This Mexican Street Corn or Elote recipe is a popular food loved by many across the world. I’m sharing the recipe a friend shared with me. She makes it for the Cinco De Mayo celebration and I make it whenever I can buy fresh ears of corn.
Yesterday, I shared my recipe for Street Tacos made with steak. This Elote corn is the perfect side dish with tacos.
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What is an Elote?
Street vendors sell fresh sweet corn and top it with a creamy sauce. Delicious and authentic Elote can be found anywhere in the streets of Mexico City, throughout Mexico, and in many US cities with a large Hispanic population. Elote is messy and addictive!
Mexican street corn is commonly served with Cotija cheese, which is a crumbly and salty cheese made from cows’ milk. It is often available in larger grocery stores or specialty shops. I found it at my local Walmart. It is also a great topping for tacos. Be sure to have leftovers the next day in a Mexican Street Corn Salad too!
Kitchen Notes and Tips
- Mexican Street Corn is often slathered in a delicious creamy sauce of seasoned Mexican crema and mayonnaise mixture. If preferred, you can also use this mixture sparingly. If you can’t find Mexican crema, regular sour cream is a good substitute. I found it at Walmart in the refrigerated cheese section.
- If Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes are popular in your house, make double or triple batches of the taco seasoning to use later. Excess seasoning can be stored in an airtight container for several months.
- During the grilling season, you can grill the corn instead of broiling it in the oven to get that charbroiled flavor!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields: 6
Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 2 T. chili powder
- 1 T. ground cumin
- 1 t. ground coriander
- 2 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. smoked paprika
- 1 ½ t. fine sea salt
- 1 t. ground black pepper
- ½ t. ground white pepper
- ¼ – ½ t. cayenne pepper
Other Ingredients for Mexican Street Corn
- 6 large fresh ears of corn
- 3 T. unsalted butter, melted
- ½ c. Mexican crema or sour cream
- ½ c. mayonnaise
- 3 T. fresh cilantro, chopped, divided
- 1 T. taco seasoning (see above)
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ c. Cojita cheese, crumbled
- 1-2 t. ground chipotle or smoked paprika
Supplies used
How To Cook Make Mexican Street Corn
#1. Place the top oven rack in the second position from the top and set the broiler to high heat. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.
#2. Husk the corn and remove the silk. Rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining silk and pat dry. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the melted butter on all sides.
#3. Place the baking sheet under the preheated broiler for 5-6 minutes, or until the top of the corn is slightly charred.
Remove from oven and carefully rotate the corn one-third of the way around before placing it under the broiler again. Broil for another 5-6 minutes, then rotate and broil for another 5-6 minutes. (Note: Total cooking time should be 15-18 minutes)
#4. While the corn is under the broiler, prepare the taco seasoning by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
#5. Combine the Mexican crema (or sour cream), mayonnaise, and two tablespoons of chopped cilantro in a medium bowl. Add one tablespoon of taco seasoning and stir to combine. Set aside.
#6. Remove the broiled corn from the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the seasoned Mexican crema mixture evenly.
Use all or a thin layer according to your preference. Get a serving platter to place the ears of corn.
Serve your Mexican street corn immediately with crumbled Cotija cheese, remaining cilantro, and a sprinkle of ground chipotle or smoked paprika. Enjoy!
More Mexican Recipes to Try
- Carnitas Tacos
- Mexican Cheese Bake
- Mexican Steak Street Tacos
- Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls
- Corn Dip with Mexican Style Sour Cream
- Favorite Mexican Food Recipes Everyone Will Love!
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Jump to Recipe
Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Recipe
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 2 T. chili powder
- 1 T. ground cumin
- 1 t. ground coriander
- 2 t. garlic powder
- 1 t. smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 t. fine sea salt
- 1 t. ground black pepper
- 1/2 t. ground white pepper
- 1/4 - 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Other Ingredients
- 6 large fresh ears of corn
- 3 T. unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 c. Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- 3 T. fresh cilantro , chopped, divided
- 1 T. taco seasoning see above
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. Cojita cheese , crumbled
- 1-2 t. ground chipotle or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Place the top oven rack in the second position from top and set the broiler into high heat. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.
- Husk the corn and remove the silk. Rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining silk and pat dry. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the melted butter on all sides.
- Place the baking sheet under the preheated broiler for 5-6 minutes, or until the top of the corn is slightly charred.
- Remove from oven and carefully rotate the corn one-third of the way around before placing under the broiler again. Broil for another 5-6 minutes, then rotate and broil for another 5-6 minutes. (Total cook time should be 15-18 minutes)
- While the corn under the broiler, prepare the taco seasoning by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Combine the Mexican crema (or sour cream), mayonnaise, and two tablespoons chopped cilantro in a medium bowl. Add one tablespoon taco seasoning and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Remove the broiled corn from the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the seasoned Mexican crema mixture evenly.
- Use all or a thin layer according to your preference. Get a serving platter to place the ears of corn.
- Serve your Mexican street corn immediately with crumbled Cotija cheese, remaining cilantro, and a sprinkle of ground chipotle or smoked paprika. Enjoy!
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