Easy Mexican Corn on the Cob recipe, also known as elote! This Mexican street corn is made with mayonnaise, lime juice, cotija cheese (or queso fresco) and garlic.
Originally published January 2016, updated April 2020.
When we moved to St. Louis, I was desperate to find great Mexican fare. I didn’t realize how spoiled we were in Kansas City.
It took months of taste-testing to finally find a few Mexican restaurants we craved. That’s life in the ‘burbs. Thankfully I had a good line-up of some eternal favorites Tex-Mex dishes, including this Chicken Enchilada Recipe, Homemade Guacamole, and my favorite Homemade Margarita Mix.
We attended Taste of St. Louis, which is exactly what I did. It was a fun way to experience a lot of restaurants, all in one afternoon.
I stumbled across Mission Taco and indulged in their street corn – aka Mexican corn on the cob, or elote corn, and was overwhelmed with love!
Table of Contents
What is Elote?
Elote corn is commonly called Mexican Street Corn here in the US. It’s often roasted on a grill and drizzled with lime juice, cotija cheese, and coated with salt, mayonnaise or crema fresca.
It’s topped off with chopped cilantro and IT.IS.DELICIOUS.
Elote very simply translates to “corn cob”. You can see why this elote recipe is so popular – corn on the cob is easy to eat on the go. Especially if you put it on a stick!
Why You’ll Love this Mexican Corn Recipe
This corn is bursting with flavor, quite literally. It’s slathered in mayonnaise and lime juice, which keep it so moist.
The mix of these salty, citrusy flavors when combined with the tang of cheese and mayo is just BEYOND! It’s an explosion in your mouth- don’t miss this side dish that’s perfect to go alongside so many of your favorite Mexican recipes.
While it is generally eaten 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!
Rather than drive 25 minutes to enjoy a little Mexican Street Corn, I’ve started making it at home and it’s always a hit.
I like to give a lot of detail in my recipe posts to guide readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “jump to recipe” right under the title of this post and you’ll head straight there!
What Ingredients are in Mexican Corn on the Cob?
- mayonnaise
- lime juice
- garlic
- queso fresco or cotija cheese
- fresh ears of corn
- salt
How to Make this Elote Recipe
- Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, and garlic.
- Whisk in fresh grated queso fresco or cotija.
- Grill sweet corn – indoors or out.
- 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. You can learn more about how to grill corn indoors here.
- Outdoors, rotate corn on a grill for a light charring on all sides.
- Cover with mixture. Optional: garnish with cilantro, dust with chili powder or a little salt and pepper.
Mexican Street Corn Variations
You can make Mexican Street Corn with fresh corn on the cob, frozen corn or canned corn. Of course fresh is always best for maximum flavor.
It’s the ultimate side dish to serve with beef tacos, chicken nachos, Cilantro Lime Chicken and more!
- I prefer to eat it directly off the cob for ease, but you can also remove corn kernels from the cob using a knife and toss Mexican Street Corn with all ingredients for the ultimate side dish!
- 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.
It’s so good you’re going to want to pin this for later to make for all of your summer get-togethers and of course, Cinco de Mayo.
Love that Mexican flavor with a touch of fresh cilantro? Don’t skip this Cilantro Lime Crema and Cilantro Aioli!
I hope you enjoy this elote recipe as much as we do! If you try it, don’t forget to leave a five star rating!
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More Amazing Corn Recipes:
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Mexican Corn on the Cob (Elote Corn)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/8 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.
- Grill corn (indoors in a skillet with a touch of olive oil flipping every 3 minutes for 8 minutes or outdoors on the grill)
- Remove from cob OR place on platter and cover with mixture.
Notes
Mexican Street Corn Tips and Variations
You can make Mexican Street Corn with fresh corn on the cob, frozen corn or canned corn. Of course fresh is always best for maximum flavor. It’s the ultimate side dish to serve with beef tacos, chicken nachos, Cilantro Lime Chicken and more!- I prefer to eat it directly off the cob for ease, but you can also remove corn kernels from the cob using a knife and toss Mexican Street Corn with all ingredients for the ultimate side dish!
- 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.
This was so delicious! Everyone loved it!
This is such a great way to eat corn on the cob! So yummy!
Now this is how I like to eat corn!
A summer time favorite in my house!
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!