Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elotes) Recipe

If you’ve ever looked at your buttered corn-on-the-cob and thought to yourself “wow, this is pretty boring”, then you’re ready to try Elotes, the traditional corn-on-the-cob Mexican street food. Elotes are the Chicago style hot dog of corn: more toppings = more exciting.

You only need a few things to make this simple but sassy dish:

(makes 4 servings)

4 ears of corn

1/4 C mayonnaise

1/2 C cheese (crumbled Cotija is the Mexican cheese traditionally used for this dish, but a finely grated parmesan will also do the trick)

1 tsp. chili powder

Lime wedges

That was easy. Now four simple steps and we’re done!

1. Pull back the corn husks and clean away the silk.
2. To roast the corn, heat your oven’s broiler to medium-high. Set the corn under the broiler and roast it until it crackles, turning it frequently so each side chars. I had the most luck with the oven, but you can also do this on your gas burner or in a very hot frying pan.
3. While the corn is still hot, slather it in mayo (a brush works best, but a spatula or spoon also works) and dust it with cheese and chili powder.
4. Serve with a squeeze of lime. Delicioso!