Mexican Corn Recipe (Elote Mexicano)

This Mexican Corn Recipe (Elote Mexicano) is made with dehusked corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, hot sauce, lime juice, and topped with cotija cheese.

Who wouldn’t want to eat this AMAZING Mexican corn side dish? This is prepared exactly the way you would buy it on the streets of Mexico - TRUST me I would know. There is absolutely no way to eat this messy corn on the cob delicately.

If you love this recipe, you need to try my Hot Cheetos Elote version or my Cauliflower Elote!

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Corn
• Mayonnaise
• Chili powder
• Hot sauce
• Limes
• Cotija cheese

See recipe card for quantities for Mexican Corn Recipe (Elote Mexicano).

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the dehusked corn in the water and boil for 10 minutes. 

In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, chili powder, and lime juice. Whisk together and set aside. 

Remove corn from water. Brush the sauce onto each ear of corn. 

Sprinkle on cheese and serve with lime wedges.

Hint: Modify the hot sauce to your liking!

Substitutions

Corn: You will need fresh corn for this. I buy them with the husks on to maintain freshness.

Lime: You will need to use fresh limes for this recipe - don't buy that store lime juice.

Mayonnaise: I love using only mayonnaise for this although you can use sour cream. Crema is the Mexican version of French crème fraîche. Both are slightly sour and thickened cream. It is a bit milder and thinner than American sour cream and is perfect for making Elotes Mexicanos.

Cotija cheese:  If you don't have cotija cheese you can use parmesan instead.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add extra hot sauce on top of the corn for more spice.
• Deluxe - use sour cream instead of mayonnaise, or add Worcestershire.
• Kid friendly - add crushed tortilla chips.

Check out this Calabacitas con Elote!

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These Elote Mexicano ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Modify the hot sauce to your liking!

Mexican Corn Recipe (Elote Mexicano)

---

• Author: Maxine Dubois
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This Mexican Corn Recipe (Elote Mexicano) is made with dehusked corn, mayonnaise, chili powder, hot sauce, lime juice, and is grilled or boiled and topped with cotija cheese. 

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 ears of corn, dehusked 
• ½ cup of mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder, like tajin
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, like cholula or tapatio
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ cup of cotija cheese or parmesan cheese

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

Grill:

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  
2. In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, chili powder, and lime juice. Whisk together and set aside. 
3. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Cook the corn on the grill for a total of 12 minutes. Every 3-4 minutes, give the corn a turn. When all sides are browned, remove and set on a plate. 
4. Brush the sauce onto each ear of corn. Sprinkle on cheese and serve with lime wedges.

Boil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the dehusked corn in the water and boil for 10 minutes. 
2. In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, chili powder, and lime juice. Whisk together and set aside. 
3. Remove corn from water. Brush the sauce onto each ear of corn. Sprinkle on cheese and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

• You can substitute parmesan cheese instead of cotija cheese
• You can mix up the seasonings to your liking!

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Sides
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 164.8
• Sugar: 3.1 g
• Sodium: 339.9 mg
• Fat: 8.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 22.7 g
• Fiber: 2.6 g
• Protein: 4.2 g
• Cholesterol: 6.8 mg

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.