Make authentic Mexican corn on the cob in your home with our fast and easy elote recipe! Take your corn on the cob up a notch when you season it with a tangy, homemade lime dressing, garnished it with cotija (a Mexican parmesan), and serve it all on a stick! Once you try it, it will be easy to see why this 20-minute Mexican street corn recipe is a popular one that is always a WHOLE LOTTA YUM.
This is the BEST Elote Recipe!
Growing up, we always topped our corn on the cob in a traditional way, with butter and salt. It wasn't until many years later that a new, more flavorful option was brought to our family and from the first bite we were hooked.
If you have never tried Mexican corn on the cob, let's just say you are missing out! Not only is this Mexican corn on the cob recipe bursting with flavor, but it's also so easy to prepare. Learn how to make elote corn at home the easy way!
While the corn is cooking, simply whip up the homemade lime dressing and grab your seasonings, and be ready to make the best side dish for all of your summer gatherings.
This easy Mexican street corn recipe is a festive summer side dish from May to September. Serve it at a summer BBQ, potluck, for Cinco de Mayo, or with any of your favorite summer meats like grilled chicken, oven baked baby back ribs or instant pot country style ribs.
Why you'll love this Mexican Corn on the Cob Recipe!
- Ready in just 20-minutes, Mexican corn on the cob takes no more time to prepare than traditional corn on the cob.
- With the amazing flavors of lime, chili powder, and cotija, your Mexican corn on the cob recipe is anything but boring.
- Our Mexican street corn recipe is perfect for anyone looking to stick to gluten-free or vegetarian lifestyles, as well as those looking to steer clear or processed carbs.
- Impress your family and guests with a recipe that only looks and tastes complicate, but is actually super easy to prepare.
If you are looking for even more ways to prepare corn, but sure to check out our 15-minutes Mexican street corn with frozen corn, air fryer corn on the cob, and pressure cooker corn on the cob recipes.
Elote Ingredients
Don't be swayed by the ingredients, or nervous about using something new or different. There are plenty of tastes and flavors you are familiar with in our Mexican corn on the cob recipe.
This is a Mexican corn on the cob with mayo and sour cream, we blend both of these to make the perfect balance of creaminess and tang.
- corn on the cob - husks removed
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- lime juice - fresh squeezed
- sea salt
- cotija - Mexican Parmesan cheese, crumbled
- red onion - finely minced
- cilantro - chopped
- chili powder
- butter for brushing
- Optional Garnishes- lime, cotija cheese, tajin, cayenne pepper, chili powder
*** Note: Authentic Mexican street corn uses epazote instead of cilantro, which is an herb that can be found in Hispanic markets.
Mexican Corn on Cob variations
- Cotija Cheese - If you are unable to find cotija cheese, or simply looking for a substitute, you can use feta cheese instead.
Diet Variations
- Sugar-Free - To make your Mexican corn on the cob sugar-free, simply make sure your Mexican street corn with mayo does not contain any added sugar. Some mayonnaise brands sneak in added sugar.
How to Make Elote on the Cob
Making Mexican street corn on the cob is truly so easy. You make a simple mayo, sour cream, lime dressing, prep the other ingredients while the corn cooks, and then drizzle the elote recipe dressing and toppings over the hot corn and serve.
Make the Mexican Corn on the Cob Seasoning
**The dressing can be made while cooking the corn.
- To make the Mexican street corn dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, juice of one lime, cotija cheese, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside for later.
- Prep the garnishes by crumbling the cotija cheese, mincing the red onion, and chopping the cilantro.
Cook the Corn
3. To cook the corn on the cob, you have 3 easy options:
- Grill the corn for 15-20 minutes.
- Cook on the stovetop in boiling water for 5-7 minutes.
- Cook corn in a pressure cooker for 2 minutes.
For full stovetop directions, see our boiled corn on the cob recipe. For full pressure cooker directions, see our Instant Pot corn on the cob recipe.
Assemble
4. Roll the corn in melted butter, or brush it on top.
5. Roll the corn in the mayo sour cream dressing.
6. Sprinkle the Mexican corn on the cob with the cilantro, chopped red onion, Cotija cheese, more salt, and chili powder. Adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper is put down as an optional item since not everyone likes spice (which is me!), but just a tiny bit really does give the Mexican street corn recipe a nice kick.
7. Serve more dressing, cheese, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro, and lime slices on the side. Serves 4 Enjoy!
Easy Elote Recipe tips
- The recipe calls for the juice of one lime, this can vary based on the weight and size of a lime. Try to find a heavier lime, it means it has more juice in it. The lime used in the recipe was about 2 tablespoon of lime juice.
- Tajin seasoning can be substituted for chili pepper and salt.
- We often drizzle half of the sauce over the corn and serve the remainder on the table so people can add more to taste. Feel free to coat the entire batch of cotija sauce on the corn if preferred.
How to store Mexican Corn on Cob
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
Freeze: Before freezing, let the corn cool to room temperature. The best way to freeze Mexican corn on the cob is to cut the kernels off of the kernels since they’re covered in sauce, but you can freeze the cobs whole if preferred!
- For corn on the cob: Wrap each corn cob tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- For corn kernels: Place the kernels in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until the kernels are solid (for about 1-2 hours), then transfer them to an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag, removing as much air as possible.
The texture might change a little after freezing, especially if it's on the cob. The toppings (like mayo or cheese) might separate or become a bit watery upon thawing, so it's a good idea to freshen up with new toppings when serving them again!
Reheat:
- Corn on the Cob: Allow the corn to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, you can reheat it in a 350 F oven to bring back some of its roasted flavors. Since the corn is covered in sauce, we recommend individually wrapping each cob or placing them all on a baking pan covered with parchment or aluminum foil and cover them with more foil so the sauce doesn’t burn. Add more mayo, cheese, and seasoning to the corn after reheating them.
- Corn Kernels: These can be directly added to dishes from the freezer or reheated in a skillet or microwave until heated through. Drizzle with more mayo, cheese, and Tajin to fresh up the dish!
Mexican Corn on the Cob FAQs
You can serve your Elotes at a summer BBQ or potluck, for a festive Cinco de Mayo, or with any of your favorite summer meats like grilled chicken, oven baked baby back ribs, or instant pot country style ribs. And for the adults, you can also include some of these keto margaritas.
Absolutely! If you would prefer to serve a Mexican street corn salad, simply cook 4 ears of corn and cut the kernels from the cob. Mix the dressing in a separate bowl, then combine that with the corn kernels.
While there isn't a true substitute for this Mexican parmesan, you can use feta cheese or queso fresco in place of the cotija.
The name for Mexican street corn in its native language is "Elote." It is a popular street food in Mexico, often served on a stick or in a cup (esquites) and adorned with various toppings such as chili powder, mayonnaise, and lime.
The seasoning for Elote seasoning is made up of chili powder, salt, and lime, some homemade versions might also include smoked paprika, garlic powder, or cumin. Many recipes use the hispanic seasoning Tajín, which is a specific spice blend brand.
"Elote" is the Spanish word for corn, so when referring to that term, it’s referring to corn on the cob. When it's prepared with the traditional Mexican toppings (like mayo, cheese, chili powder, and lime), it's often referred to as Mexican street corn. In essence, Mexican street corn is a version of elote. It's worth noting that there's also "esquites," which is similar but refers to the corn kernels cut off the cob and served in a cup with the same delicious toppings.
More Mexican Recipes
If you love our recipe for Mexican street corn then you'll love our other Mexican inspired recipes too!
Looking for more Mexican recipes?
- Mexican Stree Corn Salad
- Instant Pot Fajita Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Taco Soup
- Keto Taco Casserole
- Mexican street corn recipes
Come connect with us on Instagram! Be sure to tag us (wholelotta.yum) when you make a recipe. You can also find us on Facebook, and Pinterest.
Mexican Corn on the Cob Recipe (Elote)
Mexican corn on the cob (also known as elotes) is an easy and tangy way to make your corn go wow! With a creamy and tangy lime dressing, this elote recipe makes an ideal summer side dish, BBQ recipe, and is impressive at a potluck.
The Mexican corn recipe is gluten free, vegetarian, refined sugar free and contains no processed carbs.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, shucked
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoon fresh lime)
- ½ cup cotija cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon red onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder (or Tajin)
- Garnishes- lime, cotija, cayenne pepper, chili powder
Instructions
Cook the Corn
To cook the corn on the cob, you have 3 easy options:
- Grill the corn for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred.
- Cook on the stovetop in boiling water for 5-7 minutes
- Pressure cook the corn for 2 minutes on High. Do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
Make the Dressing
- Make the dressing while the corn cooks. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, juice of one lime, cotija cheese, and salt in a small low bowl. Put in the fridge until the corn cobs are done cooking.
- Prep the garnishes by crumbling the cotija cheese, mincing the red onion, and chopping the cilantro.
Assemble
- Roll the cooked corn in melted butter, or you can brush on the butter.
- Roll the corn in the Mexican Street corn dressing.
- Sprinkle the corn on the cob with lots of Cotija cheese, minced red onion, chopped cilantro, and chili powder (or Tajin).
- Serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
If you can't access cotija cheese or are looking for a substitute you can make it with feta cheese instead.
The recipe calls for the juice of one lime, this can vary based on the weight and size of a lime. Try to find a heavier lime, it means it has more juice in it. The lime used in the recipe juiced about 2 tablespoon of lime juice.
Authentic Mexican street corn uses epazote instead of cilantro, which is an herb that can be found in hispanic markets.
We often drizzle half of the sauce over the corn and serve the remainder on the table so people can add more to taste. Feel free to coat the entire batch of cotija sauce on the corn if preferred.
If you have Tajin seasoning it can be substituted for the chili pepper and salt.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 23mgSodium 1114mgCarbohydrates 22gNet Carbohydrates 19gFiber 3gSugar 5gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 7g
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