Elote
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Country of Origin
Mexico
Description
An iconic street food favorite throughout Mexico. Sweet ears of corn are charred over an open grill, then slathered in a creamy mayonnaise-crema mixture, rolled in salty cotija cheese, and dusted with chili powder and fresh lime juice.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served on wooden skewers or with pull-down husk handles, dusted in bright red chili powder and fresh cilantro, with lime wedges on the side. Eaten straight off the cob.
Ingredients
4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
1/2 cup cotija cheese, finely crumbled
1 tsp Ancho or Tajín chili powder
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Step-by-Step Directions
Prepare Cream Sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise, Mexican crema, and minced garlic in a bowl until smooth.
Grill Corn: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high. Place ears of corn on grates and cook, turning occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until kernels are tender and charred on all sides.
Slather Cream: Remove corn from grill. Immediately brush or slather each ear generously with cream mixture while hot.
Coat Cheese & Spice: Sprinkle or roll corn generously in crumbled cotija cheese, then dust with chili powder.
Finish: Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve hot with fresh lime wedges for squeezing.
Optional
Spicy Heat: Substitute Tajín with pure cayenne powder or crushed dried chile de árbol for elevated heat.
Cooking Tips
Mayonnaise Base: Don't skip mayonnaise—it acts as an emulsifying glue that holds cheese and chili powder securely to hot corn kernels.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)
Calories: ~260 kcal
Total Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 25mg
Sodium: 410mg
Total Carbohydrates: 24g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 7g
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