Description
Grilled Mexican Street Corn, also known as Elote, is a popular Mexican street food featuring grilled sweet corn ears slathered with a creamy, tangy sauce made from Mexican crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, and lime, then topped with crumbly cotija cheese and a touch of smoky chipotle pepper. Served with lime wedges, this flavorful and easy-to-make recipe brings a delicious smoky and creamy twist to fresh corn.
Ingredients
Scale
Corn
- 6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (from 1 lime)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- Lime wedges, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the Grill: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400°F and clean the grates thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, chopped cilantro, minced garlic, ground chipotle pepper, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and add salt sparingly, considering the saltiness of crema and cotija cheese. Set aside.
- Grill the Corn: Place the husked ears of corn directly onto the hot grill grates. Grill each side for about 3 minutes until the kernels turn golden brown and show char marks. Rotate to ensure all sides are evenly charred.
- Apply Sauce and Cheese: Remove corn from the grill onto a serving plate. Using a brush or spoon, generously coat each ear of corn with the prepared crema sauce. Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese on top and add extra chipotle pepper if desired.
- Serve: Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the corn for an added zing.
Notes
- For extra smoky flavor, use charcoal grill over gas grill.
- If Mexican crema is unavailable, substitute with sour cream for a similar tangy creaminess.
- Adjust chipotle pepper amount to control the heat level to your preference.
- Use a grill basket or foil if you prefer not to place corn directly on grates, but direct grilling gives best char.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the corn hot and fresh; sauce can be prepared ahead of time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ear
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
