Authentic Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Recipe
Make classic Mexican street corn, or elote, at home. This recipe delivers charred grilled corn coated in a creamy, tangy sauce and finished with salty cheese and chili powder for the ultimate summer side dish.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 22 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for medium-high heat. Brush the corn lightly with olive oil.
- Place the corn directly on the grill grates. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the kernels are tender and lightly charred on all sides.
- While the corn grills, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Once the corn is cooked, remove it from the grill.
- Working quickly, spread a thin, even layer of the creamy sauce over the entire surface of each hot ear of corn.
- Immediately roll or sprinkle the coated corn generously with the crumbled cotija cheese.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and an extra dusting of chili powder before serving hot.
Notes
- For an extra smoky flavor, you can briefly char the corn over an open gas flame after grilling.
- If you cannot find cotija cheese, use feta cheese as a substitute, though the flavor profile will change slightly.
- Serve this grilled corn immediately while the sauce is warm and the cheese adheres well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ear
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 20
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 30