Learn how to make Mexican Street Corn at home. See why this grilled corn side dish recipe is booming in popularity with this easy to follow recipe.
What is Mexican Street Corn?
A recently unleashed secret in the United States, Mexican street corn is grilled corn, typically slathered in mayonnaise and covered in cotija cheese. You'll often see it sold on the cob, where people will buy it and chow down as they walk.
In our version, we grill the corn, but then take it off the cob and serve it up in a bowl. We sub in creme fresh for mayonnaise to let the Mexican flavors shine through, all while keeping things bold, cheesy and delicious!
Why you'll love it
I love making mexican food at home, but after coming up with a main dish - such as barbacoa tacos or loaded nachos - I often struggle to find great sides. From rice to refried beans, often time I'm making the same things over and over again.
But Mexican Street Corn saves you from side dish boredom. Plus, it's super simple to make. Simply grill some corn. cut the corn of the cob and mix in the rest of your ingredients. It's a recipe that's as simple to make as it is delicious to eat.
This will be one of your family's favorite taco night side dishes!
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Mike's recipe rundown
- Taste: We really aim for the quaternity of flavors here with acid, heat, salt and fat. The chili powders give a great form of low, smokey heat, the creme fresh adds a perfect amount of creaminess, the cotija cheese delivers saltiness and lime juice hits you with a pop of acid to lighten things up. Smokey, spicy and cheesy flavors shine through for a delicious complete bite.
- Texture: Corn kernels are cut off the cob then mixed into a creamy, cheese sauce. Eats like corn off the cob in a creamy, spoonable sauce.
- Difficulty - Pretty Easy! Grilling the corn and cutting it off the cob is as hard as it gets here. From there, you're just mixing everything together and spooning it into a bowl. Pretty straight forward stuff!
- Pros: A mainstay veggie in a completely new way with a ton of flavor. There's nothing bland or boring about this corn recipe.
- Cons: Traditionalists will argue that it's not true Mexican Street Corn when it's off the cob and served in a bowl. But what you can in flavor and ease of eating easily makes the change worth it!
- Would I make it again? Absolutely. This is one of my go-to side dishes on taco nights in our house!
Check out some of our other great recipes, like cajun shrimp and grits, smoked gouda mac and cheese, chicken tikka masala, or 29-hour, super tender sous vide chuck roast. Or, try one of my wife's favorites, my Bacon Lamb Sliders which are 100% flavor-bombs. .
Top tips
- Ingredient Tip: We use a mix of standard chili powder and chipotle chili powder for this recipe. The chipotle chili powder adds a bit of smokiness to the flavor profile that enhances the depth of the bite.
- Don't have a grill? If you don't have a grill, use a large cast iron skillet (affiliate) instead. Remove the corn from the cob before cooking, then cook the kernels with oil in the pan until tender. Transfer to bowl with remaining ingredients and mix together.
- Why use a grill then? The flavor of corn cooked at high heat over an open flame really enhances the whole dish. The cast iron pan (affiliate) is an okay option, but it should definitely be your backup.
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Cooking time
This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Grilling the corn takes about 20 minutes. I let mine rest about 5 minutes to be cool enough to cut, then it takes about 5 minutes more to mix everything in and serve.
Equipment
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- 4 ears yellow corn, in husk
- 1 cup creme fresh (or sour cream)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 6 oz cotija cheese, plus more for topping
- 4 lime wedges, for serving
Serving size
This recipe makes 4 side-dish size servings. You can scale the recipe using the recipe card below.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat grill to medium-high, about 400°. Remove silks and peel about half of the husks off each ear of corn and discard. Place corn directly on grill with grill cover close, turning every 5 minutes or so. Grill until husks turn black and corn is tender to the touch. This should take about 20 minutes or so. Remove to a pan and let cool about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Stand corn on end in mixing bowl (affiliate). Remove remaining husks from corn and stand on end. Using a chef's knife, cut the kernels off the cob by cutting downward and into the mixing bowl (affiliate).
Step 3: Add creme fresh, lime zest, chipotle chili powder, regular chili powder, paprika, shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled cotija cheese in a large mixing bowl (affiliate). Stir togther well.
Step 4: Spoon street corn mixture into individual bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese and serve each bowl with a lime wedge. Top with hot sauce, if desired.
Video
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Mexican Street Corn
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 4 ears yellow corn, in husk
- 1 cup creme fresh (or sour cream)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 6 oz cotija cheese, plus more for topping
- 4 lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Grill corn: Preheat grill to medium-high, about 400°. Remove silks and peel about half of the husks off each ear of corn and discard. Place corn directly on grill with grill cover close, turning every 5 minutes or so. Grill until husks turn black and corn is tender to the touch. This should take about 20 minutes or so. Remove to a pan and let cool about 5 minutes.
- Cut Corn: Remove remaining husks from corn and stand on end. Using a chef's knife, cut the kernels off the cob by cutting downward and into the mixing bowl (affiliate).
- Mix Ingredients: Add creme fresh, lime zest, chipotle chili powder, regular chili powder, paprika and crumbled cotija cheese to mixing bowl (affiliate). Mix everything together well.
- To Serve: Spoon street corn mixture into individual bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese and serve each bowl with a lime wedge. Top with hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Corn can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for three days. Reheat in the microwave for about 90 seconds before serving.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Mexican Street Corn, Elote, Mexican Side Dish
