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
PrintIf 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.
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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.
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I wanted to make this after having it a restaurant in Boston. We had just picked up a bunch of fresh sweet corn at a farm stand in Maine. But I didn’t have most of the authentic Mexican ingredients on hand so I winged it with substitutions – sour cream thinned with a little heavy cream, feta mixed in the sauce and then Parmesan sprinkled on top when serving, and a mixture of parsley with oregano for the cilantro since sadly my cilantro plant had shriveled up and died. Like others suggested, we cut it off the cob and served it in a bowl as a side. It was devoured by everyone. Can’t wait to make it again when I have the time to pick up the real Mexican ingredients!
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Luv the corn! I like to cut the corn off the cob after grilling and tossing in the sauce some times. A bit less messy and stores a few days in sealed container. Reminds me of when I was young.
I have tried this. It really worked out. The final corn was golden brown in colour and was very tasty. Can i just try another cream over this????Can you suggest me to use another one?
I make my own creme, buy “natural” sour cream, dilute with 1 – 2 tablespoons of lime juice to taste and desired consistency with a dash of salt, whisk and pour
I plan on making this in a couple of days and have a question about the crema. Is pourable Crema Mexicana (Mexican table cream) what’s called for here, or should I be looking for something in a sour cream – type container?