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Mexican Street Corn – A Classic Elotes Recipe Made Easy

Now that the weather is turning warmer and Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, I thought I would share my favorite Mexican Street Corn recipe.

There is nothing like the flavor of grilled sweet corn slathered in a delicious cream sauce that is flavored with cheese, garlic, lime and cilantro.

Sprinkle a little chipotle chili powder on top and you have a quick and easy side dish that no one can resist! And although there is no more perfect time to serve it than on the 5th of May, this recipe is a staple all summer long at our house!

Other Favorite Cinco de Mayo Recipes:

Mexican street corn

Mexican Street Corn Recipe

Ingredients

Sweet corn
Mayonnaise
Crema Mexican Sour Cream or traditional sour cream
Cotija cheese, crumbled or Parmesan cheese
Garlic
Lime
Salt
Cilantro
Chipotle chili powder

Instructions

The first step in making Mexican Street Corn is to grill the sweet corn. You can do this with or without the husks on the corn.

Although traditionally I prefer to grill corn with the husks intact, for this recipe I always remove the husks prior to grilling. That is because I want the corn to have a little char on the kernels to give it more flavor.

Grilling Sweet Corn Without The Husks

Do this by removing the husks from the corn and lightly spray each cob with olive oil cooking spray.

Then place the corn on the grill and cook for roughly 15 minutes, turning the cobs every 3-4 minutes.

grilled sweet corn

Grilling Sweet Corn With The Husks On

To cook the corn with the husks on remove the outer two layers of the husk and let it soak in water for 50 minutes before grilling.

Then grill, turning frequently, until the outer layer of the husk is mostly charred. Let the corn sit on the upper rack for 5-10 minutes with the grill lid closed.

Remove the cobs from the grill and when cool enough to handle, remove the husk and silk.

However, if you don’t have a grill or the weather doesn’t ideal for grilling, you can still make Mexican Street Corn by cooking the corn in boiling water or baking it in the oven.

cream sauce

How To Boil Sweet Corn

If you are going to use the boil method, fill a large stockpot over half full and bring to a rapid boil. Place the shucked sweet corn in the water and boil for 7-8 minutes.

Oven Baked Sweet Corn

However, you can also easily cook the corn in the oven by husking each piece and lightly spraying them with olive oil. Wrap each piece of corn in aluminum foil and bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

crema and cotija cheese

Mexican Street Corn Cream Sauce

While the corn is cooking, prepare the cream sauce. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija cheese, garlic, lime zest and juice, and cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined.

For classic Mexican street corn be sure to use Crema Mexican Sour Cream and Cotija Cheese crumbles. You can find both of these products in the refrigerated dairy section of your grocery store.

Although, if you can not find these two products, you can substitute sour cream and Parmesan cheese in this recipe.

Once the corn is cooked, place the cobs on a platter and generously spread the cheese mixture all over each one. Then sprinkle the tops with chipotle chili powder, more cotija cheese and cilantro or use a Mexican street corn seasoning blend.

mexican street corn

Enjoy! Mary

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Yield: 4

Mexican Street Corn

cinco de mayo mexican street corn

Classic Mexican street corn cooked on the grill and then slathered in a creamy spread and topped with chipotle powder, Cotija cheese and cilantro.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ears sweet corn
  • ¼ cup of mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Crema Mexican Sour Cream, or traditional sour cream
  • ½ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled, or Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped + more for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon of chipotle chili powder

Instructions

  1. Heat a grill to 400°F (205°C).
  2. Remove the husks from the corn and lightly spray each cob with olive oil cooking spray.
    Place the corn on the grill and grill for roughly 15 minutes, turning the cobs every 3 minutes.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija cheese, garlic, lime zest and juice, and cilantro.
  4. Once the corn is cooked, remove it from the grill and generously spread the cheese mixture all over each cob. Garnish with chipotle chili powder, Cotija cheese and cilantro.

Notes

To cook the corn with the husks on: remove the outer two layers of the husk and let it soak in water for 50 minutes before grilling. Then grill, turning frequently, until the outer layer of the husk is mostly black. Let the corn sit on the upper rack for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the grill and when cool enough to handle, remove the husk and silk.

Boil the corn by placing the husked cobs in a large pot of boiling water for 7-8 minutes.

Oven baked corn on the cob: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Husk the corn and lightly spray with olive oil. Wrap each piece of corn in aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 579mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 7g

Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.

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