your everyday corn on the cob.
If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, by all means, use regular sour cream. Crema is a little thinner than sour cream and has added salt, which makes it extra divine. It’s usually what we keep in our house now!
And if cotija isn’t available, feel free to omit it, or just use grated Parmesan instead.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elotes) Recipe
If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, by all means, use regular sour cream. You can also substitute grated Parmesan cheese for the cotija.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup minced cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, from one lime
- 2 tablespoon lime juice, from one lime
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- Lime wedges, to serve
Method
1 Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400F. Clean the grates once it has heated.
2 Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema has a little salt already, so add extra judiciously.) Set aside.
3 Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
4 Top the corn with sauce and cheese: Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.
Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
Megan Keno, is the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind the nationally recognized food blog Country Cleaver. Her work has been featured in Country Living Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, America’s Test Kitchen, The Kitchn, and on The Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen Blog.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)
I made this a few times with slight variations. Regular pepper instead of chipotle pepper, added paprika and I don’t like cilantro so didn’t use that. Used the mayo and sour cream mix, not the crema. It is amazing!!! My family requests it all the time now.
xxxxxyyyyy
I’ve made this both on and off the cob with fresh and good quality frozen corn – all delicious!
Can you use frozen or canned corn as corn on the cob is out of season?
Hi, Kelli! This recipe is intended to be eaten off the cob. You could certainly cook frozen corn, then dress it in the flavors used here.
Karen,
Yes, bagged frozen corn can be used if you are going to make it a casserole.
However, when you can do the crib version it’s awesome….and I have cut the kernels off the cob and made it as a salad with no cooking.
I made this recipe for a family BBQ on Labor Day and it got rave reviews!!!
It’s so good, isn’t it, Diane! Glad it went over well! Thanks for your comment.
So good as written, even better when doctored up to your taste. For ours, I made as written, and then added more. I added more lime juice (how can you go wrong?), regular sour cream (a heaping spoonful in addition to the crema and mayo), and Klass chilito seasoning after I sauced the cob. O M G. Absolutely awesome. I got to make this with my nephew and had an awesome bonding experience.
xxxxxyyyyy
Hi, Amber! That’s so great to hear! Bonding over food is the best!
Can I use frozen corn?
Hi Karen! I assume you mean frozen corn on the cob? Yes, I don’t see why not! Thanks for your question.
I had a variation of corn off the cob and you can pan fry it to get the caramelization. And then pipe the mix over top of the corn and sprinkle the cheese on and season as desired. Best way to rate Elote is with a fork :)