Quick Meals

Elotes (Mexican Street Corn That Steals Every Cookout)

2 min

Get the grill hot enough that the corn picks up real char in spots, not just warm yellow kernels. That blistering is what holds the mayo-crema sauce and gives the cotija something to cling to. I brush the sauce on while the ears are still hot off the grate so it loosens and grabs, then roll them straight through the crumbled cheese. A squeeze of lime at the table wakes the whole thing up.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Elotes are a street-food staple in Mexico, sold from carts by vendors known as eloteros who hand them over on a stick or in the husk. The story goes that corn has been eaten this way for generations, with the mayo, cheese, chili, and lime layered on to order. The cup version, esquites, comes from the same carts when you'd rather use a spoon than gnaw a cob.

Plain buttered corn is fine. Elotes is a party.

Smoky grilled corn + creamy sauce + salty cotija + chili lime dust. It’s messy to eat. That’s the point. Serve it on a stick or scoop it into a cup (that’s esquites, equally amazing).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Make Sauce

In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, and a pinch of chili powder.

2 2

Grill Corn

Heat grill to medium-high. Husk corn (leave stems on for handles if desired).

Grill 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots.

3 3

Coat

Remove corn. Brush each ear with sauce while still hot.

Roll in cotija cheese on a plate.

4 4

Finish

Sprinkle with chili powder, cilantro, and salt.

Serve with lime wedges. Squeeze before eating.

Summary

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 ears

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Best Fresh

Elotes are a now-or-never food. Leftover sauced corn gets soggy. Grill only what you’ll eat.
Leftover Corn Kernels?

Cut off the cob. Turn into esquites (Mexican corn salad). Mix with leftover sauce, cotija, and lime. Serve in a cup with a spoon.
No Grill?

Use a cast-iron skillet. Char corn over high heat, turning frequently.
Cotija Substitute:

Parmesan or feta in a pinch. But cotija is worth finding.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

5 minutes

Cook

10 minutes

Total

15 minutes

Yield

4 ears

Ingredients

Serves 4.

4 ears of corn, husked
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled (plus more for topping)
1 teaspoon chili powder (plus more for topping)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
Salt to taste

Instructions

1
Make Sauce. Make Sauce. In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, and a pinch of chili powder. 2 2
2
Grill Corn. Grill Corn. Heat grill to medium-high. Husk corn (leave stems on for handles if desired). Grill 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until charred in spots. 3 3
3
Coat. Coat. Remove corn. Brush each ear with sauce while still hot. Roll in cotija cheese on a plate. 4 4
4
Finish. Finish. Sprinkle with chili powder, cilantro, and salt. Serve with lime wedges. Squeeze before eating
5
Best Fresh. Best Fresh. Elotes are a now-or-never food. Leftover sauced corn gets soggy. Grill only what you’ll eat
6
Leftover Corn Kernels?. Leftover Corn Kernels?. Cut off the cob. Turn into esquites (Mexican corn salad). Mix with leftover sauce, cotija, and lime. Serve in a cup with a spoon
7
No Grill?. No Grill?. Use a cast-iron skillet. Char corn over high heat, turning frequently
8
Cotija Substitute:. Cotija Substitute:. Parmesan or feta in a pinch. But cotija is worth finding

Swaps & Substitutions

Cotija → crumbled feta is the closest stand-in; it's saltier and a little tangier, so go easy on added salt.
Mexican crema or sour cream → plain full-fat Greek yogurt works, though it reads more tart than rich.
Mayonnaise → for dairy-free, use a vegan mayo and swap the sour cream for unsweetened coconut yogurt; the flavor shifts but the cling holds.
Fresh lime → bottled lime juice in a pinch, about a tablespoon per ear, but fresh wedges at the table are worth it.
Chili powder → Tajin or a mix of ancho and a little cayenne; Tajin already has lime and salt, so taste before adding more.
No grill → char under a broiler or in a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat, turning until you get dark spots.

Questions & Answers

Can I make this without a grill?

Yes. Run the ears under a hot broiler or sear them in a dry cast-iron skillet over high heat, turning every couple of minutes until they're charred in spots. You want color, not just cooked.

Why won't the cheese stick to my corn?

The sauce has to go on while the corn is still hot, and the ears need to be coated thickly enough to grab the cotija. If the corn cooled down or the layer was thin, the cheese slides off.

Can I prep any of this ahead?

Mix the mayo, sour cream, garlic powder, and chili powder a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Grill and coat the corn right before serving, since it's best warm.

How do I know the corn is done on the grill?

Eight to ten minutes over medium-high, turning occasionally, until you see dark charred spots around the kernels. The kernels should look plump and slightly glossy.

Can I turn this into esquites instead?

Cut the grilled kernels off the cobs and stir everything together in a bowl: sauce, cotija, chili powder, cilantro, lime, and salt. Same flavors, eaten with a spoon.

Elotes (Mexican Street Corn That Steals Every Cookout)