Elotes – Mexican Street Corn

What are elotes? Elote (pronounced eh-loh-tay) is Mexican street corn. If you’ve had it, I bet you love it. If you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat! Grilled corn that tastes sweet and savory, tangy and spicy all at once. It’s messy to eat but worth every bite. Elotes is the perfect summertime side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal.

Elotes or Grilled Mexican Street Corn is a tasty treat!!  Try this recipe once, and you’ll understand why we call the Mexican elotes one of the best ways to serve corn, hands down. Grilling shucked ears of corn directly over very hot coals brings out the corn’s nutty flavor and chars the kernels slightly.

Next it is topped with a blend of garlic, cilantro, chili powder, mayo, and Cotija cheese in the sauce, plus a final squeeze of lime, makes the corn sweet, salty, savory, nutty, creamy, and tart all at once. Make this for your next backyard cook-out! Squeeze on an extra splash of lime and you have an authentic street food that is the perfect side dish for Cinco De Mayo or Taco Tuesday.

Serve this excellent recipe for Elotes with some of these main dishes:

• Carne Asada Tampiquena
• Pork Carnitas
• Fried Chicken Tacos

Elotes – Mexican Street Corn

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Elotes or Grilled Mexican Street Corn is a tasty treat!!  Try this recipe once, and you’ll understand why we call the Mexican elote one of the best ways to serve corn, hands down.

• Author: Serious Eats
• Prep Time: :05
• Cook Time: :12
• Total Time: :17
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Grilled
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

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• • 1/2 cup (110g) finely crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or Mexican crema
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 1/2 teaspoon ancho or guajillo chile powder, plus more for serving
  • 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 4 ears shucked corn (see note)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

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Instructions

1. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.
2. While coals heat, combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream or crema, cilantro, chile powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside.
3. When grill is hot, place corn directly over hot side of grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
4. Transfer corn to bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat corn on all sides with mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes

When husking your corn, remove the silk and husk from the cob, but keep a few inches of the stalk end attached to use as a handle. If your corn is already husked, skewer the cooked corn with a wooden skewer.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4