Name: Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks on; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil; 60 g (¼ cup) mayonnaise; 60 g (¼ cup) Mexican crema or sour cream; 1 tsp finely grated lime zest; 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; ½ small garlic clove, finely grated (optional); 75 g (2 ½ oz) cotija cheese, finely crumbled (about ⅔ cup); 1–2 tsp ground ancho or guajillo chile, or Tajín; ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or ground chile de árbol (optional); 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro; 1 lime, cut into wedges

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Elote is Mexican street corn: whole cobs grilled until sweet and charred in spots, then brushed with a tangy mix of mayonnaise and crema, rolled in salty crumbled cotija cheese, dusted with ground chile and finished with lime. It’s messy, rich, sharp and smoky all at once, and it takes about 25 minutes.

The sauce and toppings are simple. What makes elote really good is the corn itself, the char, and getting the sauce on while the cobs are still hot so the cheese sticks. This page covers each of those, plus how to make it without a grill and how to turn it into esquites, the version served in a cup.

Serves 6.

Where elote comes from

Elote simply means corn on the cob in Mexican Spanish, from the Nahuatl word elotl. Corn was first domesticated in what is now southern Mexico several thousand years ago, and it’s still at the centre of the country’s food. Street vendors sell elotes grilled or boiled, usually on a stick, and customers choose their toppings: mayonnaise, cream, cheese, chile powder, lime. Esquites, the kernels cut off and served in a cup, often simmered with onion, chile and the herb epazote, are just as common.

Ingredients

Corn

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks on
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil

Sauce

60 g (¼ cup) mayonnaise
60 g (¼ cup) Mexican crema, or sour cream
1 tsp finely grated lime zest and 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
¼ tsp fine sea salt
½ small garlic clove, finely grated (optional)

Toppings

75 g (2 ½ oz) cotija cheese, finely crumbled (about ⅔ cup)
1–2 tsp ground ancho or guajillo chile, or Tajín
¼ tsp cayenne pepper or ground chile de árbol (optional, for heat)
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Ingredient notes

Corn. As soon as sweet corn is picked, its sugars start turning into starch, so the fresher it is, the sweeter. Look for bright green husks that feel slightly damp, moist golden-brown silk, and kernels that are plump right to the tip. Cook it the day you buy it if you can. If you must store it, keep it in the husk in the fridge for a day or two.

Mexican crema is a lightly soured cream, thinner and less tangy than sour cream and richer than buttermilk. Sour cream is the usual substitute. If it’s very thick, loosen it with a teaspoon of lime juice or milk so it brushes on easily.

Cotija is a firm, salty, crumbly cow’s milk cheese named after the town of Cotija in Michoacán. The aged version is drier and saltier, almost like Parmesan, and it crumbles into fine bits that cling to the corn. Feta is the closest swap, though it’s softer and tangier. Finely grated Parmesan or pecorino also work.

Chile. Pure ground chile gives the best flavour. Ancho is mild and fruity; guajillo is brighter with a little more heat. American “chili powder” is a blend with cumin and oregano, and it tastes more like chilli con carne than street corn, so use it only if you have nothing else. Tajín is a Mexican chile-lime salt that’s widely sold and very good here, but it’s salty, so go easy on the salt in the sauce if you use it.

How to make it on the grill

Heat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, about 200–230°C (400–450°F). Clean and oil the grates.
Shuck the corn. Pull back the husks and remove all the silk. Either snap the husks off entirely, or leave them attached and tie them back with a strip of husk to make a handle. Rub the cobs lightly with oil.
Make the sauce. In a shallow dish, stir together the mayonnaise, crema, lime zest and juice, salt and garlic, if using. Spread the cotija on a plate.
Grill. Lay the corn directly over the heat, with any tied-back husks hanging off the grates so they don’t burn. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until the kernels are bright yellow, tender and charred in patches. A kernel pressed with a fingernail should burst with milky juice.
Sauce while hot. Brush or spread each cob with a thin, even layer of the sauce. You want a coating, not a thick layer that slides off.
Add the cheese. Roll the cobs in the cotija, or sprinkle and press it on.
Finish. Dust with ground chile and cayenne, if using, scatter with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Without a grill

Gas burner: hold a shucked cob with long tongs directly over a medium-high flame, turning it every 30 seconds or so, for 5–7 minutes until blistered all over. It’s quick, but works best if the corn is boiled first (see below) so it’s tender all the way through.
Grill (broiler): put oiled, shucked cobs on a foil-lined tray about 10 cm (4 in) below a very hot grill and cook for 12–15 minutes, turning every 3 minutes.
Cast-iron pan: heat a dry cast-iron pan or griddle over high heat and cook the oiled cobs for 10–12 minutes, turning often.
Oven: roast oiled, shucked cobs on a tray at 230°C (450°F) for 18–20 minutes, turning halfway. You’ll get less char but sweet, tender corn.
Boil first: many street vendors boil their corn. Cook shucked cobs in boiling water for 4–5 minutes, drain, then char them briefly by any method above. It gives the juiciest result.

Esquites (elote in a cup)

Cut the kernels off the cooked cobs; it’s easiest to stand each cob upright in a wide bowl. You’ll have about 600 g (4 cups). Or start with raw kernels: heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat and cook the kernels with ¼ finely chopped white onion and 1 finely chopped jalapeño for 6–8 minutes, stirring only now and then, until browned in spots. Toss the warm kernels with the sauce, cotija and cilantro, and dust with chile. Serve in cups with spoons. Frozen kernels, thawed and patted dry, work well this way.

Common mistakes

Overcooking the corn. Fresh sweet corn needs only 10–12 minutes on the grill. Longer, and it turns chewy and starchy.
Saucing cold corn. The sauce won’t spread smoothly and the cheese won’t cling. Sauce each cob straight off the heat.
Too much mayonnaise. A thick coating drowns the corn and drips everywhere. Brush it on thinly.
Coarse cheese crumbs. Big chunks fall off. Crumble cotija finely with your fingers or a fork.
Salting before tasting. Cotija and Tajín are both salty. Taste a cob before adding more.

Make ahead and leftovers

You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Corn can be grilled up to 2 hours before serving and rewarmed for a few minutes on the grill or in a hot oven before you add the sauce and toppings.

Leftover dressed cobs keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 2 days. They’re best turned into esquites: cut off the kernels and warm them in a frying pan for 2–3 minutes, or eat them cold as a corn salad with a squeeze of fresh lime. Plain grilled cobs keep for 3 days, and the kernels freeze well for up to 3 months.

Variations

Lighter: replace the mayonnaise with more crema, or use Greek yogurt loosened with lime juice.
Spicier: stir a finely chopped chipotle in adobo into the sauce.
Dairy-free: use a vegan mayonnaise, skip the crema, and replace the cheese with toasted, salted pumpkin seeds blitzed to crumbs.
Party size: cut cooked cobs into 5 cm (2 in) rounds before saucing; they’re much easier to eat standing up.

What to serve with it

Elote is a natural side for anything off the grill: steak, chicken, burgers or grilled fish. It’s especially good alongside our beef tacos al pastor for a taco night. Cut into short rounds, it also makes good party food next to fried snacks such as our Brazilian chicken coxinhas.

Can’t find cotija? Our world pantry guide lists the closest swaps.