Put a new twist on one of summer's favorite foods with this lip-smacking Mexican Grilled Corn!
We almost always grill our corn in the summer. Heating up the house with a giant pot of boiling water holds no appeal to me when it's already hot and humid.
Besides that, I adore the taste of grilled corn. That little bit of char is exactly what I love. This recipe is our family's version of Mexican Grilled Corn, or Elote, a street food common in Mexico.
What is Mexican Grilled Corn?
If you’ve ever traveled to Mexico, you might hear this grilled corn referred to as Elote. The basic recipe is grilled corn on the cob that is gently coated with mayonnaise, sprinkled with cotija cheese and a bit of cayenne pepper to taste. Right before you serve it, you squeeze fresh lime juice all over the ears. Delicious!
How to Grill Corn on the Cob
There are many different ways to grill corn. You can soak the ears in water. You can leave the husks on or off. You can keep the corn silks or remove them. You can even wrap the individual ears in foil.
We like to keep it pretty simple by removing all of the husks and silks from the corn. Then we generously slather some oil on all sides of the corn and season them with salt and pepper and grill them until they have some beautiful char on the kernels.
Simple but oh so yummy!
This Mexican Grilled Corn recipe is great for groups because you can grill a whole batch of corn and then set up an assembly line to help guests garnish their corn with mayo, cheese, cayenne pepper and lime juice.
Just make sure you pass out plenty of extra napkins because Mexican Grilled Corn isn’t pretty to eat (as in you’ll end up with a mayo- and cheese-smeared face).
But isn’t food so much more satisfying when it’s messy AND delicious??
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Mexican Grilled Corn
A lip-smacking alternative to traditional corn on the cob.
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn, silks and husks removed
- Grapeseed or olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ - ½ cup grated cotija cheese
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Rub corn with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on preheated grill and cook for 12-15 minutes or to desired degree of doneness, turning occasionally.
- Set up an assembly station and spread corn with mayonnaise, sprinkle with cotija cheese and cayenne pepper.
- Serve with lime wedges and squeeze lime juice over corn just before eating.
Notes
Cotija cheese is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese often found in the deli section near feta cheese. Queso fresco is a great substitute. Grated Parmesan cheese can also be used in a pinch.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 earAmount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g
Mmmmm, I LOVE Mexican grilled corn! Seriously, my summer dinners are made of these (along with hot dogs and margaritas... that's basically my entire summer diet right there :)).
Steph, you and I could totally dine together anytime!
This will be the first way I prepare corn this summer. Looks delicious.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Ooo yes. This corn with that gorgonzola butter...love it! My mouth is watering!
Oh Cassie, it was a gluttonous (but delicious) weekend at our house! 🙂
I'm thrilled to be adding this to my Summer Celebrations board on Pinterest. You had me at the mention of Gorgonzola butter!
Thanks, Lois!
Grilled corn is one of my favorite things!! I look forward to trying your recipe!
Grilled corn.....one of my favorite sides on a hot summer day! Can't wait to try it with the cotija cheese!
I saw this recipe and said, "YASSSS!". I'm so excited, it looks so good! And because I love any and all things Mexican, I will be making this asap. That gorgonzola butter though... droolinggg! Great job, love this easy recipe!
This is a summer treat I can't get enough of!
Us too!
I'm obsessed with Cotija cheese, so this is a must make for me!
One of our summer favorites!
This is my kind of recipe - simple and inexpensive. I've not prepared corn with cojita cheese - will have to try this on the 4th.
Enjoy!