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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Just made these today. Excellent and will be a summer and Cinco De Mayo staple at our house. Thank you!,
Had a salsa-like version from The Fresh Market. Found your recipe and knew I had to try it. I cut the corn off the cob after roasting and tossed it in the sauce. LOVE IT! I also marinated some chicken breast in the sauce and grilled it. I am going to make a salad of Roma tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro and lime. Then combine the three on a flour tortilla. Thank you!!!!
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Can I broil it instead of grilling (or pop in the oven)? My grill just went kaput and I’ve promised my company that I’d make this tonight!
Perfect! I had heard about Mexican Street Corn (Elote) and tried Megan’s recipe out for our Fourth Of July with friends. Wow! You sure made me look like the Galloping Gourmet! I actually had a guest say that the corn was, “…to die for.” Several people commented on it and it was fantastic! It not only tasted fantastic, but it really looks nice on the plate. We had it again last night and I can’t wait to make it again in a couple of nights. You will crave this fun side dish! Would go great with “taco night”, “hamburger night” or cookout. Thank you!
This is a crave recipe. Once you have it you crave it. I use sour cream but might try the crema sometime. Didn’t have cojita so I used queso fresco crumbling cheese. I like the Chipotle chile powder, a little pricy but worth it for the smoky flavor.