Elote Recipe Off The Cob

Jump to Recipe

Elote recipe – Mexican Corn on the cob with cheese, mayo, chile and lime. Enjoy this authentic Mexican street food anytime with this easy recipe!

Elote recipe: Mexican corn on the cob on a platter

Elote Recipe

We call this Mexican corn elotes, but it should just be known as the best corn EVER!

The sweetness of the corn, salty cheese, creamy mayonnaise, smoky chile, spicy hot sauce and burst of lime come together in one incredible combination that will leave you wanting more.

One elote (Mexican corn on the cob) with mayo, cheese, chile and lime

This authentic elote recipe can easily be made at home and is the perfect accompaniment when grilling out.

It's amazing on Mexican night with your favorite tacos. My favorite kind right now are Tacos Dorados which are filled with mashed potatoes and fried until ultra crispy.

The preparation of Mexican corn is simple.

The key is to have all your ingredients gathered and prepped for easy assembly.

This is a basic recipe, but it is the best elote recipe in my humble opinion.

Elote recipe: Mexican corn on the cob on a platter

Mexican Elote Recipe

For this recipe you will need corn on the cob.

If using kernels you can make my recipe for Mexican Corn in a Cup instead.

The corn cobs can be cooked in any method you prefer – I recommend boiling or grilling.

After the corn is cooked, you'll want to let it cool a little for two reasons.

Elote recipe: insert skewer into corn on the cob

Firstly, you'll be inserting some wooden sticks for handles and you don't want to burn your fingers off.

Secondly, you'll be slathering it in mayonnaise and we don't want it melting off since the rest of the ingredients stick to the mayo.

Elote recipe: brush with mayonnaise

Pro tip: use a pastry brush to spread it evenly.

After the mayo has been applied, sprinkle or roll the corn in grated cotija cheese.

Cotija is a sharp, salty cheese.

If you absolutely positively cannot find cotija then you can use parmesan cheese.

You can also use crumbled queso fresco, but it will have a totally different flavor.

Elote recipe: sprinkle with cotija cheese

The last three ingredients are important, but depend on your own taste.

Lime is going to add zest, brighten and enhance all the flavors.

Chili powder adds great smoky flavor.

My personal favorite is Tajin, which is a chile-salt blend.

Ground ancho chile is also a great choice.

Hot sauce is the final ingredient to add another dimension of flavor and some heat.

There are so many options when it comes to hot sauce, but my favorites for this elotes recipe are Valentina or Tapatio.

Add as much or little as you like depending on your spicy tolerance and enjoy!

Ingredients

4 ears of corn
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cotija cheese
1 lime, quartered
Hot sauce (such as Valentina or Tapatio)
Chili powder (such as Tajin or ancho chile)
Wooden sticks (for taffy apple, corn dogs, etc)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Shuck the corn, remove the silk and stalk. Add corn to water, cover and cook for 5 minutes, then remove.
When corn is cool enough to touch but still warm, insert wooden stick into core as a handle.
Brush corn with 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese and squeeze of lime wedge. Add hot sauce and chili powder to taste.
Repeat with remaining ears of corn and serve.