Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)
Lightly grilled corn on the cob seasoned with a creamy spicy cheese mixture. Sold by Street vendors in Mexico, but easy to make yourself if you can't get South of the Border!
Ingredients
- 4 ears Corn (keep husks on, remove the silk)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, for grill & corn
Cream Mixture
- ¼ cup Mayonaise
- ¼ cup Sour Cream (or use Mexican Crema)
- ½ cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled (plus more for serving. Use Parmesan if you don't have Cotija)
- ⅛ teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder, this adds the spice!
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, plus more for serving (Ancho, Aleppo, or your favorite)
- 1 clove Garlic, pressed, or very finely minced
- 2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped (plus more for serving)
- 4 Lime Wedges for serving
Instructions
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Prepare the corn by peeling back the husks (don't remove) and removing the silk. Grasp the husk and tie it with some butcher's string to keep the leaves together (like a bouquet). This will be your "handle" for eating the corn. Repeat with all 4 ears.
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Brush the corn with some of the olive oil (just a light coating). You don't need to do this step if you are using your oven rack It's up to you, but I wouldn't as I'm a chicken and would worry about a fire. Safety first).
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Prepare your grill, griddle, or oven. Set to a medium-high heat. Brush olive oil onto the grilling surface, unless you are using your oven rack.
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Grill the corn about 4 minutes per side. You will see some grill marks, but how dark you want them is up to you.
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Meanwhile, prepare your cream mixture by adding the mayo, sour cream, Cotija cheese, spices, garlic, and cilantro to a large bowl and mix well. It should be a little thick.
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When corn is done, remove the ears to the bowl of cream / cheese mixture and coat the corn with the mixture, using a spatula, until thoroughly coated.
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Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, some cilantro, and chili powder and serve.
Recipe Notes
You can "grill" your corn in your oven by heating it to 400 degrees and placing the corn directly on the oven rack, turning every few minutes for about 20 minutes. Be very careful!