Ears of corn grilled to a charred perfection with garlic butter and then covered with mayonnaise and sprinkled with salty cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. This flavorful Mexican street corn recipe is a popular Mexican street food and is always a fan favorite.
This is a great grilled corn recipes to add to your summer menu for your next cookout. It is great to serve at any barbecue but can be especially good for Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day barbecues. This elote corn recipe is an easy side dish making it perfect to make when entertaining guests. It really is the perfect side dish any time of year.
This was inspired by my BBQ Grill Jalapeno Poppers on this site, and pairs well with this Steak Sandwich.
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Ingredients
- ears of sweet corn
- butter
- garlic cloves
- cotija cheese
- mayonnaise
- fresh cilantro
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Chop the cilantro. Grate the fresh garlic with a microplane or use a garlic crusher. Husk the corn.
Melt butter and garlic. This can be done in the microwave or on the grill in a small cast iron skillet.
Place corn on the grill on medium high heat. Baste the corn with garlic butter. Turn every 2-3 minutes while continuously basting with garlic butter.
Remove the corn from the grill once the corn is cooked with a slight char. Spread mayonnaise evenly on corn. Sprinkle cotija cheese and cilantro so it sticks to the mayonnaise. Serve immediately.
Hint: continuously baste the corn with the garlic butter. This will help the corn not only cook faster but will help develop that slight char on the corn. This adds so much flavor to the dish and also assures your corn cooks well.
Substitutions
- Mayonnaise - instead of mayonnaise, use Mexican crema or greek yogurt
- Cotija Cheese - use queso fresco instead. Pecorino Romano is also a good substitute even though it is not traditional
- Butter - coat the corn in mayonnaise instead of butter prior to grilling, this will help the corn grill and char the same way butter would
Variations
- Spicy - add a sprinkle of chile powder or cayenne pepper on top of the corn to add a little heat to the corn. Mix hot sauce in with the mayonnaise before spreading on the corn to add some extra heat
- Deluxe - add diced onions and jalapenos for a crunch on top and a little lime zest for extra flavor
- Mexican Street Corn Salad - deconstruct this recipe and remove the corn off the cob to create a Mexican corn salad
Mexican Street Corn Recipe Tasting Notes
When tasting this recipe, the creaminess of the mayonnaise and the salty cotija cheese will be the forefront in the flavor profile. This creamy to salty ratio along with the smoky char from the corn packs a ton of flavor into every bite.
Equipment
This recipe requires a gas grill or charcoal grill. The corn can also be charred in a cast iron skillet inside if you do not have access to a grill, but this will not achieve the smoky grill char that a grill is necessary for.
To make this recipe, a basting brush is needed to baste the butter onto the corn while grilling. A small cast iron sauce pan is also very helpful to melt the butter right on the grill. This makes it much easier to baste the corn when grilling. Grilling tongs are also helpful. To chop the fresh cilantro a sharp knife and cutting board are needed.
Storage
Store Mexican elote grilled corn in til foil in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven or on the grill before serving. Add additional cheese and cilantro after reheating if necessary.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Do not just put the corn on the grill with nothing on it. In order to get that charred flavor and for the fresh sweet corn to cook, you need to add a fat to the corn. In this recipe butter is used. You can also use oil, such as vegetable oil or avocado oil, or mayonnaise.
FAQ
If you do not have access to a grill, a grill pan on the stove can be used. This will still help you get some nice char and grill marks, especially if you are cooking on a high heat.
This recipe is definitely a summer staple. Summer is also corn season so you will get delicious, juicy corn that is perfect for fresh street corn. You also get a certain sweetness of fresh corn that you can't get as much in the winter months.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Grilled Mexican Street Corn:
📖 Recipe
Grilled Mexican Street Corn
Equipment
- 1 Small Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 5 ears sweet corn
- 8 tablespoon butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Chop the cilantro. Grate the fresh garlic with a microplane or use a garlic crusher. Husk the corn.
- Melt butter and garlic. This can be done in the microwave or on the grill in a small cast iron skillet.
- Place corn on the grill on medium high heat. Baste the corn with garlic butter. Turn every 2-3 minutes while continuously basting with garlic butter.
- Remove the corn from the grill once the corn is cooked with a slight char. Spread mayonnaise evenly on corn. Sprinkle cotija cheese and cilantro so it sticks to the mayonnaise. Serve immediately.
Notes
- save leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- best to make when sweet corn is in season.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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