Mexican Street Corn Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Mexican street corn made of? ›

Grilling shucked ears of corn directly over very hot coals brings out the corn's nutty flavor and chars the kernels slightly. A blend of garlic, cilantro, chile powder, mayo, and Cotija cheese in the sauce, plus a final squeeze of lime, makes the corn sweet, salty, savory, nutty, creamy, and tart all at once.

Elote, also known as Mexican street corn, is a popular Mexican street food made from grilled or boiled ears of corn on the cob that is slathered in a creamy mayo sauce and garnished with chili powder, crumbled cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro. The word “elote” means “corn” in Spanish.

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.

The chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic add just the right kick, while the lime juice and lime zest awaken all the flavors, and the Cotija cheese adds a salty punch. What we're left with is sweet, smoky bursts of corn, a creamy kick of heat and bursts of tangy lime. So, let me be clear, elote Mexicano is HEAVEN.

Elotes can be made in a variety of ways, and this is the classic elote. The most authentic way is to boil some corn, slather on mayonnaise and lime juice, then cover in cotija cheese and chile powder. Hot sauce is optional and I usually see Valentina or Tapatio.

Chili powder or ancho chile powder – It adds smoky flavor and a little heat. Cotija cheese – For salty flavor and tang. If you have trouble finding Cotija cheese at the grocery store, a little crumbled feta cheese will work instead. It won't taste exactly the same, but it will still be delicious!

Elote (pronounced: eh-loh-teh) is a dish comprised of cooked sweet corn slathered in a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, crema, and chili powder, and then sprinkled with cheese.

One of Mexico's most famous cheeses, cotija is a semi-hard, slightly aged cheese with the crumbly texture of parmesan but a stronger, saltier flavor. Try as you might, cotija cheese won't melt, so it's sprinkled or crumbled on everything from soups and salads to tacos and tostadas.

The origins of street corn lie in the streets of Mexico, where it's known as “elote.” With a history dating back centuries, the indigenous peoples of Mexico prepared this dish before any Europeans landed in the New World.

White in color and firm in texture, its flavor is salty and milky. "Young" (or fresher) cotija cheese has been described as akin to a mild feta, while aged (añejo) cotija is more comparable in flavor to hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan. Cotija softens when exposed to heat, but does not melt.

Is Mexican corn different from American corn? ›

U.S. corn production is almost exclusively of the yellow corn variety, with the majority used for purposes other than human consumption (e.g. feed, ethanol). In contrast, Mexico produces mainly white corn, and a greater share of Mexican corn than U.S. corn is used for food.

The taste is different. Corn was domesticated right here in Mexico. For thousands of years, farmers here carefully mixed varieties of maize in small plots of land. But globalization made American yellow corn more common because it's so cheap.

Corn on the cob is a popular street food in Mexico, which is how Mexican Street Corn got its name, although in Mexico it is known as “elote,” which literally means corn cob.