If you’ve never had Elotes (Mexican street corn) you’re in for a ridiculously tasty mess. Its grilled corn slathered in creamy, cheesy, chili-lime goodness that makes boring old butter seem like a sad sidekick. I’m not a pro, but if I can make this magic happen, so can you. Let’s get into it.
Elotes have been rocking taste buds on the streets of Mexico for ages, and for good reason—this isn't just corn, it's corn with a personality. Traditionally served on a stick (or in a cup if you're fancy or fork-dependent), elotes are grilled over open flames, then slathered with mayo or crema, showered in cheese, dusted with chili, and finished with a squeeze of lime. It’s street food that doesn’t pretend to be polite—and that’s exactly why it’s perfect. I may not have a Mexican grandma whispering secrets in my ear, but I've done enough snacking and experimenting to get us dangerously close to the real deal.
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Ingredients
Elotes (Mexican street corn) has only a few ingredients listed here.
- Corn on the cob
- Mexican crema / or mayo
- Cotija cheese
- Ancho chile powder (affiliate link)
- Fresh Cilantro
- Limes
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Alright, let’s get into it—the glorious mess that is Elotes. It’s corn on the cob but dressed up and ready to party. We’re talking charred kernels, creamy sauce, chile powder, lime, and cheese in all the right places. No fancy tools. Just you, some corn, and the will to make something absurdly tasty. Let’s do this!
- Remove the corn "hairs" and husk. Or you can grill with husk on.
- Grill the corn. I choose to remove husk as it is a little easier to grill.
- Combine the Crema and mayo and lime and spread mixture on corn and sprinkle with ancho chile powder (affiliate link) and cilantro and squeeze a little more lime on corn. Enjoy!
Hint: If you don't have a grill that is ok. You can roast your corn in the oven or cast-iron pan. I love using this 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet (affiliate link) to roast / char my corn. Remember all you are doing is roasting / charring the corn a little to build the flavors.
Substitutions for Elotes (Mexican Street Corn)
- Cotija Cheese - instead of the Cotija cheese you can use grated parmesan cheese
- Corn- This is best served with fresh corn on the cob. However, frozen corn on the cob can be used also. You can used canned corn and make this elotes pasta salad. This has the same flavor with a little less mess.
- Ancho Chile Powder (affiliate link) - You can use regular chile powder instead.
Equipment
You don’t need a full-blown chef’s arsenal to make elotes—just a few basics and a good attitude. A grill or grill pan is ideal for that smoky char (but hey, a broiler can pinch-hit in a corn crisis). You’ll need a basting brush or spoon to slather on the creamy goodness, some tongs to avoid third-degree burns, and maybe some skewers if you want that authentic street corn-on-a-stick vibe. Oh, and a plate big enough to catch the glorious mess you’re about to make. Fancy gear? Overrated. Let’s keep it simple and delicious.
Storage
Elotes (Mexican Street Corn) is best eaten fresh—hot, messy, and straight off the grill like the flavor bomb they are. But if you somehow have leftovers (who are you?), you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just know the texture gets a little sad after a while—cheese gets clumpy, and the crema isn’t as dreamy. To reheat, toss ’em in the oven or air fryer to bring back some life (microwave works in a pinch but expect soggier results). Pro tip: cut the kernels off and toss them into a salad or taco situation the next day. Boom—corn remix.
Pro tip
Elotes (Mexican street corn) can be great for a large party you are hosting. You can serve it buffet style. Grill up a bunch of the corn ahead of time then layout a variety of different size bowls and fill them with the toppings. Have your guests assemble their corn and enjoy. Setting up a buffet can be a process, but these buffet tips (external site) can help.
FAQ
Listen, mayo is the magic glue that makes everything stick and taste awesome. But if you’re mayo-averse (we see you), you can swap in sour cream, Mexican crema, or even Greek yogurt. Just don’t skip the creamy part—you need it for the full messy experience.
Fresh corn is the GOAT, but we’re not here to judge. If frozen or canned is all you’ve got, make it work. Just thaw (or drain) it first, and try to get some char on it pan-fry or broil until it gets those little burnt bits. Check out this pasta salad recipe that can be used if you have only canned corn.
No cotija? No meltdown necessary. Crumbled feta works great in a pinch—salty, crumbly, and just funky enough. Parmesan or queso fresco can also step in. The key is salty, tangy vibes. You’ve got options.
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Print
Elotes (Mexican Street Corn)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This is corn but let's make it a party. Grilled until slightly blistered and charred, then slathered with Mexican crema, mayo, dusted with Cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder, and finished with lime and cilantro—elotes are bold, messy, and ridiculously good. No special skills needed, just a love for flavor and a willingness to get a little messy.
Ingredients
4 corn on the cobs
⅓ cup of Mexican crema
⅓ cup of mayonnaise
2 limes
½ teaspoon Ancho Chile powder
⅓ cup Cotija cheese
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Now is the time to pull back the corn husks and remove the "hairs" from the corn. You can also remove the husk at this time.
- Chop fresh Cilantro and set aside
- Pre heat your grill on a low-med setting (if it is on high it will burn). Place your corn on the hot grill.
- Cook corn until it has a light charred look on some of the kernels. They will get blistered and some of the kernels will get a little wrinkled. When it has cooked for about 10 minutes or so it will be time to remove the corn and let them cool down a bit.
- Now is a great time to prepare the slather mixture. Combine the mayonnaise, Mexican crema and juice of 1 lime in a bowl.
- Once the corn has a cooled a little and can be handled safely slather the mixture on the corn. Be generous (it's going to get messy). This is the "glue" that holds the cheeses to the Elote (corn).
- Now for the fun part... Sprinkle the Cotija cheese on the corn cob then dust with the Ancho Chile powder and finish with a generous squeeze of lime.
- Enjoy and repeat!
Notes
Remember you can make this recipe a ton of different ways, have fun and experiment, make it your own.
You can use just mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, regular Chile powder if you don't have the crema, cojita cheese and Ancho powder.
You don't have to have a grill to make this recipe you can roast the corn in the oven at 400 degrees or if you want to use the broiler on low and turn often. Be sure to watch closely as it can burn easily. You can also use a cast iron pan to char the corn. Bottom line it is pretty simple, Heat corn, slather wet mixture, coat with cheese, chile powder, cilantro and lime.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: sides
- Method: grill
- Cuisine: Mexican
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