This elote recipe makes the best Mexican street corn with grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise, lime juice, spices and crumbly white cheese.
Fire up those grills, my friends! We're cooking up the perfect side dish for BBQs, parties, or weeknight cooking.
If you love corn on the cob, you're going to love this Mexican version. It's called Elote, and it is definitely one of our favorites.
What is Elote?
Elote is a Mexican recipe of corn on the cob that is slathered in mayonnaise, lime juice and spices, then dredged in crumbly white cheese. It is a popular Mexican street food, referred to as Mexican Street Corn, and it is hugely satisfying.
Consider it a comfort food with loads of flavor, ideal for snacking or for backyard barbecues.
Elotes can be messy to eat, but you won't mind once you dig into one. I like to pierce the golden grilled corn cobs with wooden skewers to make them easier to handle, though you can easily leave part of the cob intact when shucking them.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do.
Let's talk about how to make elote, shall we?
Elote Ingredients (Mexican Street Corn)
- Fresh Corn on the Cob. I love fresh sweet corn.
- Fresh Lime.
- Mayonnaise.
- Seasonings. I'm using ancho powder, guajillo powder, garlic and salt. You can sub in your favorite chili powder blend, or use other spices, like cayenne or paprika.
- Crumbly White Cheese. I often use Cotija cheese, but feta cheese works great. Or, try making your own with my Queso Fresco Recipe. Feel free to use your favorite.
- For Serving. Fresh chopped cilantro, hot sauce, spicy red chili flakes.
How to Make Elote (Mexican Street Corn) - the Recipe Method
Grill the Corn. Heat a grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the corn for 10 minutes, flipping often, or until lightly charred and the corn kernels are golden in color.
Skewer the Corn. Cool the corn slightly, pierce the ends with a wooden skewer (if desired for easier eating).
Lime Juice. Rub each with fresh lime juice, squeezing out the juice as you go.
Mayonnaise. Slather each ear with mayonnaise. Be sure to get them nicely coated to help the spices and cheese stick.
Seasonings. Sprinkle each ear of corn with seasonings.
Cover with Cheese. Roll the corn in crumbly white cheese.
Serve Them Up! Sprinkle on chopped cilantro and serve with hot sauce.
Boom! Done! Your Mexican street corn is ready to serve. Elotes, my friends! Easy enough to make, isn't it? Serve it as a flavorful side dish, or make an extra batch and serve it as your main.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Heat Factor. Mild. You can easily spice things up with hotter chili powder or spicy chili flakes, though elote is not typically a "hot" recipe. Big flavor, though!
- Cooking the Corn on the Cob. I love to grill my corn for this recipe, but you can cook it your preferred way. Some recipes call for simply boiling the corn, but grilled Mexican street corn is my personal favorite.
- Lighter Version. For a lighter version of this recipe, use a mixture of mayonnaise and Mexican crema or sour cream instead of full mayo.
- Elotes Salad. Try my Elotes Salad Recipe, which is a Mexican corn salad version of elotes. It's so easy to make, with either fresh or frozen corn, and perfect for parties and barecues.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this elotes recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you love Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended. I used these books to adapt this elote recipe.
- Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try These Other Great Side Dish Recipes
- Cajun Corn Maque Choux
- Grilled Corn Salad with Sweet Peppers
- Grilled Corn Salad with Feta and Peppers
- Charred Corn Salad with Hatch Peppers
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Jerk Rubbed Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Roasted Corn-Habanero Salsa
- Calabacitas
- Mexican Rice
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob shucked
- 1 large lime sliced in half
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon ancho powder
- 1 teaspoon guajillo powder or use your favorite chili powder blend
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup crumbly white cheese use Cotija, queso fresco, feta cheese, or similar
- For Serving. Fresh chopped cilantro hot sauce, spicy red chili flakes.
Instructions
- Heat a grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the corn for 10 minutes, flipping often, or until lightly charred and golden in color.
- Cool the corn slightly, pierce the ends with a wooden skewer (if desired for easier eating).
- Rub each with fresh lime juice, squeezing out the juice as you go.
- Slather each ear with mayonnaise, then sprinkle with seasonings.
- Roll the corn in crumbly white cheese.
- Sprinkle on chopped cilantro and serve with hot sauce.
Nutrition Information
Robert says
These look great. Another one I'll be sitting on until our corn is in season, but I'll make you Elote salad with our canned corn to carry us until then. It'll be another three weeks before we can plant it here. Thanks again.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Robert! Enjoy!!
Tom Craig says
What happened to the snazzy print program? Can't wait to do the Mexican corn dip recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Tom, I upgraded our site design as the previous one was quite old and needed a touch up. Sorry if it caused any printing issues. I hope you enjoy the recipe.