Slightly charred and full of flavor, this elote corn is grilled and topped with fresh lime juice and crumbled Cotija cheese. It's easy to make and is the perfect side dish for any backyard cookout!
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Better Than The Rest - Here's Why
❌ No Heavy Mayo! Unlike a lot of other elote recipes that use a creamy mayo or crema base, my version keeps it light and fresh with just lime juice and crumbled Cotija—letting the naturally sweet, charred corn take center stage. I mean, mayo is optional but it's not necessary.
✅ Since it doesn't have mayo, this recipe is great for picnics or as a side dish you can leave out a bit longer than most.
✅ While other elote recipes take extra time to mix up sauces and layer on the toppings, my version comes together in just 15 minutes to prep —no fuss, not a whole lot of mess, just bold flavor fast way faster!
Elote Corn: What To Know & Recipe Highlights
- What is Elote Corn: It's a classic Mexican street food, similar to my Mexican street corn recipe, where grilled corn on the cob is slathered with a delicious mixture mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, Chili powder, and fresh lime juice. It’s messy, so flavorful, creamy, tangy, and a little spicy — basically, it's the ultimate way to upgrade corn on the cob!
- Equipment You'll Need: an outdoor grill.
- Time It Takes To Make: 15 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook.
- How To Pronounce It: pronounced "eh-loh-tay"
- Ingredient Tip: Roasted garlic adds a rich, almost sweet depth that really takes the flavors to the next level. And, it's makes mixture more creamy. After you roast your garlic, smash it until it forms a paste. Add 1–2 teaspoons of the roasted garlic paste into your mayo before slathering it on the corn.
- Suggested Cooking Method: The char is what makes this recipe so amazingly delicious! It's grilled directly on the grill grates which helps it to go through the Maillard reaction. That's what gives it that wonderful smoky flavor (along with the smoked paprika, as well).
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Corn on the Cob - fresh corn on the cob from the husk is best. Pre-packaged corn is ok if you are in a rush.
- Smoked Paprika - adds a mild, smoky-sweet flavor and vibrant color that enhances the taste. Regular or sweet paprika works, too!
- Chili Powder - brings a gentle heat and deeper flavor that balances the creaminess of the mayo and Cotija cheese and the tang of lime.
- Salt & Pepper - flavor enhancers.
- Butter - use a good quality unsalted butter, like Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter. Unsalted butter lets you control the salt level, so the corn doesn’t end up too salty with all the toppings.
- Mayonnaise - use real Mayo and not Miracle Whip. It helps all the toppings stick to the corn while adding a creamy, tangy flavor.
- Cotija Cheese - this is a Mexican cheese that is white in color, has a grainy texture, and a salty flavor. You can typically find Cotija in your local grocery store. But if it's not available or if you're looking for a Cotija cheese substitute, try using feta, queso fresco or Pecorino Romano.
- Fresh Lime Juice - skip the bottled version and squeeze the juice directly from the lime! Fresh is best!
👩🏼🍳 Scroll down to the recipe card below for all the details you’ll need to make this recipe!
📋 Variations
- Add Seasonings Before You Grill - my preferred method is to add on the butter and seasonings before I grill the cobs, but you can also grill the corn first and add the seasonings after.
- Other Options Besides Mayonnaise - if you don't love mayo, try using sour cream or ranch dressing. Garlic aioli is also a good choice.
- Spice It Up - to add some heat, mix ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper in with the dry ingredients.
- Corn In A Cup - after you remove the corn from the grill, cut the kernels off the cob and place it in a large bowl. Add in the seasoning, Cotija cheese, mayo, and lime juice. Stir until all ingredients are well combined and then serve it in a cup! It's a fun way to eat it!
- Roast The Corn In The Oven - if you don't want to grill the corn, you can roast it in the oven! Baste on a bit of melted butter and then wrap each cob in a piece of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped corn on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add additional butter, seasonings, and mayo.
- Boil The Corn - if you don't have a grill, you can also boil the corn cobs on the stove top. To do this, fill a large pot with water, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, and then bring it to a boil. Add in the corn and allow to boil for 5-7 minutes. Remove each piece from the boiling water and lather on the butter and mayonnaise. Sprinkle on the seasoning and cheese.
🌽 Here's Exactly How To Make It
Step 1: Start by mixing the dry ingredients into a small bowl. Take the Cotija cheese, melted butter, and lime juice and put them into their own bowls or ramekins. From there, shuck the corn and rinse each piece to get rid of the silk. Set aside.
Step 2: Use a basting brush to baste melted butter on all sides of each piece.
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Step 3: Generously sprinkle each side of the corn with the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and ground pepper.
Step 4: Using a basting brush, lather on another layer of melted butter, as well as some fresh lime juice.
Step 5: Place each cob on a medium-high heated gas grill and cook for about 15 minutes or until the kernels start to turn a light brown color. Ensure you turn the corn on each side so it chars evenly. When done, take the basting brush and baste additional lime juice onto each piece, along with more melted butter. Sprinkle on more cheese and let it grill for 2-3 more minutes until it starts to melt.
Step 6: Serve while it is still hot. This grilled sweet Elote Mexicano pairs perfectly with these perfectly grilled steak kabobs in an Italian marinade or this fajita stuffed steak filled with veggies and melted pepper jack cheese. Oh... and I love topping elote with fresh chopped cilantro!
🙋🏼 Top Questions I Get Asked About This Recipe
It's good for 3-5 days.
Wrap each cob individually in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.
The quickest and easiest way is to wrap the cob in a damp paper towel and warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add an additional 10 seconds until warm.
Expert Tips
- Fresh corn is the sweetest and juiciest if you use it within the first 1-2 days of purchase.
- When buying fresh corn, ensure it smells sweet. It should also be firm when lightly pressed and should also be free of black or brown spots.
- It will save you a lot of time and frustration if you prepare your stations before you start the basting and seasoning process. Set up a separate bowl for each ingredient (the spices can be combine in 1 bowl).
- You can easily remove the silk by running it under cold water and removing the silk with your hands. However, the best way to remove the silk is by using a silker brush.
- I've made this Mexican corn on the cob recipe on both my gas grill and on my Traeger. While it tastes amazing cooked on both, Traeger corn on the cob won't result in the same char you'll get from a gas or charcoal grill.
- Some claim that the best way to grill corn is with the husk still attached. While this is a delicious grilling method, you won't be able to obtain that tasty char.
🥗 What To Pair It With
🥘 How To Use Leftover Elote
This Mexican grilled corn is so flavorful, I love using it in recipes that call for canned or frozen corn kernels! Try using it in these recipes here below!
If you tried this Mexican Grilled Corn (Elote Recipe) or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Mexican Grilled Corn (Elote Recipe)
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn on cob, husked and silked
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 cup mayonnaise, optional
Instructions
- Remove the husks and then rinse each piece of corn to get rid of all the silk from the cobs or use a silker brush. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, squeeze the juice of the limes and set aside.
- Combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, mix well. Place in a separate small bowl.
- Crumble the Cotija cheese and place in a separate bowl. If you're using mayonnaise, place it in a separate bowl.
- Using a basting brush, baste the melted butter onto each cob on all sides.
- Generously sprinkle each cob with the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if you are adding it.)
- Place each corn on the cob on a grill and grill for about 15 minutes or until the kernels start to turn a light brown color. Lightly sprinkle on some Cotija cheese and allow it to grill for 2-3 more minutes.
- When done, remove from the grill. Take the basting brush and baste on more of the lime juice onto each cob, along with a bit more melted butter and mayonnaise (optional).
- Top with additional cotija cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- It will save you a lot of time and frustration if you prepare your stations before you start the basting and seasoning process. Set up a separate bowl for each ingredient (the spices can be combine in 1 bowl).
- You can easily remove the silk by running it under cold water and removing the silk with your hands. However, the best way to remove the silk is by using a de-silker brush.
- I've made this Mexican corn on the cob recipe on both my gas grill and on my Traeger. While it tastes amazing cooked on both, Traeger corn on the cob won't result in the same char you'll get from a gas or charcoal grill.
- Some claim that the best way to grill corn is with the husk still attached. While this is a delicious grilling method, you won't be able to obtain that tasty char.
- Add Seasonings Before You Grill - my preferred method is to add on the butter and seasonings before I grill the cobs, but you can also grill the corn first and add the seasonings after.
- Spice It Up - if you want to spice things up a bit, mix ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper in with the dry ingredients.
- Mayonnaise - so amazing on this recipe, and so is chipotle mayo, sour cream, or ranch dressing.
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Nicole
I love everything about grilled corn. Having cojita cheese on top of grilled corn is an amazing bite.
Amanda Mason
I'm so glad you loved it!! Yes - the Cotija cheese is a great add!