Mexican Street Corn – Elote [+ Video]

Name: Mexican Street Corn - Elote
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 6-8 Ears of Corn (husked); Mexican Crema (found in your local grocery store by the cheeses or Mayonnaise); Cotija Cheese (Again, over by the cheese section); Chili Powder or Smoked Paprika; 2 Limes; Fresh Cilantro (chopped)

12 Reviews

Elote or Mexican street corn is grilled corn on the cob lathered in creamy, cheesy goodness that is so irresistible! If you’ve never had it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!

A photo of several cobs of elote mexican street corn lathered in cotija cheese and seasonings.

This is not the typical mayonnaise and butter Mexican street corn that is found all over the web these days. This Elote is so delicious, you will forget about any other Mexican Street Corn recipe you have ever tried. Trust me!

I’m finding myself dreaming about our trip to Mexico and all the delicious food we ate while we were there! The elote was to die for! I seriously could have eaten it at every meal! And it’s so easy to make right at home.

What is Elote?

This authentic Mexican Street Corn, known as Elote, is smothered in Mexican Crema, and sprinkled with Cotija (a dry Mexican cheese). Next you add a little, smoky chili powder or smoked paprika and fresh cilantro and then immediately dive in. And the best part? This Mexican Street Corn is grilled, which makes it pop with juicy, sweetness, and the crema is like buttah (that’s butter in case you didn’t notice;).

Ingredients You’ll Need for Mexican Street Corn:

I’ve mentioned most of the ingredients you will need for this dish, but let’s look into them a little closer. Many of them might be out of your comfort zone, but no need to worry! I know that trying ingredients from other countries, especially if you don’t really cook can seem a bit too adventurous, but I promise that these six ingredients are essential to the best elote you’ll ever have!

Corn
Mexican Crema
Cotija cheese
Chili powder or smoked paprika
Limes
Cilantro

Make Mexican Street Corn – Elote

Let’s start with the corn, of course! Head on over to our post on the best grilled corn recipe where we share all our secrets for the making perfect grilled corn every time. We also discuss how to pick good corn on the cob at the grocery store in that post. Follow everything in that post except for adding the salt and sugar at the end. You don’t need to add salt to this corn because the cotija is going to add all the saltiness you need.

What is Mexican Crema?

Crema is slightly soured and thickened cream, milder and less thick than American sour cream. You will find it in specialty cheese section of your grocery store. As soon as you pull the corn off the grill, spread the Mexican crema all over each corn on the cob. If you can’t find Mexican crema, you can use mayonnaise as a substitute.

What is Cotija Cheese?

Cotija cheese is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese. Cotija cheese is made mainly from cow’s milk and is quite salty.

It resembles feta cheese. In fact, feta can be used as a substitute if you absolutely cannot find cotija, but try your hardest to find the cotija! It will also be in the specialty cheese section.

Sprinkle the cotija all over the corn that has been lathered in crema.

How to Season Elote

The classic seasoning for elote is chili powder, but we have also found that we love it with smoked paprika. So maybe do a few cobs with each and see which one you prefer. You can sprinkle them on the corn with the cotija cheese and then squeeze fresh lime juice all over each corn on the cob. Top off each cob with some chopped fresh cilantro.

Can You Reheat Corn on the Cob?

There are a few ways to reheat corn on the cob that will keep it juicy and tender.

Microwave: Place the corn in a microwave safe dish and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Set the timer for 10-20 second bursts and continue heating till corn is warm.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter, 1 tsp. water, salt and pepper to the corn and wrap in foil. Place in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
Boiling Water: Bring water to a boil. Add the corn and boil for 1-2 minutes.

How Long Does Elote Keep?

Fully prepared elote will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but it is by the best when it is eaten fresh! It doesn’t freeze very well, so we don’t recommend that.

More Ways to Eat Elote

Corn on the cob sometimes doesn’t appeal to everyone because it’s messy and gets stuck in your teeth. I have no problem getting totally sloppy dirty to eat this Mexican street corn, but I get it. Have no fear, elote grilled Mexican corn salad uses corn that has been cut off the cob but still has all the delicious street corn flavors. We also made it into a pasta salad as well…elote Mexican corn pasta salad. Now you can dig into elote and you won’t even need a napkin, unless you are my kids, and then you will need several napkins!

What to Eat with Elote Mexican Street Corn

I could make this elote Mexican street corn my whole meal, but most of you are probably going to want it as a side. So if you are looking for a main dish to go with it, here is a link to all our Mexican main dishes and a few of our favorites:

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