This Mexican Street Corn recipe is packed full of fresh, bright, and amazing flavors. It is a great way to spice up any BBQ or dinner table.
What to Gather
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this Mexican street corn. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Fresh Corn – Although self explanatory, you do need to use fresh ears of corn rather than corn off the cob for this elote recipe. However, I do have a Mexican Corn Salad recipe that provides the same flavors but uses corn kernels instead.
- Crema mexicana – This is where the corn starts getting good. This is a creamy sauce that gives a tart flavor to this great recipe. You can either make your own or buy it at any major grocery store.
- Queso cotija – This is a crumbly Mexican cheese found in most grocery stores. However, you can use queso fresco if your store doesn’t carry it.
- Butter
- Limes
- Mexican chile powder
- Fresh cilantro
Perfect Pairings
You can serve this street corn with just about anything you’d like to! I like to serve mine with other Mexican food like tacos, burritos, fajitas or something else similar.
I also like to serve with other sides like spanish rice, homemade guacamole and cheese dip. Tortilla chips are always a plus too!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, you can also make my Mexican Street Corn Salad by making this recipe and taking it off the cob and into a bowl for easy eating! You can even use it in my Mexican Chicken Casserole.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – If you used unsalted butter, you might need to add a pinch of salt. I like to use kosher salt.
- Seasonings – Add a little spice to this mexican street corn recipe by adding some cayenne pepper into the mix.
- Sauces – If you aren’t able to find or make mexican crema, you can always use sour cream mixture instead. Some people even use a garlic mayo. Simply mix mayonnaise with minced garlic and use in place of the mexican crema.
- Swaps – If you can’t find queso cotija, any crumbly cheese such as feta cheese will work. I’ve even seen people use parmesan cheese too.
- Senses – Mexican street corn is smoky, creamy, and tangy, with the scent of charred corn and zesty lime. Each bite bursts with sweet kernels, rich mayo, crumbly cotija, and a kick of chili spice.
Mexican Corn on the Cob
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ears corn
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 6 limes quartered
- 1 tablespoon chile powder
- 1 cup crema mexicana
- 1 cup queso cotija or queso fresco crumbled
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the 12 ears corn inside the husk for 45 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Allow the corn to cool so you can handle, then husk the corn. You can also wear gloves if you don't have time to allow them to cool fully.
- Place the w1/2 cup butterinto a long dish, roll each corn cob in butter and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon chile powder. Return to the grill to create a char, anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
- Remove and spritz the corn with fresh juice from 6 limes. Place the 1 cup crema mexicana in long dish, roll each corn cob. Sprinkle with the crumbled 1 cup queso cotija or queso fresco, 2 tablespoons cilantro and additional chile powder.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Storage and Freezing
Fresh sweet corn is always best when eaten right away. But you can store your easy Mexican street corn in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Freezing this corn is not recommended, but you can reheat in either the microwave or oven.
More Corn Recipes
Corn is such a versatile ingredient! From side dishes to soups, these are some of our favorite corn recipes.
I tried this at a friends house recently and it was soo good! Can’t wait to make it.
This corn looks so good I wish I could help myself this minute. I have always been a little boring with making corn on the cob. We just slap some butter on it a eat. I am ready to kick it up a notch. Thanks for sharing the recepe.
Mmmmmm, I’ve never had grilled corn. This looks really tasty. I love corn so much.
Really? You are missing out!
We love grilling corn but I’ve never tried it this way. It looks super good though.
You have no how much I love this!! My niece and I eat our corn like this all the time!
My mouth is watering looking at this! I love corn covered in STUFF!
I totally pinned that! It sounds ah-mazing, seriously delicious.
Oh Yum, I love fresh & this looks awesome!Stopping by from Wednesday Roundup to pin this fabulous recipe.
Blessings,
Shari
This is making my mouth water! I will be making this on the weekend!!
Oh yum! The best recipes are when you have to substitute and find that you LOVE the change you’ve made!