Easy Mexican Street Corn
This easy side dish is a quick and super flavorful way for kids to enjoy the flavors of Mexican street corn at home!
Known as Elote, Mexican street corn is a famous street food from Mexico where corn cobs are grilled and then slathered in a creamy, cheesy, tangy coating.
They are amazing and so delicious.
But making them at home can be a little fussy – especially if you have to wait for sweet corn on the cob to be in season! My version takes all the same flavors and makes it a quick and easy process you can enjoy all year long in a simple kid friendly way.
Ingredients needed:
You only need a few easy to find ingredients to make this recipe:
- Corn – Use sweet corn for the best version of this recipe. You can use canned, frozen, or fresh cut off the cob! FOr the absolute best flavor, you can use smoked corn on the cob!
- Garlic – Fresh garlic, minced as finely as you can. I like to use pureed garlic from the produced section as it it blends in really nicely in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter
- Salt – Just a tiny pinch!
- Mayo – Use your favorite brand
- Limes – we will use the lime zest and juice
- Cotija Cheese – You can find this in in a pressed circle you can crumble yourself or in a shaker jar when it has already been crumbled. Either work. It gives a really nice tangy, salty cheesy flavor. It also lasts a long time and is great when added to ground pork tacos, arepas con queso and chicken mole, too!
- Cilantro – adds freshness, color, and great flavor!
- Smoked Paprika – Gives just a hint of spice and the smokiness helps replicate just a tiny bit of that grilled flavor without it being too hot/spicy/overwhelming for kids.
How to make Elote at home
This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!
- Prepare the corn as needed. If using canned or frozen corn, heat on the stovetop until just warmed through.
- Place the warmed corn (without any liquid) in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Toss with butter until the butter is melted and the corn is coated.
- Stir in the cotija cheese, cilantro, mayo, lime juice, smoked paprika, garlic, salt, and lime zest.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This corn is so good whether you serve it warm or if you serve it cold.
Storage Information
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Serve cold or reheat.
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Easy Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 ounces sweet corn
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup cotija cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the corn on the stovetop until just warmed through.15 ounces sweet corn
- Drain the water and place the corn in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Toss with the butter until the butter is melted and the corn is coated.3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Stir in the cotija cheese, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, smoked paprika, garlic and salt until well mixed.1/2 cup cotija cheese, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 lime, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Serve and enjoy.
