Delicious grilled elotes topped with a zesty sour cream sauce and cotija cheese. This spin on Mexican street corn is packed with heat and flavor, and fired on the grill for just 10 minutes to form the perfect easy BBQ side dish.
Grilled elotes have really had a moment in recent years, popping up at dinner parties and BBQs as more and more people discover the almost addictive flavor of this Mexican street snack. The sweet corn is transformed by the toppings of mayonnaise, chili, lime, cilantro, and cotija cheese layered on top—salty, sweet, and spicy flavors blending perfectly into one perfect grilled side dish.
Grilled elotes hail from Mexico and the name simply means ‘corn’, an ingredient this food-loving nation has relied on for millennia. It’s hard to delve into Mexican cuisine without this staple popping up—whether it’s ground into tacos and tortillas, the soup-like chileatole, or the comforting sweetness of tamales.
Many of our favorite Mexican foods fall under the category of antojitos (little cravings) and can be bought from street food stalls and taquerías across the country. By definition, antojitos are easy to pick up and eat on the go, and grilled elotes are no different.
Elotes are incredibly simple to make and you can easily prep everything ahead of time to make the final cook as straightforward as possible. By laying out all the corn’s toppings, you can quickly move them from grill to plate with minimal fuss.
What are Elotes?
Elote, or Mexican street corn, is the perfect street food made for enjoying on a bustling street corner. This grilled corn is husked, grilled, and then dressed in a sour cream and mayonnaise (or crema) mixture before being sprinkled with cotija cheese. Elote can easily be adjusted to individual tastes with the addition of ingredients like chili, lime juice, or cilantro.
While they’re a great snack, they also make an ideal side dish—and are perfect for anyone looking to enhance their grilled vegetable game. Serve elotes alongside grilled meats, Mexican dishes such as tacos, or even as a standalone game day snack.
Quick Tips
- To quickly shuck corn, microwave it for 30-60 seconds and you’ll find the silk comes away much easier
- Not everyone finds corn on the cob easy to eat, in this case simply cut the grilled corn from the cob and mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients—this is known as esquites or elote en vaso (corn cup)
- Some recipes call for dipping the corn into the mayonnaise mixture but we prefer to brush it on as we think it gives a better distribution of sauce
- Allow the corn to cool slightly before dressing, this will give everything a better chance of sticking
Substitutions
- If you can’t find cotija cheese, it can be swapped out for feta or queso fresco
- If you don’t like mayonnaise, it can be subbed for crema or even melted butter
- We love the fresh simplicity of the classic ingredients but you can also mix them up to your own preference, perhaps adding some smoky chipotle chili to the mayonnaise mixture or even adding crumbled crispy bacon and blue cheese to really change the flavor profile.
Grilled Elotes
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn shucked
Sauce
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ lime juice of
Garnish
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- ½ lime juice of
Instructions
- Fire up grill to high, about 450-600°F (230-315°C)
- While the grill is preheating, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, and juice of half the lime
- Once the grill’s up to temperature, place the corn on the grates. Grill the corn for 10 minutes, rotating often, until the corn is tender and the outside has a nice char.
- Allow the corn to cool slightly and then brush with the mayonnaise mixture using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle on the crumbled cotija, chili powder, and cilantro. Finish with a final squeeze of lime before
