Home > Sides > Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)

April 5, 2021

Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)

Name: Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 cobs of corn; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)); 1 garlic clove (finely minced); 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/4 tsp cumin; 2 Tbsp lime juice ((plus lime wedges to serve)); 1/2 cup cotija cheese ((crumbled)); 1/2 tsp chili powder (to garnish)

Mexican Street Corn or “Elote” is covered with a tangy and spicy crema sauce and topped with crumbled cotija cheese. It takes just one bite to realize why Mexican grilled corn on the cob is so popular.

The flavor profile of this Mexican corn is similar to the sauce on our famous Fish Tacos. Make this Elote corn for your next party and you will get recipe requests.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

What is an Elote?

Elote, pronounced ‘ee-low-tay’ is a side dish of sweet grilled corn on the cob, smothered with a mixture of crema (or sour cream), mayonnaise, and spices. The combination of sweet and slightly charred corn with the spicy sauce is irresistibly good.

Elote is a popular street vendor food sold during Mexican festivals (especially for Cinco de Mayo) which is why it’s referred to as Mexican Street Corn.

elote ingredients with corn, sour cream, mayo, cotija cheese, lime, cilantro, garlic and spices

How to Cook Corn for Elote?

You can cook corn using your favorite method, from simple Boiled Corn on the Cob to Instant Pot Corn on the Cob. During grilling season, we love to make Grilled Corn in Foil because it imparts an added smoky flavor.

How to Make Grilled Mexican Street Corn:

Mexican Street corn is really easy to prepare. It’s as simple as cooking the corn then covering it in the sauce, cheese, and cilantro.

1. Grill Corn: Use just enough foil to cover the corn once, overlapping slightly and tucking in the edges. We double wrap for a campfire. See our full tutorial on grilling corn in foil.

2. Partially Unwrap: Once the corn is grilled, let it rest inside the foil 10 minutes then peel back the foil to expose most of the corn, but keep the foil under the cob to use as a dish/ holder to avoid getting sauce on your hands.

3. Make Sauce: Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl then smother the corn in sauce and sprinkle with chili powder, a generous amount of cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro to serve.

Brushing on sauce and adding garnish on elote corn

How to Eat Mexican Street Corn

There really is no neat way to eat Mexican street corn. The foil wrapper helps but it is bound to get a little messy. You can take comfort in knowing that everyone else around you will also have sauce on their face. It’s so worth it! You can also skewer it as we did in our Boiled Corn on the Cob.

Serve With

Serve the smothered corn right out of the foil ‘boats’ that you grilled the corn in to keep your hands clean and your guests will appreciate it. Mexican corn is perfect as a side dish and pairs really well with:

Mexican Street Tacos – with Carne asada
Grilled Salmon with garlic lime butter
Pan-Seared Steak – with rosemary butter
Juicy Cheeseburgers with secret sauce
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with cajun butter
Carnitas – Mexican pulled pork

Why Grill Corn in Foil?

This recipe goes from the grill to the table using the same foil. It’s so convenient to make and serve with Heavy-Duty Foil. Here’s why we love it:

Make-ahead – you can pre-wrap the corn in advance and refrigerate until ready to use
No pre-soaking or waiting required, simply wrap and grill the corn
Great for any kind of grill – gas, charcoal, wood, or smoker, and you can even double wrap to grill it over a campfire
Even cooking – the foil protects food over direct heat to evenly cook corn without burning
Serve in Foil – to keep hands clean while enjoying saucy Mexican corn
Easy clean up – no mess and no dishes

Grilling Safety Tip: when removing foil-wrapped corn from the grill, use tongs and please be very careful opening as the packet and steam inside will be extremely hot.

More Authentic Mexican Recipes:

If you love Mexican food, try our top-rated Mexican recipes. These sweet and savory recipes always get rave reviews and you’re sure to find some new favorites in this list.

Ceviche – a crowd-pleasing shrimp salsa
Pico de Gallo – one trick will make it taste authentic
Guacamole – creamy, chunky, classic guac
Churros – a Mexican dessert that is best homemade
Tres Leches Cake – a super moist and unforgettable cake

Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)

5 from 17 votes

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Mexican Street Corn or "Elote" is sweet corn on the cob smothered with a tangy and spicy crema sauce and topped with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro.

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $10-$12 (varies by season)

Keyword: elote, grilled Mexican corn, Mexican street corn

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Side Dish

Calories: 220

Servings: 8 cobs of corn

Ingredients

8 cobs of corn
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp lime juice, (plus lime wedges to serve)
1/2 cup cotija cheese, (crumbled)
1/2 tsp chili powder, to garnish

Instructions

Shuck corn and wrap in a single layer heavy duty foil to fully enclose the corn then grill corn in foil.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, cilantro, minced garlic, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice. Stir to blend and set aside.
Partially unwrap corn to cool for a few minutes before applying sauce. Keep the foil under the corn to be used for serving the corn.
Using a basting brush, generously brush on the sauce and sprinkle generously with cotija cheese. Garnish with chili powder and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote Recipe)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 19mg6%

Sodium 221mg10%

Potassium 284mg8%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 408IU8%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 68mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.