Whether you are hungry for a unique flavor or just curious to try this delightfully tasty snack, Mexican street corn can be made from the comfort of your own home! Reminiscent of Mexico’s bustling markets, elote is easy to make with minimal ingredients and time.
📝 Ingredients
Corn – Choose fresh corn on the cob. Even if you’re opting to serve your elote in a cup, you’ll want to use fresh corn removed from the cob rather than canned corn or frozen corn for the most authentic taste.
Cotija Cheese – If you can’t find cotija in your area, the best substitute is going to be feta or queso fresco.
Tajin Seasoning – Tajin is a Mexican chile-lime seasoning. It’s easy to find in my local stores but if it’s not available in your area, you can purchase Tajin seasoning online.
Crema – Mexican crema can be purchased at a specialty grocer or you can make your own using the coconut crema recipe included in my chicken butternut squash soup recipe.
🌽 How to Make Elote
Bring a pot with water to boil. Boil the corn for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
In a bowl, add the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
When the corn is cooked, remove it from the pot, and let it cool off slightly. Brush the Mexican crema mixture over the corn.
Add cotija cheese, tajin seasoning, and cilantro. Serve warm.
❓ FAQ
Cotija cheese is a crumbly, salty cow’s milk cheese that originates from Mexico. It is named after the Mexican town of Cotija in Michoacán state. The texture of cotija cheese varies depending on its age, but generally, it’s firm and dry with a strong flavor when young and gets crumblier and richer as it ages. While it does not melt nicely like many other cheeses do, Cotija is great for crumbing over salads and tacos or grating over soups.
Yes, queso fresco can be used instead of cotija. Both are similar in flavor and texture, and both offer a crumbly cheese that works well as an accompaniment for dishes like tacos or salads. The biggest difference between queso fresco and cotija is that the former is usually made from pasteurized milk and it melts more easily. This makes it perfect for use in dishes where you want a melty cheese such as enchiladas or quesadillas. However, if you’d like a stronger taste, then cotija is most likely the better choice.
Elotes and Esquites are both popular Mexican street foods, but they differ in their preparation and ingredients. Elotes is made with steamed and roasted corn on the cob, mayonnaise, cheese, and chili powder. Esquites is a bowl of boiled tender kernels of corn mixed with mayonnaise, cheese, butter, chili powder, lime juice, and chopped green peppers or onions for added flavor. While elotes has more crunchy texture due to the steaming and roasting process of its corn kernels on the cob; esquites have more creamy texture due to it being boiled first before adding other ingredients.
🍽️ Serving Tips
What do you eat elote with?
Elote is tasty on its own as a snack. Try serving in a cup with tortilla chips for a little twist on this elote recipe. Elote also makes a delicious side dish for a main course. Try serving it with restaurant-style beef nachos or a simple ground beef and rice skillet.
📖 Recipe
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn on the cob husks removed
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- ⅓ cup Mexican crema
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon tajin seasoning
Instructions
- Bring a pot with water to boil. Boil the corn for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
- In a bowl, add the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, and lime juice. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
- When the corn is cooked, remove it from the pot and let it slightly cool off.
- Brush the Mexican crema mixture over the corn.
- Add cotija cheese, tajin seasoning and cilantro.
Erma says
I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking all over for a good elote recipe! You have made my day! Thanks again