Elote is Mexican street corn on the cob, our very favorite way of eating corn! This recipe slathers grilled corn in a garlicky mayonnaise and rolls the sweet corn on the cob in cotija then sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder. Elote is a hit at every BBQ and is the perfect side dish for grilled meat or tacos!
Elote, or Mexican street corn, is cheesy, absolutely deliciously seasoned corn on the cob. If you’ve only eaten regular corn, you may never go back after this recipe. A staple of Mexican street vendors and a super popular snack, elote is creamy, crunchy, and totally addictive.
My take on elote uses butter and garlic mayo with a splash of lime and is the perfect side for other Mexican dishes or at barbecues. For even more authentic street corn, serve it on a wooden skewer.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
Corn – Six ears of corn, shucked (I’ll teach you how to do it down below!).
Butter – Recommended to me by some Mexican friends. It’s optional, but I love how rich it makes the elote.
Mayonnaise – Use good quality mayo that doesn’t have a strong taste or, for a more authentic flavor, use Mexican mayonnaise. If it already has lime juice, you can leave off adding more.
Cotija – The powdered style of cotija (see the top tips if you can’t find any), which is a hard cheese that originates from Mexico.
How To Make Elote
The full recipe is below, but here you’ll find all the steps for making this recipe perfectly the first and 100th time, along with useful tips and info!
Mix together the mayo, garlic, and lime juice in a small bowl. Once it’s well combined, put it to the side.
Pour the powdered cheese onto a plate and spread it out. Put that to the side, too.
Brush your grill grate with vegetable oil and heat the grill to high.
Grill the corn, making sure to turn it occasionally. You want it to be cooked and a little charred, but not burned. This takes about 10 minutes. As soon as you take the corn off the grill, brush it with butter (if you’re using it), and then the garlic mayo.
Roll each ear of corn into the cotija until they’re well coated, and then sprinkle with chilli powder, salt, and the cilantro.
Squeeze a little lime juice over each piece of corn and serve right away, with more lime wedges on the side.
Top Tips For Making Elote
- You can also use TajÃn, the Mexican spice blend, to sprinkle on after the cotija instead of chili powder and lime juice.
- If you can’t find powdered cotija, you can just use powdered parmesan cheese.
How To Shuck Corn
- Grab the husk at the top of the ear of corn and separate it into two halves.
- Pull the husks all the way down to the bottom, so you can see the corn inside. If you have any big chunks of husks left, pull those down, too.
- Rip the husks off from the bottom of the ear, or where the stem is.
- Use your fingers to pull out any little bits of silk that are left between the kernels. That’s it! Your corn is now ready to cook.
More Mexican Recipes
- Bean and Cheese Taquitos (4 Ingredients)
- Cucumber Salsa
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Whole30 Enchiladas with Poblano-Pork Stuffing & Creamy-Avocado Sauce
- Best Vegan Queso (Ever)
- Epic Paleo Nachos with Carnitas (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Option)
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Elote
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn shucked
- 1/4 cup butter melted, optional
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup powdered style cotija cheese
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- kosher salt
- 2 limes cut into wedges
Instructions
Combine mayonnaise, garlic, and the juice of 1/4 lime in small bowl. Mix until well combined, set to the side. Spread cheese on a plate and set aside.
Brush grill grate with vegetable oil and heat grill to high. Grill corn. Turn occasionally until cooked and lightly charred, about 10 minutes.
Immediately brush the corn with butter, if using, then the mayonnaise. Roll corn in cotija cheese. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt, and cilantro. Squeeze lime over corn and serve immediately, with more lime wedges.
Recipe Notes
- Seasoning: Can use TajÃn instead of chili powder and lime juice.
- Cheese: Use powdered parmesan cheese if you can’t find powdered cotija.
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