This Mexican street corn is charred to perfection and topped with a delicious cilantro lime crema sauce and crumbled cotija cheese. So much flavor and takes just 20 minutes to make.
Our favorite Mexican corn
During the summer, we love to make lots of easy and delicious recipes on the grill. There’s nothing better than being outside with the family. And there’s just something about the grill that brings out the fresh flavor and makes veggies (or really anything) taste extra yummy.
This Mexican corn (also known as elote) is charred to perfection and has the most wonderful combination of flavors. It is a game changer and takes grilled corn to a whole new level! Plus it’s super easy and quickly comes together, too. It tastes amazing with all of your favorite Mexican entrees, like tacos, burritos, salads and more.
Crema sauce
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. It’s made with a mixture of Mexican crema (sour cream also works too), mayonnaise, fresh lime juice and zest and chili powder. Then it’s finished off with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. The flavors are out of this world and taste amazing together!
Cooking tips + variations
- 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 jalapenos.
- Cheese. I prefer cotija cheese, but feta would be fine to use too.
- Turn into a salad. This dish can easily be turned into a salad also. Use a corn scraper to remove the kernels and then combine all ingredients together and then mix. This salad version 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. There are so many tasty options!
- 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 favorites:
- Black bean and corn salsa
- Mexican rice
- Hot cheesy corn dip
- Homemade tortilla chips
- Cilantro lime rice
Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn , husk removed
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema , or sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 3 Tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese , more if desired
S&P, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. When the grill is hot, place corn directly on on the grates. Flip occasionally until all sides are lightly charred (about 5-10 minutes).
- Mix together the Mexican crema, mayo, lime zest, lime juice and chili powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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Enjoy!
I live in AZ and love finding recipes that don’t heat up my home with the stove or oven. This is a wonderful way to keep your kitchen cool and still enjoy a tasty side of corn!
Such a good recipe! And so easy! Grilled corn is definitely the way to go!
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Grilling season is in full force over here at our house. We love to grill! One of our favorite sides to grill is corn. My entire family including the picky one loves to eat corn so we have it regularly. I have been wanting to try this Mexican Street Corn for a while now and this was the perfect time to try!
Would love to try this at home, thank you n keep it up :)
Hope you enjoy this Mexican Street Corn! :)
Such a great dish!
My favorite way to eat corn!
Did someone say Cotija cheese? :)