Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) Recipe

One of the best ways to serve corn.

Elotes (grilled Mexican street corn) on a plate with limes and chili powder

Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

Why It Works

  • Grilling shucked ears of corn directly over very hot coals brings out the corn's nutty flavor and chars the kernels slightly.
  • A blend of garlic, cilantro, chile powder, mayo, and Cotija cheese in the sauce, plus a final squeeze of lime, makes the corn sweet, salty, savory, nutty, creamy, and tart all at once.

Elotes—the classic Mexican street food of corn on the cob charred on the grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chili, garlic, and Cotija cheese–spiked sauce—are the best way to serve corn, period.

I know that's a bold statement, but it's one I've backed up with years of detailed scientific studies on the eating habits of my wife and the occasional friend or neighbor. I've calculated to several decimal places exactly how much faster the average ear of corn cooked in this manner disappears from the table and down the gullet of an unsuspecting dinner guest than an ear of corn cooked through other means, cross-referencing and controlling for seasonality, the °Bx of the corn, and the starting appetite of the diner. I've conducted blind, double-blind, and even triple-blind* taste tests and run the results through sophisticated analysis algorithms I had specially programmed.

*That's when even the corn doesn't know it's being eaten.

The most delicious thing about all those delicious ingredients is that they become even more delicious when you combine them all in a creamy sauce.

Don't believe me? Just try out this recipe, risk-free. If you are in any way unsatisfied, I offer a 100%, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee.**

** Cost of time, ingredients, internet connection fees, paper, printer ink, gas, coal, cooking equipment, beers, or any other items of actual monetary value not included.

As luck would have it, I've since lost all of this data in an unfortunate diving accident (note: never attempt to free-dive without rubber pants your size), but believe me when I tell you that I have rigorously proven this corn to be more delicious than any other.

Want to know how to take what's already more delicious and turn it into something that's more than more delicious? Slather more delicious item A over more delicious item B to create more more delicious item C.

Grilling the Corn

The basic premise is to start out with really great grilled corn, already inarguably one of the most delicious things on the face of the planet. There are many ways to grill corn, but in this case, you want to go with fully shucked cobs, cooked directly over very hot coals. If all goes well, the corn should be completely cooked through just as it begins to char, rendering each kernel bursting with sweet juice, with a rich, nutty flavor from the toasting.

Making the Sauce

Next up, you'll want to combine a few more delicious things. Cotija cheese, crumbled finely (if you can't find it, a good, crumbly feta will do well); Mexican crema (or sour cream); mayonnaise; garlic; cilantro; and powdered chile.

side angle of elotes surrounded by sliced limes

Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

A + B = C, but magically, C > A + B. That's the magic of synergy in foods, and it comes out in spades in this recipe. The result is sweet, salty, savory, creamy, nutty, and—with the help of a squeeze of lime—tart. To my mind, it's the very best way to get a taste of summer. Gloriously drippy, fat-smothered summer.

Go Big With Portions

When I make corn like this, I plan on at least an ear and a half per person, though, realistically, it's better to go with two. It's that darn delicious.

And, if you're in the mood for something a bit more demure, you can always go the fork-and-plate route by making esquites, a close cousin to this dish, and equally delicious.***

*** How can the most delicious way to eat corn be just as delicious as a different way to eat corn? Because they're both the most delicious way. Just go with it.

1:07

How to Make Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

July 2013

Recipe Details

Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) Recipe

Prep 0 mins
Cook 45 mins
Active 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (110g) finely crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, plus more for serving

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or Mexican crema

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • 1/2 teaspoon ancho or guajillo chile powder, plus more for serving

  • 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon)

  • 4 ears shucked corn (see notes)

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

    Charcoal added to kettle of grill for making elotes

    Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

  2. While coals heat, combine cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream or crema, cilantro, chile powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside.

    A green bowl with elotes sauce mixture

    Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

  3. When grill is hot, place corn directly over hot side of grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes total.

    Grilling ears of corn for elotes

    Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

  4. Transfer corn to bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat corn on all sides with mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.

    A grilled ear of corn being smothered in sauce for elotes

    Serious Eats / Melissa Hom

Special Equipment

Charcoal grill or gas grill, chimney starter

Notes

When husking your corn, remove the silk and husk from the cob, but keep a few inches of the stalk end attached to use as a handle. If your corn is already husked, skewer the cooked corn with a wooden skewer.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
305 Calories
23g Fat
20g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 305
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 687mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 243mg 19%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 260mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)