Julie Clark
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Mexican Street Corn with Tajín
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Mexican street corn with Tajín is sweet corn on the cob, brushed with a mix of mayo and sour ream, dusted with chili-lime seasoning and topped with cotija cheese.
My shortcut is to drop the corn cobs in boiling water, turn off the burner and let them rest for 10 minutes. No grill required, making this a 20 minute side dish. It’s similar to our popular corn ribs recipe.
I first had elotes from a food truck in Mexico more than 15 years ago. I’ve been making it at home since I had that first bite! If you love these flavors, try our street corn casserole, creamy street corn dip and Mexican street corn pasta salad, too.
Quick Look: Mexican Street Corn
- Flavor: sweet corn, tangy cream, salty cheese, chile-lime heat
- Texture: juicy, crisp-tender kernels under a creamy coating with crumbly cheese
- Method: stovetop boil-and-rest (grill or oven optional)
- Time: about 20 minutes
- Heat level: mild to medium, and you control it with the Tajín
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader, Alyssa, says, “Made this as an appetizer for dinner tonight. SO GOOD!! I added one tablespoon of miracle whip just for a little extra tang and used freshly grated parmesan cheese because I couldn’t find the Cotija in my grocery store. 10/10 will be making again soon!!”
What is Mexican street corn (elote)?
Mexican Street Corn also called elotes, is a roasted fresh corn, coated with a mayo/sour cream mixture and then dusted with the street corn seasoning, Tajín, and Cotija cheese. “Elote” translates to “corn cob”, and it’s also sometimes called “crazy corn”.
Street vendors usually grill the corn, but I boil it to keep it quick. When the kernels are cut off the cob and served in a cup, it’s called esquites.
What do you need for Mexican street corn?
- Mayo. Use mayo, not Miracle Whip.
- Sour cream. Or use a homemade Mexican crema in place of the sour cream.
- Cotija. Cotija is the traditional cheese. It’s dry, crumbly, and salty. Can’t find it? Finely grated Parmesan (reader Alyssa’s swap) or crumbled feta both work. Feta is tangier, and Parmesan is nuttier.
- Tajín. This chile-lime seasoning is made from mild ground chiles, salt, and dehydrated lime, and it’s the star here. Look for it in the spice aisle or the Mexican foods aisle.
What seasoning goes on Mexican street corn?
Most street corn is finished with a chile seasoning and Tajín is the easiest one to reach for. It has chili, lime and salt altogether in one shaker bottle.
Tajín is salty and strong, so start small and add more. For a large ear of corn, I recommend about 1 teaspoon of seasoning.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn with Tajin
The first step to making this Mexican corn is to cook the corn.
- Get a large pan and fill it with water. Bring the water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add the shucked corn, cover the pot, and turn off the burner. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then pull the corn out.
Tip: Let the ears steam dry for a minute or two before saucing. Wet corn is the number one reason the topping slides right off. You can also grill corn or oven roast it if you’d like.
- The next step is to brush the corn with a creamy mayo and sour cream combination. For the best flavor, use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip. Be as generous or as light with the mayo sauce as you’d like, but cover the whole ear of corn.
- Sprinkle on the Tajín. Its chile-lime flavor is bold, so start with about 1 teaspoon per ear and go from there. Some in our family like a light dusting, and many add more. No Tajín? Chili powder plus a little lime zest works in a pinch.
- Lastly, sprinkle the corn with Cotija cheese. This is my favorite part because…cheese!
Mexican Street Corn with Tajín
Today we're talking all about how to make Mexican Street Corn, AKA Elotes! One of the best Mexican side dishes, we'll share tips for getting it on the table quickly.
Servings 2
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 ears of corn husks removed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or as desired)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream (or equal parts if you use more mayo)
- 2 teaspoons Tajin seasoning (or more as desired)
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot add in about 6 cups of salted water. Bring to a boil and add in corn. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and allow the corn to sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Remove corn from the pot allow it to cool, and push a wooden skewer into the corn. 2 ears of corn
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and sour cream. Brush the mayonnaise mix generously on the sides of the corn. 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Spoon Tajin seasoning over the corn, then sprinkle cotija cheese on top. 2 teaspoons Tajin seasoning, ¼ cup cotija cheese
- Serve with lime wedges.
Video
Notes
- Push a long wooden skewer into the corn cob so that you can easily hold the corn. Remember…it’s crazy corn and can be messy, so the wooden skewer helps with that.
- You can replace mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for Mexican street corn. It will change the flavor slightly, but if you are used to making that substitution regularly anyway, then you should enjoy it.
- Per-ear formula: 1 Tbsp mayo, 1 Tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp Tajín, and 2 Tbsp cotija. Use the servings slider to scale for a crowd.
- Tajín and cotija are both salty, so don’t add salt to the sauce.
- To grill: Grill over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning often, then top as directed.
- Try adding a dash of cayenne pepper to make the flavorful seasoning spicier.
- Get creative with lime zest, red onion, feta cheese or garlic. Have other ideas? Leave them below so we can try them out!
- Make it in a bowl instead! Esquites is a street food that is all of the ingredients and flavors of street corn on the cob, but the corn kernels are cut off and served in a bowl. It’s easier to eat and much less messy.
- Made it? Leave a star rating below and tell us how much Tajín your family likes!
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 307mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 0.1mg
What other toppings go on Mexican street corn?
When you buy street corn at a restaurant or from a street vendor, it can have many different toppings: sprinkle with lime juice or chopped cilantro….or get crazy and put bacon on top. Yes!!
What to Serve with Street Corn
This is a classic side dish that pairs so well with any one of these:
- Salsa Verde Quesadillas
- Roast Beef Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Chicken Tacos
- Fish Tacos
- Steak Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa
- Black Beans
- Tortilla chips
Made this for dinner tonight. SO GOOD!! I added one tablespoon of miracle whip just for a little extra tang and used freshly grated parm cheese bc I couldn’t find the Cotija in my grocery store. 10/10 will be making again soon!!
Greetings from Mexico, you should try instead of chili powder with Tajin, which is also the same but a little bit more acid, it really gives the corn a better flavor, toppings can be mayonnaise, yellow cheese ( kind of like nacho cheese) Tajin, red salsa they come in many different brands and ingredients but the best ones have chile ancho and chile guajillo (is kind like a paste) and white cheese (cotija or panela cheese)
We’ve had Mexican street corn before as well as some Mexican street corn salad (also good). I had never made it before, so I tried your recipe. It was so good! We didn’t have Tajin seasoning so I used chili powder which I had seen on other recipes. I want to get some for next time though as its ingredients sound good!