Also called elotes, this easy to make Mexican Corn On The Cob Recipe is a perfect appetizer or side dish for any outdoor gathering.
With Cinco de Mayo coming, I am super excited to spend more time outdoors and more importantly start grilling. Sadly, the temperatures are still up and down, one day in the high 60s and the next in low 40s. But from what I hear from locals, spring is here to stay. It is just a matter of few weeks for temperatures to start going up consistently.

And what is better than celebrating the arrival of spring with delicious a true Mexican classic. If you are a lover of Mexican food like I am, you are in for a treat.
What Is Street Corn
Also referred to as Mexican elote, Mexican food corn, street corn, or Mexicorn on the cob, essentially it is corn on the cob smothered with a sauce made by using a mayo-sour cream mixture and sprinkling it with cotija cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.
It is considered as one of the most popular street foods in Mexico. Here in the US, it is served in popular restaurants like Chili’s, California Pizza Kitchen, and sometimes even in Whole Foods’ salad bar.
Think of my recipe here as a copycat version of the Mexican elote you enjoy in those restaurants.

For most Americans (and us), it is one of those addictive foods to treat your friends and family for summer cookouts. You can easily serve it by itself on the cob with a stick or in a cup, as a side dish with steak tacos or an appetizer with tortilla chips.
Regardless of how you serve, the combination of charred kernels smothered in a tangy sauce is guaranteed to please.
Easy Street Corn Recipe – Made Two Ways
In this post, I am sharing two versions; (1) Grilled Mexican Street Corn On The Cob and (2) Skillet Mexican Street Corn Off The Cob.

In the first method, I am grilling fresh summer corn on the cob that you can easily find in warmer months.
And in the second one, I am cooking corn off the cob (aka cut corn – fresh, frozen, or canned) in a skillet, which you can do during the colder months.
I wanted to provide you with two different ways of cooking elote so that you can easily make it all year round.
Intrigued? Let’s break it down, first starting with the ingredients to make street corn, and then, with step by step instructions as to how to make it at home.
Elote Corn Ingredients
You need two sets of ingredients. The first one is your choice of corn (fresh, canned, or frozen). And the second one is the sauce ingredients.
What Kind Of Corn Should I Use
During the warmer months, I use fresh summer corn. You can shuck the corn and grill it on the cob, or cut it off the cob and cook it in a skillet.

During the winter months, if I can’t find fresh corn, I use canned (drained and rinsed) or frozen corn (no need to thaw). Now, before anyone sends me angry emails, I will tell you: True Mexican elotes are traditionally made with fresh corn.
However, if you don’t mind breaking a few culinary rules, using canned or frozen corn allows you to enjoy it even when it is snowing outside and grilling is not an option.
Elote Sauce
The ingredients for the Mexican corn sauce:
- Mexican Crema or Sour Cream: The authentic elote recipe is made with Mexican Crema, a thickened cream that is somewhere between American sour cream or French creme fraiche. Nowadays, you can easily find it in well-stocked supermarkets. However, if you can’t, you can use sour cream as I do in this recipe.
- Mayonnaise: Use a mayo brand that you like. I am a big fan of vegan mayo (affiliate link) but any brand would work.
- Chili Powder: Chili powder is the traditional Mexican corn on the cob seasoning. All you need is half a teaspoon of it.
- Lime Juice: Use fresh lime juice if you can.

Elote Toppings:
Toppings to put on Mexican corn are:
- Cotija Cheese: Also called Mexican corn cheese, shredded cotija cheese is the traditional cheese to use as a topping. If you can’t get your hands on it, you can also use crumbly queso fresco. And if that is not an option, I’ve seen people use parmesan and feta cheese as well.
- An optional sprinkle of chili powder: I love a sprinkle of additional seasoning on top for extra tang and color.
- Chopped cilantro: All you need is a handful of fresh chopped cilantro.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn – The Grilled On The Cob Version
The process is making grilled Mexican corn is pretty easy and it is as follows:
- Prep the corn: Fold the husk of each corn back leaf by leaf and tie them with kitchen twine. Lightly brush oil or butter.
- Grill the corn on the cob: To cook the corn, heat a grill outside or a grill pan on the stovetop. Grill corn, turning occasionally until it is browned in spots, 3-4 minutes on each side. Set them aside on a large platter when they are fully roasted.
- Make the corn on the cob sauce: Mix together sour cream (or Mexican crema), mayo, chili powder, and lime juice in a bowl.
- Brush with the sauce: Using a pastry brush, distribute the elote sauce all over the now-roasted street corn.
- Add the toppings: Sprinkle it generously with cotija cheese and garnish with chopped cilantro and a light sprinkle of chili powder seasoning, if using.
- Serve: Serve it with wedges of lime on the side.
Did you know?
If you are not familiar, Cotija cheese is the traditional Mexican cheese that is used in the Mexican Street Corn recipe. It is a salty cow’s milk cheese that is often used in sauces in Mexican cuisine. Most grocery stores nowadays carry Cotija in their specialty cheese section. (source)
If you can’t get your hands on Cotija, you can substitute it with feta cheese or parmesan. Though for a truly authentic Grilled Mexican Street Corn, I recommend using cotija. I think it is worth the additional effort.

Skillet Method – Mexican Street Corn Off The Cob
Alternatively, you can use corn off the cob (aka cut fresh corn), canned (drained and rinsed) or frozen corn, and sauté it in a skillet with a little bit of oil or butter. I make Mexican Skillet Corn during the winter months when it is too cold to grill outside.
It is also sort of a deconstructed way of serving Mexican street corn similar to they do in Mexico when they serve it in a cup.

To do so:
- Heat some oil a large skillet: You can use vegetable oil or butter.
- Sautee corn: Add the corn and sauté, stirring often, until lightly charred, 7-8 minutes. Transfer into a salad bowl.
- Make the Mexican corn sauce: Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, chili powder, and lime juice in a bowl.
- Assemble: Pour the elote sauce over the sauteed corn. Give it a gentle toss. Sprinkle it with cotija cheese and garnish with cilantro.
- Serve in a cup: If you want to make it more authentic serve in small cups with extra toppings.
In addition to being a great alternative to make in the winter months, this seasoned off the cob version is much easier to eat, especially if you are indoors.
Variations:
- Make it a simple salad: If you want to turn it into more of a Mexican Corn Salad, you can also add some other Mexican ingredients like red onion, seeded jalapeno peppers, and garlic and serve it wedges of lime and more cheese on the side.
- Make it a pasta salad: Add in some cooked pasta in it and turn it into a Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.

A Few Helpful Notes on The Recipe
- The ratio of Mayo to Sour Cream: In the recipe below, I used ¼ cup of mayo and ¼ cup of Sour Cream. This makes a very generous amount of sauce. Feel free to give it a taste and add more mayo if you prefer. Or visa versa.
- Can I make it vegan: If you prefer this Mexican Street Corn recipe to be vegan, you can omit the sour cream, cotija cheese, and use veganaise (this brand is my favorite one – *affiliate link*).
- This recipe multiplies very well. If you are serving it to more people, feel free to make more.
- For the Skillet version: If you can’t get your hands on fresh corn, you can also use canned (and drained) or frozen corn to make this dish. If you use frozen corn, you do not need to thaw it.
If you like this recipe, you might also like these recipes:
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Easy Mexican Recipes
- One Pan Mexican Quinoa
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Mexican Tortilla Pizza – Give Recipe
Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients
- 6 medium-size ears of yellow corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon chile powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus wedges of a lime for serving
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
For Grilled Mexican Street Corn on The Cob:
- To prep the corn: Fold the husk of each corn back leaf by leaf and tie them with kitchen twine. Lightly brush corn on the cub with oil.
- Heat a grill pan or an outdoor grill. Grill corn, turning occasionally until it is browned in spots. Keep an eye on it as this happens rather quickly.
- To make the sauce: Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chile powder, and lime juice in a bowl.
- Brush each grilled corn the mayo mixture and sprinkle with cotija cheese. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
For Skillet Mexican Street Corn:
- To prep the corn: Cut the corn off the cob. I used 6 ears to get about 4 1/2 cups. Alternatively, you can also use canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen, you do not need to thaw it out.
- Sauté corn: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the corn, and stirring frequently, sauté for 5-7 minutes until it starts to char. If you are using frozen corn, you might need to cook a few minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chile powder, and lime juice in a bowl.
- Assemble: Add in the mayo mixture into the sauteed corn. Give it a mix. Stir in the cotija cheese and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve in small bowls with wedges of lime on the side.
Olga
It sounds absolutelly delicious!!!
Love,
Olga from Myme
Zerrin
Wow! Such a great post on Mexican street corn. We are fan of Mexican food and that first picture is making my mouth water. Wish it was possible to grab one from the screen. Can’t wait to try it when corn is in season here. I will go with feta though as I can’t find cotija here. Thanks for the tip!
Emily
I have always wanted to try some sort of version of this after eating from street carts! I especially love that you came up with a skillet version! Although I must say that you managed to tie up those corn husks in the prettiest way (how did you do that?!). I cannot wait for summer corn season to arrive! How festive and fitting for Cinco week!
Liz
It’s sweet corn season in Indiana and this will be on our menu ASAP!
Melissa Sperka
I love this so much I could OD on Mexican street corn lol!
Aimee
Hi! I am planning on making this on the grill, but if it rains I’m going to switch to frozen and the skillet. How much frozen corn would I need for the other ingredients listed above?
Aysegul Sanford
I would use 4 to 4 1/2 cups frozen corn Aimee.
I hope this helps.
Lori @ RecipeGirl
I can’t tell you how much my family loves this corn!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
I would love to try this! Looks delicious!
Joanne
This is corn taken to the next level. Such great flavors!
Stephanie @CopyKat.com
Living in Texas, this corn is a popular street vendor food. Some people line up for funnel cakes, some people line up for this! I am having a BBQ tonight, so I think this is going on the menu.
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! This makes me so happy to hear Stephanie. I hope you guys will like it as much as we do. Cheers!
Cathy Pollak
This is my absolute favorite way to enjoy corn!
lc
this corn is awesome!
Patty M.
We just made this using your skillet method and OH MY!!! it was so good. The cotija cheese took it to the next level. My boys (they are very picky eaters) ate it all and asked for more. Both my husband and I couldn’t believe. Thanks so much for such a good recipe.
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! This makes me so happy to hear Patty. I have been making it often with the corn being in abundance and my husband feels the same way.
Thanks for letting me know. Cheers!
Samantha B
I first had this in my mother-in-laws house and I loved it. She gave me your website and I have been making it ever since. I love the skillet version as it is easier. But next summer I will try the grilled version.
Very good recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Aysegul Sanford
Ahh this makes me so happy Samantha. The grilled version is just as good. Thanks for coming by and letting me know.
Cheers!
Darly Spacy
I loved it! Really flavorful! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Aysegul Sanford
So happy to hear that you liked it. Thanks!
Asma Waheed
Hi, I recently came across your website and fell in love instantly. Thank you for this delicious recipe. My family absolutely love it. Looking forward to try more. Are you on Instagram so I can tag you when I try your new recipes?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Asma.. So happy to hear that you liked it. Thanks for letting me know and rating the recipe.
Yes, my handle is @aysegul.sanford and my hashtag is #foolproofeats
I look forward to seeing what you create.
Leigh-Erin
My husband dislikes corn and he ate this up!!!! He loved it and asked me to make corn like this from now on!!
Aysegul Sanford
Ohhh this is such music to my ears Leigh-Erin. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂 Cheers!
Wadean Joplin
It has been almost 20 yrs since my family has been able to enjoy this treasure, when we lived in Illinois we were able to enjoy mexican street corn every Saturday, when went grocery shopping , it was our special treat , and my children really enjoyed it. Once we moved to Florida we could no longer find it , and I thought it would just be a fond memory , I heard someone mention it on the radio , and I took a chance and looked it up on line , we will be having it with dinner tonight….. thank you so very very much !
Aysegul Sanford
I cannot agree more. It is a treat, indeed. So happy you found it Wadean. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do. Cheers!
Mary Evans
Do you eat the skillet version hot or cold? And if hot, do you reheat it the next day? Sounds delicious! Thanks!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Mary,
You can eat it hot or cold. Either way would work. If you plan on reheating, you can lightly sauté it in a skillet on the next day.
Hope this helps.
Pam
I’ve made these 3 times now, twice on the cob and once off the cob in the skillet. Delicious every time! I’m so glad I found this recipe! Thank you!
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! This makes me so happy Pam. Thank you for leaving such a nice note.
Dalia Jefferson
We made this over the weekend and it was a hit. I followed your recipe to a tee (using the skillet method) and it came out perfectly. The only tiny change I made was to put more lime juice because we like it to be a little sour. I served it with margaritas and people loved it.
Thanks so much for such a great recipe. I will be making more of your recipes in the coming weeks.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Dalia,
This makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much for letting me know and leaving a review.
So glad that you and your family liked it.
Cheers!
Meredith
Excellent recipe! I made this tonight as an afterthought after already putting fresh corn on the cob in water to boil. We were having tacos for dinner so it occurred to me that Mexican street corn would be delicious as a side, and I had bought some cotija cheese earlier and had most of the other ingredients on hand. I put some butter on a cast iron skillet and charred the boiled corn, slathered on the sauce and sprinkled the crumbled cotija on! Totally yummy! I didn’t have fresh cilantro unfortunately so next time I make it I will add the cilantro, as I will definitely make this again! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Aysegul Sanford
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Meredith. I can’t imagine a better side dish to serve with tacos.
Thanks for coming by and sharing your experience.
Cheers!
Kathy Chestnutt
How long does it take to cook on the grill?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Kathy,
If you are using an outdoor grill, it takes about 7-10 minutes (depending on the heat of your grill). If you are using a stovetop grill pan, it takes a few minutes longer, 10-12 minutes. When I use my grill pan, I usually put the lid on to make it cook quicker.
In both methods, I recommend keeping a close eye on the corn as they are cooking and making sure to turn it every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
I hope I answered your question. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Andrew
Does the corn have to cool at all? Seems like the mayo mixture would melt right off of hot corn, or at least not look like the pictures here. Planning to try this this weekend, looks delicious.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Andrew,
It would work either way. I personally don’t mind the melting mayo mixture, but if you want you can let it cool down for a few minutes.
I hope you like it as much as we do.
Cheers!
anne
can you make this in the morning and reheat for dinner
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Anne,
Yes, you can.
You can also serve it cold.
Hope this helps.
Fred Johnson
Way too many ads and pop-ups on this site and way too much blather before the recipe is actually presented.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Fred,
I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience.
At the top of each page/post, there is a “jump to recipe” button you can use to bypass all the stuff that you didn’t like. This way you can avoid seeing all the ads.
I hope this helps.
Jo
Made this recipe for the first time tonight for guests. Everyone really liked it. I was apprehensive about using the cotija cheese but it was actually very mild tasting when the dish was finished, I used the skillet method and because I wanted to do it somewhat ahead, I fried the corn in the skillet and left in in there for probably an hour before reheating the corn a bit and finishing it off with the dressing and cheese. Worked very well that way. I’m passing along the recipe to the people who were here tonight. By the way, a Mexican man who is in charge of the cheese section at the grocery store I went to told me that the cotija is the Mexican version of parmesan. Learned something new.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Jo,
I had no idea that cotija is the Mexican version of parmesan. I can see why though.. They are not similar in taste, but I guess they are both signature kinds of cheese for each culture.
I am thrilled to hear that you liked this recipe.
Thanks for passing it along to your friends and leaving a review.
Cheers!
Yvonne
Is there a way to keep this warm or does it have to be eaten the minute it is taken off the grill and covered with mayo and cheese?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Yvonne,
It is up to you. You can eat this dish warm or cold.
I usually make a big batch and serve some right away (warm) and reserve the rest to serve as a side dish throughout the week (mostly with meat dishes).
I hope this helps.
Remy
A new favorite of our. I add chipotle chili pepper, too for some spice. Wonderful!
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So happy to hear that Ramy! Thank you.
Lisa Bony
Very easy and delicious!!! Just made it!
Elisa Robert
Perfect as a side dish when you eat mexican food.
It’s soo refreshing! All the family love it.
Aysegul Sanford
I cannot agree more. It pairs so well with tacos, enchiladas and even as a part of a salad.
Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a comment Elisa.
Cheers!
Milla Newy
I served it with salmon, loved it. This is really good 🙂 Thanks for sharing
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it Milla. Thanks for coming by.
Roxane Luna
Can I skip the cilantro?
Aysegul Sanford
For sure.
Linda Szymoniak
Almost exactly the way I make it, except I use la crema (Mexican cream) instead of the sour cream and mayo, and I discovered the perfect seasoning to use – Tajín Clásico Seasoning – which has the chili seasoning and dehydrated lime. Now you have me wanting to make some!
Aysegul Sanford
Lucky you! Finding Mexican crema in VT is not possible so I use sour cream, but I know how delicious it is when you use crema as well.
I have to try that seasoning next time I make it.
Thanks for coming by Linda. So glad to hear that you liked it.
Cheers!
Jesus Luver
Real Mexican Elote corn on the cob don’t use cilantro , never use sour cream , sour cream is an American thing , Mexican use “crema” taste way different, is more auténtico
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Jesus,
I agree with you but sadly Mexican crema is not available everywhere, especially if you are like us, living in a very small town in Vermont.
Thanks for sharing.