Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

Whenever we return to my husband’s hometown during the summer holidays – Flag Day, July 4th^thor Labor Day – there’s always a little taco truck that sits with the other food trucks in the park.

There’s always a line around the corner with people waiting to try classic street tacos, burritos, and grilled Mexican street corn (elots) coated with sauce.

Video: How to Make Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)

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Mexican street corn

Swaps & Substitutions for Mexican Corn

Mexican cream: Look for crema next to the sour cream or with the cheese at your grocery store. If you can’t find it, by all means use regular sour cream. Crema is slightly thinner than sour cream and has added salt, making it extra divine. It’s usually what we keep in our house now!
Cotija Cheese: If cotija isn’t available, you can just omit it or use just grated parmesan or crumbled feta cheese instead.

How to Eat Mexican Street Corn

There’s absolutely no way to be careful about eating that messy cob of corn, but you’re usually not alone as half the other people gathering for the event are also covered in it. Small town events and their street cart food mean summer is really here!

What Goes With Mexican Street Corn?

Grilled Mexican corn turns any backyard barbecue into a party. Try pairing it with some of these dishes:

roast meat
fish tacos
Grilled chicken in red chilli marinade
Flank steak with orange and avocado salsa
Grilled salsa verde chicken

More Favorite Summer Corn Recipes!

cornsup
Corn salsa
Ceviche with avocado and grilled corn
Grilled lamb’s lettuce
Sweetcorn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

preparation time
10 mins

cooking time
10 mins

total time
20 minutes

portions
6
up to 8 servings

If you can’t find traditional Mexican crema at your local grocery store, by all means use regular sour cream. You can also substitute grated parmesan cheese or crumbled feta for the cotija.

6 to 8 medium ears Cornshells removed
1/2 Cup Mexican creamor sour cream
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/2 Cup chopped coriander
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle peppertaste
2 teaspoon Finely grated lime zestfrom 1 lime
2 tablespoon lime juicefrom 1 lime
1/2 Cup Cotija cheesedecay
lime wedgesserve

Heat a Gas or Charcoal Grill to 400F:

Clean the grates after heating.
Whisk the sauce:

In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema already has a little salt, so add extra sensibly.) Set aside.
Grill Corn:

Place the husked corn directly on the grill grate. Grill the corns undisturbed for about 3 minutes or until the kernels turn golden brown and appear charred. Flip and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
Garnish the corn with sauce and cheese:

Using a brush or spoon, brush each corn on the cob with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if you like. Serve immediately with additional lime wedges.