This Mexican street corn recipe always reminds me of summer. The sweet flavor of the grilled corn, a creamy tangy topping, the salty cheese, and hot sauce with just a squeeze of lime all come together to make the best summer side dish.
In my high school days, I lived in San Diego. Summers always meant the beach. Sometimes we would drive down to Baja, Mexico for the day, get tacos and hang out on the beach.
Long days of sun and salt water are such a fond memory. It was on one of these trips where I first experienced "border corn".
The street vendors at the border crossing in Tijuana sell all sorts of things while you are waiting in line to cross the border back into California. There are a wide variety of goods available; from snacks and blankets to things like handcrafted necklaces. But, what I really remember was this grilled Mexican corn on the cob sold from little carts.
Mexican street corn would come wrapped in paper. The cheese would be slightly melty, and the hot sauce spicy and vinegary.
I was feeling a little homesick for my So Cal roots this year and thought that this 4th of July would be the perfect time to get nostalgic with my old favorite – border corn.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Grilled summer corn. What’s to to love about fresh, sweet summer corn on the cob that’s grilled and the slathered with sour cream and cheese.
- So much flavor.
- The perfect summer side dish.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is easy to make. You can grill or broil the corn on the cob.
Ingredient for Mexican Street Corn
- Fresh corn. Any kind of corn work for this recipe. I prefer the sweeter white corn but I’ve made it with the yellow corn too.
- Mexican crema. You can find Mexican crema at most grocery stores. I always find it at Safeway, if your on the West Coast. If you can’f find it you can substitute sour cream.
- Mayonnaise. Best foods or Hellman’s mayo is perfect for this recipe.
- Fresh lime juice. You’ll need lime juice for the spread and more for squeezing on top of the corn.
- Cotija cheese. Cotija cheese is a hard crumbly cheese with a salty flavor. It’s delicious on tacos and perfect on this Mexican street corn.
- Cilantro. Fresh cilantro adds color and an herbaceous favor to this grilled corn.
- California chili pepper. Ground chili pepper adds a little bit of spice. Trader Joe’s also sells an Everything But The Elotes spice blend. (It’s great on popcorn!)
- Hot sauce. I like to add hot sauce to my Mexican street corn. I usually use Tapatio brand.
How to grill corn on the cob
Grilling corn on the grill is super easy. The goal is to give the corn a nice roasted outside. You will want it a deep rich brown to black color. Charring corn on the grill gives it such a great flavor. It brings out the sweetness in the corn.
- Heat the grill on medium-high.
- Place the corn on the grill, close the lid and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Turn the corn every 5 minutes so that you’re able to char it on all sides.
Grilling corn on the the cob with the husks on
Sometimes I grill the corn on the cob with the husks on. I used to always grill my corn like this.
Grilling corn with the husks on give the corn a flavor that I can't totally describe. I like to serve corn like this if I'm cooking for a large crowd and then I serve the toppings on the side.
Everyone can peel and dress their own cop ob Mexican street corn.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn
After your corn is grilled, making Mexican street corn is all about the toppings.
- Slather the charred corn with the Mexican crema and mayo mixture.
- Sprinkle with cotija cheese.
- Top the corn with fresh cilantro, chili powder, or tajin, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Recipe Variations
Mexican street corn salad. It’s easy to turn this into a corn salad by cutting the corn kernel of the grilled corn on the cob.
You can even used frozen corn to make Mexican Street corn salad.
I usually add in a chopped serrano when I make this a salad.
Storing Tips
How to store Mexican Street Corn
If you do happen to have leftover Mexican street corn the best way to store it is by cutting the corn off the cob and tossing everything together. You basically end up with an Infant Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
You don’t need to reheat this. It taste delicious cold.
Other Summer Recipes That You’ll Love
What Goes With Mexican Street Corn
Almost anything grilled is good with Mexican street corn. It's a summer staple at our house.
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Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients
- 6 ears Fresh corn on the cob
Toppings
- 2 tablespoon Mexican crema or4 sourcresm
- 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- Lime juice
- 2 tablespoon Cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoon Fresh cilantro
- California chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Limes cut into wedges, for squeezing
- 1 teaspoon Hot sauce Tapatio or Cholula
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high.
- Place the corn on grill. Close the grill.
- Rotate the corn every 5 minutes to ensure even charring.
- Mix the crema and mayonnaise together. (You can also add extra cotija cheese and fresh cilantro to this mixture.
- Slather corn with the crema mixture.
- Sprinkle the grilled corn with cotija cheese, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
- Optional: Add a sprinkle of red chili powder and/or hot sauce.
- Add a squeeze of lime.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- Crema. Use sour cream, add a squeeze of lime to thin it out, and a little bit of salt.
- Cotija Cheese. Pecorino or Parmesan Reggiano would be suitable stand-ins.
Nutrition
FAQs and Expert Tips
Crema is a Mexican version of creme fraiché. It has a slightly sour flavor and is thinner than American sour cream. The creamy topping for traditional elotes is made by mixing crema and mayonnaise, approximately in equal parts. Some people add fresh cilantro and lime into the creamy mixture and some people leave it to sprinkle on top. I leave it up to you.
Crema is a Mexican version of creme fraiché. It has a slightly sour flavor and is thinner than American sour cream. The creamy topping for traditional elotes is made by mixing crema and mayonnaise, approximately in equal parts. Some people add fresh cilantro and lime into the creamy mixture and some people leave it to sprinkle on top. I leave it up to you.
Cotija cheese can also be difficult to find depending on where you live. There are a few kinds of cheese that you can use as a cotija cheese substitute. One choice is a pecorino or a parmesan Reggiano.
You can make a Mexican Street Corn Salad, or even a Mexican Street Corn Dip. Both are absolutely delicious and give you all the flavor with of Mexican street corn with a lot less need for napkins.
Amy Engberson
We are so boring when it comes to eating corn; always with butter, salt, and pepper. I'm loving switching things up with this recipe!