Mexican street corn (elote) is the best way to enjoy corn on the cob ever. Corn is grilled to perfection, then coated with mayonnaise, cojita cheese, and chili powder.
Serve this easy Mexican street corn recipe next to mains like ribs, pork chops, or steak. It’s also great on it’s own, served as an appetizer during barbecues!
Mexican Street Corn Ingredients
Traditional Mexican street corn can be found with just 5 ingredients:
- Corn – grilled until slightly blackened over an open flame.
- Mayonnaise – helps the ingredients stick to the corn.
- Cojita cheese – similar to feta cheese, this coats the corn evenly.
- Chili powder – adds some flavor to the street corn
- Cilantro – for a little color and freshness.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn
To make Mexican Street Corn:
- Preheat the grill to 375ยฐF, and brush with olive oil.
- Remove the husks from the corn. Add corn to the grill and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until the corn is bright in color and charred.
- Remove corn from heat. Add skewers if desired, then brush with mayonnaise. Coat in cojita cheese, then sprinkle with chili powder and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Air fryer Street Corn:
- Make air fryer corn on the cob – preheat the air fryer to 400ยฐF for 5 minutes. Brush corn with olive oil, then air fry for 12-15 minutes or until blackened and bright.
- Brush corn with mayonnaise, then top with cojita, chili powder, and cilantro.
Mexican Street Corn Additions
Here are some must try additions to Mexican street corn:
- Cumin
- Cayenne – for a kick
- Powdered Cheetos
- Drizzled queso
- Tajin powder (chili lime flavor, instead of regular chili powder)
- Lime wedges
Tips For Perfect Mexican Street Corn
- If you can’t find cojita cheese, pick up some feta. It crumbles just like cojita and tastes similar. Make sure to crumble it finely and drain it well.
- Adding char to Mexican street corn makes all the difference. Spend a little extra time to get it perfectly blackened
- To serve Mexican street corn on a stick, place a skewer into each cob once cooked (they will be softer). Brush with mayo, then roll in cojita cheese.
- Use a sauce brush to apply the mayonnaise in an even coating, so it isn’t too thick.
- This corn is best served right off of the grill, so make sure the mayonnaise cojita, cilantro, and chili powder are ready to go once the corn is cooked.
Leftover Mexican Street Corn?
Leftovers won’t hold up too well, as the mayonnaise and cojita cheese will melt off of the street corn.
If you have extra grilled corn, store it separately, and assemble the Mexican street corn right before serving.
More Delicious Side Dishes
5 from 1 rating
Mexican Street Corn
Prep Time: 8 minutes mins
Cook Time: 12 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Bailey
Mexican street corn (elote) is made with grilled corn on the cob coated with mayonnaise, cojita cheese, and chili powder.
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Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ยฝ cup mayonnaise
- ยฝ cup cojita cheese crumbled
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 375ยฐF. Pull husks off of corn.
- Place corn on preheated grill for 12-15 minutes, turning while cooking. Brush with butter while cooking. When corn is grilled to preference, remove from heat.
- Using a sauce brush, brush the corn with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cojita cheese, chili powder, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
If you can't find cojita cheese, feta makes a good substitute.
Serve the corn hot. Once it comes off the grill, make sure you have the ingredients ready to start coating it.
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Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 697IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg
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