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Elote, or Mexican street corn, is corn on the cob covered in creamy mayo and topped with cilantro, lime juice, Cotija cheese, and chili powder. It’s the most delicious Mexican side dish!
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.
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. My mouth waters just thinking about it!
It’s perfect as a snack and makes a great side dish at potlucks, cookouts, and BBQs.
What Is Elote?
Elote, also known as Mexican street corn, is a popular Mexican street food made from grilled or boiled ears of corn on the cob that is slathered in a creamy mayo sauce and garnished with chili powder, crumbled cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro.
The word “elote” means “corn” in Spanish.
Elotes are often served on a stick or a skewer, making them easy to eat on the go.
They are a beloved street food in Mexico and in many Mexican-American communities in the U.S., like mine!
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 also should try this Mexican street corn pasta salad, Mexican street corn deviled eggs, and Mexican corn dip!
Elote Ingredients
- Corn: I used 4 medium yellow ears of corn on the cob, husked and silked. You could also use white corn.
- Lime juice: Adds a great bright and citrusy flavor that is perfect with the mayo.
- Mayonnaise: I used regular mayo, 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 gives the corn that delicious savory flavor we love!
- Chili powder: I used cayenne for the perfect amount of heat, but you can substitute regular chili powder instead if cayenne is too spicy for you.
- Cotija cheese: Crumbly and salty cotija cheese adds just the right amount salt to every bite!
- Cilantro: Top your elote with chopped cilantro for a fresh herb flavor to help cut the creamy mayo sauce.
How To Make Elote
Cook the corn. You can do this on the grill or the stove. 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 sauce by mixing together some mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Assemble the elotes. Using a brush or spoon, coat all sides of the corn with melted butter, then generously slather each with the mayo sauce.
Sprinkle each ear generously with cotija cheese, the remaining cayenne pepper, and chopped cilantro.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook it. Cook the corn for only 5-6 minutes to ensure it doesn’t overcook and become too mushy.
- Grill it. You can also grill the corn for a more charred flavor. See the recipe card below for grilling instructions.
- Use a different cheese. If you can’t find Cotija cheese, you can use crumbled feta or parmesan instead.
- Don’t like cilantro? This elote recipe calls for cilantro, but if you dislike it, you can either replace it with fresh parsley or omit it altogether.
- Different chili powder. Consider switching out the cayenne for a different chili powder variety, like ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder.
What to Serve with Elote
Elotes are great as a snack paired with a refreshing drink, like horchata or watermelon agua fresca.
They also make a great side dish when grilling carne asada, pollo asado, or when serving ceviche!
Make Ahead
Elote is best served fresh, but if you want to take this to a potluck or party, here’s what to do:
Make the sauce and chop the cilantro up to a few hours ahead of time. Store them in separate containers. 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.
More Mexican Recipes
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- Water as needed
- 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
- 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.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- 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
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated with new photos, helpful tips, and a better overall recipe.
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?
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!