Authentic Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
A recipe for traditional Mexican street corn, grilled corn on the cob coated in a creamy, tangy, and spicy sauce, topped with cheese and chili powder.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Grill the corn cobs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until kernels are tender and lightly charred, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- While the corn grills, prepare the sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, Mexican crema (or sour cream), chili powder, and cumin in a small bowl.
- Once the corn is cooked, remove it from the heat.
- Brush the creamy sauce mixture evenly over all sides of each hot corn cob.
- Immediately roll or sprinkle the coated corn generously with crumbled cotija cheese.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the cheese-covered corn.
- Sprinkle with additional chili powder and chopped cilantro.
- Serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- For Esquites (corn in a cup), cut the kernels off the cob after grilling and mix them directly into the sauce, then top with cheese and seasonings.
- If you cannot find cotija cheese, use feta cheese as a substitute, though the flavor will change slightly.
- For a spicier flavor, mix a dash of hot sauce into the crema mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ear
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 9
- Cholesterol: 35
