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Elote, or Mexican street corn, is corn on the cob slathered in mayo and covered in cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice, and cilantro. It’s one of those snacks that feels like summer in Mexico and it’s super easy to make at home!
I grew up eating elote every year on my trips to Mexico to visit family. It’s a staple in Mexican markets, and street vendors would always have lines of people waiting to order their own.
Basically, if there’s a dish that embodies what a Mexican summer feels like, this elote recipe is it! It’s made from fresh corn covered in creamy mayonnaise, lime juice for some brightness, cotija cheese, cilantro, and a dash of chili powder to give everything a little kick.
It’s perfect as a snack and makes a great side dish at potlucks, cookouts, and BBQs.
What Is Elote?
“Elote” just means “corn” in Spanish, but when most people say it, they’re talking about this iconic street food: grilled or boiled corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise and topped with Cotija, chili powder, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Sometimes it’s served on a stick, sometimes not, but it’s always delicious.
You might’ve also seen esquites, which is basically elote in a cup. It’s the same flavors, just off the cob and a little less messy (great for kids, too).
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at what goes into elote and why it works. The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
- Corn: I used 4 medium ears of yellow corn, husked and silked. White corn also works.
- Lime juice: Adds a bright citrus zing that helps cut through the richness of the mayo.
- Mayonnaise: Regular mayo is my go-to for this, but you can also use light mayo.
- Garlic: Finely minced garlic adds depth of flavor to the creamy mayo sauce.
- Butter: For brushing on the elotes before adding the creamy sauce. It makes all the difference.
- Chili powder: I like cayenne for the perfect amount of heat, but you can substitute regular chili powder or chili lime seasoning like Tajín instead if cayenne is too spicy for you.
- Cotija cheese: Crumbly and salty. Just the best.
How To Make Elote
Cook the corn. You can do this on the grill or the stove. To grill it, grill over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until it’s cooked through and charred in some spots. To boil it, add the ears of corn to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until tender and bright yellow, then transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
Make the mayo sauce by mixing some mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and cayenne or chili powder.
Generously coat all sides of the corn with melted butter, then slather each one with the mayo sauce.
Sprinkle each ear with lots of cotija cheese, cayenne pepper, and chopped cilantro. Serve.
Recipe Tips & Swaps
- Don’t overcook it. Cook the corn for only 5-6 minutes so it doesn’t overcook and become too mushy.
- Fresh or frozen corn both work. Elotes are especially delicious during the warmer months when they’re in season and have a natural sweetness, but you can also use frozen corn on the cob any time of year.
- Make it ahead. While elotes are best served fresh, you can save a little time by making the sauce and chopping the cilantro up to a few hours ahead of time. You can also cook the corn up to 1 day in advance and store that separately, then reheat it quickly in the microwave or on the grill. When ready to eat, brush the corn with melted butter and assemble with all the toppings.
- Use a different cheese. If you can’t find Cotija cheese, you can use crumbled feta or parmesan instead.
- Different chili powder. Consider switching out the cayenne for something different like like ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, or even a chili lime seasoning like Tajín.
What’s the Difference Between Elotes and Esquites?
The main difference is that elotes are served on the cob, whereas esquites are served off the cob and in a cup or bowl.
If you love the flavors of elote, you’ll also love my Mexican street corn pasta salad, Mexican street corn deviled eggs, and Mexican corn dip!
What to Serve with Elote
- It makes the best snack, especially when paired with a cold drink like horchata, or agua de jamaica, or other aguas frescas like agua de melon or agua de tamarindo.
- Serve it at a cookout or BBQ as a side to favorites like carne asada, pollo asado, chimichurri chicken, or tacos al pastor.
- Pair it with tacos like carnitas, barbacoa, chicken tinga, or flank steak tacos.
Did you make this elote recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! I love hearing about your experience, and it also helps others.
Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, husked
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about ½ medium lime)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
- ½ teaspoon cayenne, divided (or chili powder)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender and bright yellow. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne in a small bowl.
- Using a brush or spoon, coat all sides of the corn with melted butter, then generously slather each corn with the mayonnaise mixture.
- Sprinkle each ear generously with cotija cheese, the remaining cayenne pepper, and chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Cotija cheese: This is a must in any authentic elote recipe, but if you absolutely can’t find any near you, you can use crumbled feta.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan, you can use parsley or omit it altogether.
- Spice level: Cayenne pepper will add a delicious spice to the elotes. If you don’t want it too spicy, you can use the typical chili powder found in most grocery stores. If you want to use the traditional chile that’s used in Mexico for elotes, try ground chile piquin.
- Esquites: If you prefer corn cut from the cob, try making esquites instead, which is Mexican street corn served in a cup.
- Grilled corn: Grilling the corn instead of boiling it adds a delicious flavor to the elotes. To grill, brush each ear of corn with vegetable oil, then grill over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until it’s cooked through and charred in some spots.
- Storage: I recommend storing the corn, mayo sauce, and toppings in separate containers and refrigerating for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Heat the corn in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until steaming, or you can brush with oil and grill on high for 2-3 minutes until warmed and charred, then slather in the mayo sauce and add the toppings when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin and Isabel Orozco-Moore.
This takes me back to when I was stationed in Monterey, CA and one of my friend’s families had me over for an authentic Mexican fiesta. I followed this Elote recipe to the tee but then added some flare with some Cilantro Lime taco sauce and paired it with street tacos, beans, and cilantro lime rice. This made my night! Gracias!
How would I go about making this in an air fryer?
My daughter is allergic to egg products do you have any suggestion for making the elotes corn without the mayo and still have it tasty?
Hi Trish, you could use Mexican crema for some of that creamy texture or just use a vegan mayo. I hope that helps!
The first time I had elotes was in Texas. I was on the truck with my husband and we stopped at a truck stop where there was a corn cart. We were wondering what was so great about corn but decided to try it and we fell in love. That was 4 years ago and we make it all the time. It’s great. I do the esquites and add franks red hot hot sauce instead of cayenne. I also cook my corn in chicken broth. It’s amazing. Oh also if I run out of mayo I use sour cream which is just as good.
Hi Jamie! Elotes are seriously the best. Thanks for sharing!
Hola, I made three elotes following this recipe on my grill for Memorial day and they were delicious and so fun to make, thanks for sharing this recipe with us! I will for sure make these again sometime soon as a delicious sidedish, especially during the summer months! 🙂
Easy and very tasty!
Very good! We grilled the corn and doubled the recipe for a cookout. Everyone loved the corn. Served with guacamole, spicy grilled shrimp, burgers and watermelon.
This is DELICIOUS!!! We made this for Mother’s Day and it was a new favorite for me! It was simple to put together too!! I was concerned about the cayenne, but it wasn’t too spicy at all and it was such an interesting blend of flavors and different from anything we usually make that we loved it. It will be added into our summer rotation as corn on the cob is a summer favorite:)
Thank you so much Melissa!
Such a great recipe! So delicious!