Elote Recipe (grilled Mexican street style corn)

Name: Elote Recipe (grilled Mexican street style corn)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 corn on the cob; 2 tbsp butter (melted); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 4 tbsp thick yogurt/sour cream; 1/3 cup feta cheese (crumbled); 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped); 1/4 tsp chili powder; 1/4 tsp paprika powder; Pinch of cumin powder; Salt to taste; 1 lime juice; 1/4 tsp paprika powder; 1/4 tsp chili powder; 1/4 tsp black pepper powder; 1 lime zest; Fresh cilantro; Feta cheese (crumbled)

A simple Mexican street style corn recipe that is charred over the fire and brushed with a sour cream and cheese sauce. It is vegetarian and so simple to make, the BEST way to cook corn ever.

Growing up I ate “butta” which is an Indian street style grilled corn that is rubbed with lime, chili, chaat masala and butter. So when I heard about elote, I was curious to know how the flavors would be. I first ate it at a food festival in Dubai from a Mexican restaurant. They used mayonnaise in their Elote sauce (which a lot of people do) and I am not a fan of mayo based sauces. Hence the experience wasn’t as good as I imagined it to be. But my love for corn runs deep and you can see that in my corn 3 ways recipe post. So I decided to make it at home. Here we are, a dozen times later (I am in love with this recipe!). A dozen times not because I was testing it so many times but because we made it that many times and I am only getting to sharing this recipe now.

What is an elote made of?

Elote is charred corn that is grilled and served with a slathering of elote dressing/elote sauce that is made up of chili, garlic, lime, sour cream, Cojita cheese and fresh cilantro. It is a street style recipe that is made and served all across Mexico. The corn must be grilled and charred for that smoky flavor.

What is elote dressing made of?

The Elote dressing is the sauce you slather over the charred grilled corn and the recipe varies from place to place however the most commonly found dressing recipe includes mayonnaise, lime, hot sauce, Chile powder, smoked paprika, garlic, freshly chopped cilantro, cojita cheese, salt, pepper and butter. Some recipes use scallions as well.

What is elote seasoning made of?

Elote seasoning is sprinkled over the corn after brushing it with the sauce. It is a combination of spices including chili powder, paprika powder, cayenne pepper powder, lime zest and garlic powder. Some recipes use black pepper powder and onion powder as well.

What is the difference between elote and Mexican street corn?

Elote and Mexican street corn are used interchangeably. They are both charr grilled corn with an elote sauce that is creamy, sprinkled with a elote seasoning that is spicy and packed with flavor.

Is elote spicy?

Elote has spices in the sauce and seasoning but it is not spicy as the creamy sauce and sweet corn balances the heat in the dish.

What are elotes in English?

Elote is corn in English. In Mexico the dish Elotes refers to this street style corn recipe.

Is elote hot or cold?

The Elote (corn) is hot as it is charr grilled, while the sauce is cold as it is made ahead and stored in the fridge until needed. Hence it is best served with the hot corn and cold sauce.

How do you eat elote?

Once the elote is assembled and made it must be eaten immediately as the hot corn and cold sauce complement each other well. The only way to enjoy Elote is with your hand.

What ingredients do you need to make elotes at home?

To make this Elotes recipe we need corn on the cob, sweet corn to be precise. To make the elotes sauce/elote dressing we need butter, garlic cloves, thick yogurt, fresh cilantro, chili powder, feta cheese (if you cannot always get your hands on cojita cheese like me this is a yummy substitute), lime, black pepper, salt and paprika powder.

What equipment do you need to make elotes at home?

I have grilled the corn over the flame/fire. You could use a grilling pan if you don’t have access to an open fire. It gives those delicious charred marks on the corn once cooked through. If you have a bbq go for gold with this recipe and enjoy grilling this corn outdoors. I like to handle the corn on the cob with a pair of tongs. To make the elotes sauce we need a bowl and spoon to mix it together, also I have used a microplane grater to mince the garlic.

How to make elotes at home?

To make the elotes dressing/elotes sauce we mix all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and place in the fridge. In an another bowl mix the ingredients for the seasoning and set aside with the prepared garnishes. If grilling over the fire, use a pair of metal tongs to turn the corn on the cob over the heat after it gets charred. This should take 3-5 minutes. You can do this over a grilling pan or any pan as well. Once grilled on all sides and cooked through brush the elotes dressing over the corn on all sides and sprinkle with the seasoning and crumble over a little more cheese. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedges and serve.

Serving and storing elotes at home?

Once the elotes are ready it best to serve them immediately for the best flavor and taste. I do like making the sauce a night before to allow the flavors to marinate well. The components can be made ahead of time and the corn can be grilled on the spot before assembling and serving. The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 1-2 days in the fridge. I would recommend cutting the corn off the cob and adding it to a salad or your pasta etc. as it will not be the same to eat it off the cob cold. And reheating git does not have the same effect as the sauce can burn.

Looking for more Mexican inspired recipes for Cinco de mayo?

Now that we have covered how to make this Elote corn recipe you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.