Easy Elote Recipe - A Beautiful Mess

I love Elotes, or Mexican street corn. It’s sweet, it’s salty and it can have a little spice and heat to it as well! Elote is often served corn on the cob-style. But you could also cut the corn off the cob (or used canned corn) to make Elote en vaso, or corn in a cup. However you serve it, this easy recipe is delicious.

Elotes makes a great side dish for all sorts of meals. I love it alongside baked chicken, BBQ chicken or steak. Homemade Elotes takes only a few ingredients and can be made in about 15 minutes!

Related: Love corn? Next up, try our corn casserole, corn risotto, or corn dip.

Ingredients

Corn
Mayo
Sour cream
Cotija cheese
Chili powder
Lime
Cilantro

How to make Elote

In a large pot, bring enough water to submerge the corn to a boil. Salt the water. As the water heats, shuck the corn, removing the husk (leaves) and silk threads. Boil the corn for 10 minutes. Then drain and pat dry.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayo and sour cream. On a large plate, combine the cotija and chili powder. Coat the corn with the mayo mixture, then roll in the cheese mixture. Alternatively, you could sprinkle the cheese mixture over the corn once you’ve added the mayo mixture.

After plating, sprinkle cilantro over the top and serve with fresh lime wedges. I also sometimes add a little hot sauce too, but this is optional.

Tips & Notes

Similar to Parmesan, sometimes Cotija is sold by the block/sphere and sometimes it’s sold powdery. I like to buy it in its powdery form for this Elote recipe, but if you can only find it whole simply finely grate before using.
To add even more flavors, you can swap the chili powder for taco seasoning.
If you are using canned corn instead of fresh on-the-cob corn, simply drain from the can and heat on the stove top. Once hot, remove from the heat and stir in the other ingredients. I reserve half the cheese and cilantro to sprinkle over the top for a pretty presentation.
Elote leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

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Tender corn on the cob glazed in mayo and sour cream with a spicy cheese coating.

Yield 6

Prep 5 minutes

Cook 10 minutes

Total 15 minutes

Instructions

In a large pot, bring enough water to submerge the corn to a boil. Salt the water.
As the water heats, shuck the corn, removing the husk (leaves) and silk threads.
Boil the corn for 10 minutes. Then drain and pat dry.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayo and sour cream.
On a large plate, combine the cotija and chili powder.
Coat the corn with the mayo mixture, then roll in the cheese mixture. Alternatively, you could sprinkle the cheese mixture over the corn once you’ve added the mayo mixture.
After plating, sprinkle cilantro over the top and serve with fresh lime wedges.

Notes

Similar to Parmesan, sometimes Cotija is sold by the block/sphere and sometimes it’s sold powdery. I like to buy it in its powdery form for this Elote recipe, but if you can only find it whole simply finely grate before using.
To add even more flavors, you can swap the chili powder for taco seasoning.
If you are using canned corn instead of fresh on-the-cob corn, simply drain from the can and heat on the stove top. Once hot, remove from the heat and stir in the other ingredients. I reserve half the cheese and cilantro to sprinkle over the top for a pretty presentation.
Elote leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Elotes

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Easy Elote Recipe – A Beautiful Mess