Grilled Mexican Corn recipe – a Classic Elote recipe You’ll Love

This mouthwatering Elote recipe (grilled Mexican Corn recipe) is easy to make and will be an instant favorite. Grilled sweet corn, slathered in a creamy, spicy sauce sprinkled with Cotija cheese!

This spicy version of corn on the cob will steal the show as an addition to your next grilled meal or as the centerpiece.

Briefly boiled and then charred on a high heat grill, the corn develops a robust, earthy flavor of deepened sweetness and smoke.

When slathered with a spicy mayonnaise, cotija cheese, cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime, it’s really out of this world delicious.

What is Elote or Mexican Corn?

Elote is sweet corn slathered with a spicy coating sprinkled with cheese is often called ‘Mexican Street Corn’.

It’s served by Mexican street vendors and at festivals.

The word ‘Elote’ is literally translated to mean ‘corn cob’. Though most foodies will think of the delicious street food if you use the term with them.

It’s easy to make and irresistibly delicious!

It can be prepared many different ways. It is frequently cooked in the husk then grilled and served with condiments for diners to dress it up.

It’s easy to make and irresistibly delicious!

Elote Recipe Ingredients

There are only a few key ingredients in Elote. This Mexican Corn is really about the creamy, spicy, tangy sauce that is brushed on while grilling.

• Sweet Corn 
• Mayonnaise
• Chipotle Chile Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Lime Juice
• Unsalted Butter 
• Cotija Mexican Cheese 
• Cilantro leaves 
• Lime Wedges

What is Cotija Cheese?

Cotija Cheese is a hard cow’s milk cheese that is easy to crumble. It’s named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán Mexico.

It is white in color and light in flavor and somewhat salty. It is often compared to feta cheese.

Cotija Cheese is usually sold in a round sealed in plastic. It can be found in the cheese section of most grocery stores.

It’s the final edition to this Elote recipe!

How to Make Elote (Mexican Corn recipe) – Step by Step

For the detailed printable recipe, refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post.

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• Heat the gas grill to 400 degrees. Clean and oil the grill when hot.
• Cook the ears of corn in the boiling water for 5 minutes (photo 1).
• While the corn is boiling, prepare the sauce and melt the butter.

• Make the Sauce: combine the mayonnaise, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika and lime juice in a small mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine.
• When the corn is done boiling, remove it from the pot with tongs allowing any excess water to drain.
• Place the corn on the heated grill. Grill on each side from 30 seconds to a 1 minute, causing some browned spots (photo 2).
• Continue to rotate the corn to cook on all sides. NOTE: Total cooking time is 2-3 minutes.
• Remove corn from the grill.
• Brush the corn with melted butter followed by the sauce (photo 3). 
• Sprinkle with the cotija cheese, cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges (photo 4).
• Note: corn can be brushed on all sides or just half, allowing some of the kernels to remain in their natural state to offset the spicy sauce! 

More Mouthwatering Recipes You’ll Love

• Chili Cheese Waffle Fries for a Crowd
• Spicy Pot Roast Nachos {great for leftovers recipe}
• Corn Salsa Recipe: Made with Grilled Sweet Corn!
• Savory Blue Cheese Cake {appetizer}
• Cheesy Ham and Black Bean Nachos

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Print

Grilled Mexican Corn {Elote}

This spicy version of corn on the cob will steal the show as an addition to your next grilled meal or as the centerpiece. Briefly boiled and then charred on a high heat grill, the corn develops a robust, earthy flavor of deepened sweetness and smoke. When slathered with a spicy mayonnaise, cojita cheese, cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime, it's really out of this world delicious.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword elote, grilled Mexican corn, Mexican street corn

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 192 kcal

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

• 6 ears Corn , husked, trimmed and scrubbed to remove corn silk
• ¼ cup Mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Chipotle Chile Powder
• ¾ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter , melted
• 1/3 cup Cotija Mexican Cheese , grated
• Cilantro leaves , torn
• Lime Wedges

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. At the same time, heat the gas grill to 400 degrees. Clean and oil the grill when it reaches 400 degrees.
2. Add the ears of corn to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. While the corn is boiling, prepare the sauce and melt the butter.
   
3. To prepare the sauce combine the mayonnaise, chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and lime juice in a small mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine and set aside.
4. When the corn is done boiling, remove it from the pot with tongs allowing any excess water to drain.
5. Place the corn on the heated grill and allow it to grill on each side from 30 seconds to a 1 minute, causing some browned spots. Keep turning the corn to cook on all sides. Cooking total time is 2-3 minutes. Remove from the grill.
   
6. Brush the corn with melted butter followed by the chile pepper sauce. Note: corn can be brushed on all sides or just half, allowing some of the kernels to remain in their natural state to offset the spicy sauce! Sprinkle with the cojita cheese, cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Mexican Corn {Elote}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 192 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 73mg3%

Potassium 243mg7%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 465IU9%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 3mg0%

Iron 0.5mg3%

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

Originally published: May 21, 2015