Mexican Street Corn
April 15, 2026 • 0 comments
Elote (pronounced elle-o-tay) is the favorite grilled corn-on-the-cob Mexican street food. Off the cob, it is called esquites, and is enjoyed as a vibrant side dish or as a street food snack served in a to-go cup. The dryer the corn, the better and faster the corn will toast.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cans (11 oz.) of golden sweet corn
- 1/2 cup finely crumbled cotija or feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, divided
- 2 Tbsp. each mayonnaise, sour cream
- 1 large lime (1 tsp. zest and 1 to 2 Tbsp. juice)
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
Directions
- Drain corn and pat very dry with paper towels; set aside. Reserve 1 Tbsp. cheese for topping; set aside. In a large heat proof bowl, combine remaining cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice and salt; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add dry corn; cook 5 minutes without stirring. Stir; cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted. Add chili powder; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Toss hot corn with sauce in bowl. Garnish with reserved 1 Tbsp. cheese and remaining 1 Tbsp. cilantro.
VARIATIONS: Prepare as recipe directs, except:
- For Spicy Mexican Street Corn, add 1 to 3 tsp. finely diced, seeded jalapeño pepper to cheese sauce in Step 1.
- For Vegan Mexican Street Corn, omit cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream, combining only the cilantro, lime juice, lime zest and salt in the bowl in Step 1. (Or, for a vegetarian non-creamy style street corn, sprinkle with the cheese but leave out the mayo and sour cream.)
- For 8 Servings, double all ingredients and prepare on a sheet pan using the broiler. Preheat broiler with oven rack in the top position. Combine cheese sauce as directed in Step 1. Add oil and dry corn to a large, rimmed baking sheet; toss to coat and spread out evenly. Broil 5 minutes; stir. Broil 3 to 4 minutes until toasted; stir in chili powder and broil 1 more minute. Toss hot corn with sauce in bowl. Garnish with 2 Tbsp. cheese and cilantro.
