Elote Recipe

October 2024 · 4 minute read

Level up grilled corn on the cob with this easy elote recipe! Smothered with mayo, chile, cheese, and lime, it's creamy, tangy, smoky, and sweet.

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Elote on plate with lime wedges and cilantro

When summer sweet corn comes hits peak season, this elote recipe goes on repeat in our house. I love corn on the cob in all its iterations, but something about elote is especially irresistible. This grilled Mexican street corn is creamy, tangy, sweet, and smoky. If you’ve never tried it—or never tried making it at home—now’s the time. Let’s make it!

What Is Elote?

Also called Mexican street corn, elote is a Mexican preparation of corn on the cob. The ears of corn are grilled, then slathered with mayo or crema, and finally topped with lime, chile, and Mexican cheese such as Cotija.

Commonly sold by street vendors in Mexico, elote makes a great snack. I also love to serve it as a side dish at summer cookouts and BBQs.

Elote Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this elote recipe:

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Grilling the Corn

The first step in this elote recipe is grilling the corn. I share two methods in my recipe for grilled corn on the cob—with the husks and without.

Either will work here. However, having some char on the corn kernels really enhances the smoky flavor in this recipe. If you choose to grill the corn in the husks, you may want to pull them back for the last few minutes of cooking so that some char marks form on the kernels themselves.

Once you grill the corn, make a simple sauce by stirring together the mayo, lime juice, and lime zest.

Use a pastry brush or butter knife to slather the mayo mixture all over each ear of corn.

Sprinkle with the chili powder, Cotija, and cilantro, and season to taste with salt. Serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Elote

Elote is a tasty snack on its own, but it’s also a great side dish for all kinds of summer meals.

How do you like to serve elotes? Let me know in the comments!

More Favorite Corn Recipes

If you love this elote recipe, try one of these other summer corn recipes next:

Elote (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) Recipe

rate this recipe:4.95 from 39 votesPrep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Serves 4Save Recipe Print RecipeIf you've never tried Mexican elote—or never tried making it at home—you HAVE to make this recipe! Sweet and smoky grilled corn is smothered with mayo, chile, lime, and cheese. You won't find a more delicious side dish or snack.

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

*A mix of ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream and ¼ cup mayonnaise is a delicious alternative to all mayo.

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