Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

Name: Mexican Street Corn (Elote) Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 8 ears of corn on the cob; 1/4 cup butter, melted; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup Mexican crema; 1 lime, juiced; 2 tbsp elote seasoning blend; 1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled; 2 tbsp cotija cheese, crumbled; 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Mexican Street Corn (Elote) is a creamy, tangy corn salad combining grilled kernels with cotija and queso fresco cheese, crema, and a savory elote seasoning blend. The combination of butter, mayo, lime, and cilantro delivers authentic street-vendor flavor in a make-ahead side dish.

🌍Mexican 🏷️Elote 🏷️Esquites 🏷️Mexican street corn 🏷️Corn salad Grilled corn

🏷️

🏷️Queso fresco

-0:00

jenmoralesfam04onTikTok

Total

30 min

Servings

6

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$20–$33

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by jenmoralesfam04

-0:00

jenmoralesfam04onTikTok

Ingredients

8 ears of corn on the cob
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Mexican crema
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp elote seasoning blend
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
2 tbsp cotija cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Fresh cilantro, for garnishoptional

10 Ingredients

Delivery in as fast as one hour.^*

Powered by Instacart

Prices vary by store

^*Service fees apply. Instacart^® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.

Instructions

1
Grill the ears of corn on a hot griddle or grill until charred in spots on all sides.
2
Allow the corn to cool slightly. To easily remove the kernels, stand one ear of corn upright in the center hole of a bundt pan and carefully slice the kernels off downwards with a knife. The pan will catch the kernels.
3
Transfer all the corn kernels to a large mixing bowl.
4
Pour the melted butter over the warm corn and stir to combine.
5
Add the mayonnaise and Mexican crema to the bowl.
6
Squeeze in the juice of one lime.
7
Sprinkle in the elote seasoning blend and mix everything together thoroughly.
8
Crumble in the queso fresco and add the cotija cheese.
9
Add the chopped cilantro and mix until everything is well combined and creamy.
10
Garnish with a little more fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of elote seasoning before serving.

Was this recipe helpful?

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Char the corn directly over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes per side to develop smoky flavor and light char marks without burning.
Cut kernels off the cob while still warm so they absorb butter and seasoning more readily.
Mix mayo and crema separately before combining with corn to avoid clumping; the ratio of 2:1 mayo to crema achieves the right creamy texture.
Toast the elote seasoning blend lightly in a dry pan before sprinkling to awaken its flavors.

Substitutions

Mexican crema → sour cream thinned with milk or Greek yogurt (less tangy, adjust mayo ratio)
Cotija cheese → feta cheese or aged Parmesan (similar salty, crumbly texture)
Queso fresco → mozzarella di bufala or fresh paneer (milder, creamy alternative)
Fresh cilantro → flat-leaf parsley or dill (if cilantro is unavailable)

Storage & make-ahead

Store leftover elote covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; serve chilled or at room temperature. Best eaten within 24 hours before cheese absorbs too much moisture.

Equipment

grill or grill pan · corn kerneler or sharp knife

Common Questions

Can I use frozen corn instead of fresh corn on the cob?

Yes. Thaw frozen corn, pat dry, and either grill in a grill basket or pan-fry in butter. The texture will be slightly softer but the flavor remains authentic.