Mexican Street Corn

5 from 9 votes
25 Comments

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This Mexican Street Corn is flavored with Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime, topped on grilled corn on the cob. It’s simple to make and has an out-of-this-world flavor profile!

Three lined up pieces of Mexican Street Corn.
Mexican Street Corn

This Mexican Street Corn is the best corn on the cob I have EVER had. We call it “Nacho Libre” corn because it looks like the yummy corn from the movie. As in “Get that corn outta my face“! Remember that scene? If you haven’t seen Nacho Libre, we give it two thumbs up! It’s a fun family movie. Plus, it’ll give you a great reason to make this Mexican street corn!

This corn has a lot going for it. Grilled corn on the cob is topped with the slight tangy-ness of the Cotija cheese, mayo, and sour cream. The lime and chili powder tops it all off and gives you the perfect combination of flavors. Trust me, it’s a huge flavor upgrade from butter, salt, and pepper. Make it a family night- make this Nacho Libre corn for dinner then watch the movie! This is another great recipe from our cousin, Kristen, over at Culinary Mamas!

Ingredients in Mexican Street Corn

  • Mayonnaise – you can use light mayo, but it obviously tastes best with the real, full-fat deal! I like the brand Best Foods.
  • Sour cream – again, you can use light sour cream, or even sub in some Greek yogurt for extra protein if you like.
  • Cotija cheese – you can find this in most grocery stores, it’s a fairly common ingredient. If you can’t find Cotija cheese, feta cheese or parmesan cheese can be used, but the flavor will be different.
  • Chili powder – spice up your Mexican street corn as much or as little as you would like. You can even omit it fully if you aren’t a fan of spicy, or just load it up if you want to feel the burn!
  • Lime – this is a recipe where it’s worth using a fresh lime instead of bottled. It will make the flavor so much better!
Ingredients to make Mexican Street Corn including corn on the cob, sour cream, mayonnaise, limes, chili powder and cojita cheese.


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    How to Make Mexican Street Corn

    It’s essential to the taste and texture of this recipe to grill the corn. You don’t want to make this recipe with boiled corn on the cob. Cooking it on a BBQ grill is really the only way to get that slightly crispy, caramelized corn flavor that is so incredibly delicious!

    1. Prepare the corn. Remove the husks from the corn. Soak corn cobs in cold water for 15 minutes. After soaking, pat the corn dry with a clean dish towel or paper towel.
    2. Grill the corn cobs. Heat grill to medium. Place corn on the heated grill, and rotate occasionally until all sides are lightly browned. This takes approximately 20 minutes. Resist the urge to cook the corn at a higher heat as this will burn the outside of the corn and leave the inside of the corn uncooked.
    3. Make the topping for the corn. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and sour cream. Measure the Cotija cheese and pour it into a separate 9×13 dish (or pan large enough to fit the length of the corn cobs). Have the chili powder and some fresh lime wedges ready and close by.
    4. Coating the corn. Use a pastry brush to coat the hot, freshly grilled corn with the mayo/sour cream sauce. Roll the coated corn in the Cotija cheese, then sprinkle with chili powder. Finally, squeeze fresh lime juice over it all. Serve immediately.
    A collage of six images showing the steps to make Mexican Street Corn

    Mexican Street Corn in a Cup

    If you’re craving the flavors of Mexican Street Corn, but don’t want to bust out the grill, try our Mexican Street Corn in a Cup. Boil frozen corn in a pot of water with a little bit of sugar until heated through. In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lime, and salt. I also like to add a little garlic powder, avocados, red onion, and diced jalapeño. Add cooked and drained corn to the bowl. Serve in cups or straight out of the bowl and top with cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges and chili powder. It also makes a great topping for chicken tacos. You can also serve it as a dip for tortilla chips. Add a little extra sour cream to make it extra creamy.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What do they call street corn in Mexico?

    In Mexico, street corn is called elotes, pronounced “ee-LOW-tays.”

    What can I substitute for mayonnaise on street corn?

    You can use plain greek yogurt instead of mayo. You can also use Mexican crema, but it is really thin.

    Does corn need to be soaked before grilling?

    It’s best to soak your fresh corn before you grill it so that the corn kernels don’t dry out and the corn still retains the moisture and sweet flavor that everyone loves.

    What do I do with leftovers?

    Cut the corn off of any leftover cobs. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container. The leftover corn is delicious added to salads or as a dip for tortilla chips.

    Read Next: 50+ Best and Delicious Grill Recipes To Kick Up Your Summer Cooking!

    More of our Favorite Corn Recipes:

    How to Cook Corn on the Cob
    Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
    How to Cook Frozen Corn (the Right Way)
    Creamy Corn Dip
    Mexican Street Corn Cups
    Crock Pot Creamed Corn
    Sweet Corn Cake (Tomalitos)
    Fresh Corn Salsa

    Three cobs of Mexican Street Corn next to fresh lime and cilantro.

    Grilled Mexican Street Corn

    5 from 9 votes
    This Grilled Mexican Street Corn is flavored with Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime. We call it “Nacho Libre” because of the corn clip from the movie.
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Grill/BBQ, Mexican/Spanish
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Outdoor Barbecue Grill

    Ingredients

    • 4 corn on the cob peeled and rinsed (4 full corn on the cobs)
    • 1/4 cup Best Foods mayonnaise (Hellman's)
    • 1/4 cup sour cream
    • 1 cup cotija cheese or to taste
    • chili powder to taste
    • 1 lime
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Soak husked corn in cold water for 15 minutes. Remove corn from water and pat dry with paper towels.
    • Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly brown on all sides.
    • Combine mayonnaise and sour cream.
    • Brush the corn generously with the mayo/sour cream mixture.
    • Roll in cotija cheese – kind of a mexican feta, you can sub for feta if you want.
    • Season with chili powder. Then squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo if desired. 
    • For spicier corn use cayenne pepper.
    • If you can’t find cotija cheese, use feta or queso fresco. 

    Nutrition Information

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      About the author

      Emily Walker

      Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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      Co-Author of Favorite Family Recipes 3 Cookbooks:
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      Comments

      1. 5 stars
        We’ve tried a few recipes for this and this is by far our favorite! We’re going to make it again this weekend for a side dish to go with our steaks! Thank you!

          1. I’ve seen some recipes out there for roasting corn in the oven, that would probably taste closer to grilling than boiling it.

      2. Nice idea. I will try as soon as i get the freshest corn. I am from Puerto Rico and here since we dont produce corn, we have to buy it in a place like Costco or Sams, since the supermaket grade are not the best. Anyways we do it at the grill and then we brush mayo, then rub it with parmesan grated cheese and finish it up with paprika. Beleive me is irresistible!

      3. 5 stars
        Thanks for posting this! My husband and i absolutely love it and make it on a weekly basis now!!!

      4. First time we had this was 5 years ago in New York City at Cafe Habana. It still is a religious experience for me.

        A few months ago the Food Network did a show about the 'best food on a stick' and this corn from Cafe Habana was one of the top recommendations.

      5. 5 stars
        Ems– we made this tonight! Oh my gosh, you weren’t kidding! This is probably my favorite corn on the cob now too! I can’t wait to go buy more corn on the cob so we can make more! Thanks for posting this! It is totally a new favorite!