Make my easy and tasty elote recipe, also known as Mexican street corn! It is made with mayonnaise, lime juice, cotija cheese (or queso fresco) and garlic. It’s slathered in mayonnaise and lime juice, which keep it so moist and juicy. The mix of these salty, citrusy flavors when combined with the tang of cheese and mayo is incomparable.
It’s a flavor explosion, and one of my must-have treats when we visit Mexico.
When we moved to St. Louis, I was desperate to find great Mexican fare. Thankfully I have a good line-up of some favorite Tex-Mex dishes, including this Chicken Enchilada Recipe, Homemade Guacamole, and my favorite Homemade Margarita Mix.
Elotes were more difficult to find, though. Elotes are commonly called Mexican Street Corn here in the US. This dish is often roasted on a grill and drizzled with lime juice and cotija cheese, and then coated with salt, mayonnaise or crema fresca.
Elote translates to “corn cob”. You can imagine why this Mexican street corn recipe is so popular – corn on the cob is easy to eat on the go. While street vendors often sell it on a stick, sometimes the husk of the corn cob itself is pulled down while cooking and forms a “handle” of sorts. It’s so much fun to eat!
copy and paste to add ingredients to your grocery list
Shopping List
- Mayonnaise
- Lime Juice (fresh squeezed or bottled)
- Garlic
- Queso fresco or Cotija cheese
- Fresh Ears of Corn
- Cilantro
- Mexican Crema
Tip from My Test Kitchen
I prefer to eat my Mexican street corn recipe directly off the cob for ease, but you can also remove corn kernels from the cob and toss with all ingredients for the ultimate side dish – esquites!
Frequently Asked Questions
Elote is basically grilled corn on the cob with added seasonings and mayonnaise. Esquites is the same seasoning, flavors and corn, but it’s removed from the cob, served in a cup and you use a spoon to scoop it.
That’s queso fresco or Cotija cheese! It’s a dry, crumbly cheese that can generally be found next to the other cheeses in the grocery store. It’s salty and delicious, perfectly crumbled over your elote recipe.
Mexican Street Corn Recipe (Elote Recipe)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic minced
- ⅛ cup queso fresco finely grated
- 4 ears of corn shucked and washed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk mayo, lime juice and garlic. Stir in queso fresco.¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoon lime juice, ¼ teaspoon garlic, ⅛ cup queso fresco
- Grill corn on the cob. Indoors, warm a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. Rotate every three minutes on medium high heat for a total of 8-9 minutes. Outdoors, add corn to hot grill grates and rotate every 2 minutes until kernels are brown. Grill 10 minutes and remove from heat.4 ears of corn
- Remove from cob OR place on platter and cover with mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.salt and pepper
Julie’s Tips
- Cook the corn on the cob however you’d like. It can also be boiled if that’s easier! You can learn more about how to grill corn indoors here.
- Leave the stem end of the corn with the husk attached, so you have a “handle” to hold your corn cob. A wooden skewer can also be placed into one end of the corn cob for a handle.
- I prefer to eat it directly off the cob for ease, but you can also remove corn kernels from the cob and toss with all ingredients for the ultimate side dish – esquites!
- White corn is the more traditional option in Mexico, but yellow corn works too.
Variations
- Skip the salt and use this Everything but the Elote seasoning instead! Or, try this chipotle seasoning.
- You can make Mexican Corn on the Cob with cotija cheese, but I prefer queso fresco because it’s easily accessible.
- If you prefer, you can substitute mayonnaise with Mexican crema or sour cream. Try this savory cilantro crema for another delicious option.
- If you don’t like cilantro, you can garnish with used lime wedges. They add a little color to your platter. Another option is to sprinkle a little chili powder over the Mexican Street Corn.
Storage Notes
Store your elote for 3-4, days covered tightly in the fridge. While you can freeze your Mexican street corn, the texture won’t be quite the same once it defrosts. It’s great to cut the kernels off, and then use in other dishes (think casseroles, soups and quesadillas) where the texture won’t matter as much.Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
This corn was wonderful with the grocery store corn I found this week—and I can’t wait to try it again with local corn this summer!!
Hi Julie,
Just thought I’d let you know we had Julie Blanner recipe day at my house yesterday – I made your M & M cookies, your Mexican corn, and your pasta salad. We ate very well!
Thank you!
Emily
Oh my, you flatter me! I hope you enjoyed them all! I think I could use a dozen M&M cookies today!
These look devine! I am so ready for grilling season to get here.
Me, too! Have a great weekend!
I love these, I grew up eating these…I do make them at home from time to time but honestly, I prefer the ones sold on the street! Yum! We add Mexican hot sauce to it too, yum.
Ok, we’re having a lunch date at Mission Taco! I am always up for Mexican food! xoxo
YES! Let’s do!