Of all of the places I have visited, Mexico has my favorite street food. Tamales, tacos, carnitas, taquitos, tortas and ELOTE. So what exactly is elote? It’s the most delicious Mexican street corn – you are going to love it!

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Grilled corn, salty cotija cheese, spicy chili powder and zesty lime juice. How could anyone not love this?

Since this dish only has a few ingredients, having really sweet, tender corn is important. Luckily, I live in an area that has some of the best corn on the cob.

If you are planning a trip to Mexico, check out my post A Guide For Visiting Chichen Itza and Tulum for helpful travel information.

What You Will Need

corn on the cob

cotija or queso fresco cheese

cilantro

lime

mayonnaise

garlic powder

black pepper

kosher salt

chili powder or paprika

Cotija cheese is aged to give it more of a sharp flavor. If you are looking for a more mild taste, make sure to use queso fresco instead!

I like to have a little spice on my elote so I sprinkle with a little chili powder to serve it. For anyone sensitive to heat, try using paprika instead! You will still get that red dash of color without the heat!

How to Make

Pull back the husks of the corn, keeping them attached. Remove all silks.

Boil the corn for two minutes before grilling. Place the ears of corn vertically into your pot, keeping the husks out of the water.

Grill the corn using a outdoor grill or by using a grill pan. Rotate the corn on grill until there are charred kernels on all sides.

Make the aioli by combing the mayonnaise, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Break apart the cotija cheese with a fork until it is in small crumbles. Spread out on a dinner plate or shallow dish that will allow you to easily roll the ears of corn in the cheese.

To serve, spread aioli on all sides of each ear of corn. Roll each ear of corn in the crumbled cotija cheese and then sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Finish with a dusting of chili powder (or substitute paprika if you want a less spicy version). Serve with a wedge of lime.

For another delicious Mexican style appetizer, try my Mexican Shrimp Cocktail recipe.

This dish can easily be made into a salad by cutting the kernels off of the cob after grilling. Alternatively, you could grill frozen sweet corn kernels in a grill pan.

Once many of the kernels are slightly charred, transfer them into a large mixing bowl. Add the aioli and half of the cotija cheese. Stir until the kernels are coated. Place in serving bowl and top with remaining cotija, cilantro and a dusting of chili powder. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Enjoy!