Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

This Mexican street corn is the perfect crowd pleaser! Elote is a favorite side dish with grilled on the cob topped with a cilantro lime crema sauce and crumbled cotija cheese.

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Easy Mexican Street Corn

During the summer, we love to make lots of easy and delicious grilling recipes. This Mexican corn (also known as elote) is charred to perfection and has the most wonderful combination of Mexican food inspired flavors.

It is a game-changer and takes grilled corn to a whole new level! We love this side dish recipe so much we also make elote dip recipe, Mexican street corn salad and even add pasta for Mexican street corn pasta salad.

Mexican Street Corn Elote Ingredients

The crema sauce is what takes this grilled Mexican street corn up a notch. It gets brushed over the tops of the charred corn and adds a super creamy and flavorful taste.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Corn: Pick sweet corn that is yellow with a bright green husk. Remove the husk by pulling it from the top down to the bottom.
• Mexican crema: You can either use crema or sour cream. This is a creamy base that adds all the flavor.
• Mayo: Brings a creamy texture to the crema and gives a tangy balance.
• Lime zest: Grate the outside of the lime to get a little zest in the crema mixture.
• Lime juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is a sweet and tart blend.
• Chili powder: Add in a little spice to the creamy mixture and some color.
• Cilantro: Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro on top to bring in a pretty green color.
• Cotija cheese: Sprinkle the cheese over top of the corn. It will slightly melt leaving the cheese soft in every bite.

How to Make East Mexican Street Corn

This Mexican street corn is so easy! Simply grill, make the Mexican crema sauce, and cover the corn with it. It will be on your menu all summer long.

1. Prepare. Remove the husk from the sweet corn.
2. Grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, place corn directly on the grates. Flip occasionally until all sides are lightly charred (about 5-10 minutes). 
3. Combine. Mix together the Mexican crema, mayo, lime zest, lime juice, and chili powder in a small bowl. Set aside. 
4. Brush. Once cooked, brush the crema sauce all over the top. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and cilantro. Add salt and pepper (plus more chili powder) to taste. 

Cooking Tips + Variations

Follow these quick tips and variations for making the best Mexican street corn recipe.

• Picking fresh corn. Look for fresh yellow or white corn that has a bright green husk. It helps to squeeze the corn to make sure it’s firm and there aren’t any soft spots.

• Cooking the corn. Although I highly recommend using the grill (it really enhances the flavor), you could boil, bake or microwave the corn instead if preferred. It will still taste yummy, it just won’t have that fresh, charred flavor that the grill gives it.

• Spice. If you like a little heat, sprinkle with additional chili powder before eating. You could even add some fresh chopped jalapeños.
• Cheese. I prefer cotija cheese, but feta would be fine to use too.
• Turn into a salad. Use a corn scraper to remove the kernels and then combine all ingredients together and then mix. It tastes amazing on top of carnitas or even shredded chicken.

What to Serve with Mexican Street Corn

Just about any Mexican entrée tastes delicious with street corn. Serve as a side dish on Taco Tuesday or alongside your favorite Mexican salad or burrito with cilantro lime rice.

• Skirt steak tacos
• Baked chicken burritos
• Sweet pork tacos
• Green chile chicken enchiladas
• Steak fajitas
• Slow cooker chicken tinga tacos
• Easy taco salad

More Mexican Recipes

Enjoy!