Grilled Mexican Street Corn
on Aug 06, 2021, Updated Jul 02, 2025
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Grilled Mexican street corn (elote) is charred to perfection and slathered with mayo, cotija, lime, and chili powder — flavorful, messy, irresistible summer corn!
If you’ve never eaten corn on the cob with mayo and cheese, it’s time. Grilled Mexican street corn — aka elote — is messy, flavorful, addictive, and just about the best way to turn summer sweet corn into a party. The corn gets charred on the grill, then slathered with a creamy, tangy, slightly spicy sauce made with mayonnaise, lime, chili powder, and crumbled cotija cheese. It’s one of those dishes that’s way more than the sum of its parts — simple ingredients, outrageous flavor.
Serve elote at a cookout, taco night (Alaska rockfish tacos or ground beef tacos would be great), or straight from the grill — with a lot of napkins! This is the perfect thing to make when you are grilling up a simple dinner like chicken breasts, salmon, or Mexican ribeye steaks. A cocktail like a Frozen Prickly Pear Margarita would be amazing.
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Also, don’t miss out on Grilled Corn Salad!
What's In This Post?
What Is Mexican Corn (or Elote)?
Mexican street corn, or elote in Spanish, is so named because, in Mexico, you can buy it on the street from vendors, much like you can get a hot dog or soft pretzel here in New York City.
The sellers/cooks grill up ears of corn, then slather them with a creamy, cheesy mayonnaise-based sauce flavored with lime juice and paprika, and then the whole thing is sprinkled with a bit more dry, crumbly cotija cheese. In NYC, at some of the better street fairs, you can actually come across Mexican Street Corn right here in our northern metropolis.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn on the Cob
- Make the sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, garlic, and chili powder. Transfer the mixture to a plate.
- Grill the corn: Brush the corn with the melted butter. Grill the corn for 8 minutes, until it is nicely browned in spots.
- Coat the corn with sauce: Roll the corn in the mayo mixture, and place on a serving platter.
- Serve: Squeeze the lime over the corn, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cheese, then sprinkle with smoked paprika if desired. Add the lime wedges, and serve immediately.
What to Serve With Grilled Elote
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Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or Mexican crema
- ¼ cup cotija cheese (divided)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ancho or chipotle chili powder
- 8 ears shucked corn
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 lime (halved; additional lime wedges to garnish)
- Smoked paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, 3 tablespoons of cheese, garlic, and chili powder. Transfer to a plate.
- Brush the corn with the melted butter. Grill the corn for 8 minutes, until it is nicely browned in spots. Roll the corn in the mayo mixture, and place on a serving platter. Squeeze the lime over the corn, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cheese, then sprinkle with smoked paprika if desired. Add the lime wedges, and serve immediately.
Notes
Tips and Variations
- If you can find Mexican crèma, use that instead of sour cream.
- Instead of cotija (a dry, crumbly Mexican cow’s milk cheese), you could use a combination of feta and Parmesan.
- If you can’t find pure ancho chili powder, it’s ok to use a chili powder blend.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, skip it, or give the corn a final sprinkle of chili powder or regular paprika. Be resourceful; you don’t want to miss out on this summer joy.
- Add minced fresh cilantro to the mix if cilantro is your thing. Notice there is no salt or pepper; the cheese provides enough saltiness. Add it if you wish.
Nutrition
What to Know About Making Mexican Street Corn
Allowing the corn to cool slightly will help the sauce and cheese stay on the corn instead of melting off. The mayonnaise also helps the other ingredients stick to the corn.
You can use finely grated or finely crumbled feta, Romano, or Parmesan cheese to make this Mexican corn recipe.
Yes. You can grill the corn ahead of time, and then keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Either bring to room temperature before assembling and adding the toppings, or you can warm the corn on the grill slightly before topping it.
How many calories in one piece of corn with everything on it?
I’m so sorry – I don’t have a program for nutritional analysis!
Oh my. I totally agree with you that if you mess with corn, it better be good. Well, all I can say is WOW. I made corn twice this week and made it this way both times. This is now one of my fav recipes of yours. And I love a lot of your recipes:). The enchiladas in your book are amazing too. Thank you!
thank you so much! I have to make this this coming weekend…..maybe as the main course! ;)