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This Mexican street corn off the cob reminds me of Anthony Bourdain’s ability to transport you to another country and to try something new.
I’ve never met the guy but I did watch a lot of his shows and his storytelling was captivating. It transported you to each location and I felt that after each episode, I yearned for more and I had a desire to travel.
If I were to sort out my feelings over his passing years ago, I think he was an inspiration to me. Traveling for food, learning about one’s culture through food — that is what inspires me to travel and that is what Anthony did.
He literally went to every country with no judgement and truly wanted to learn.
I hope we all learn from this tragic event and carry on his spirit by exploring the world, being bold with food, and knowing to seek out help when you need it or reaching out to someone if you think they need it.
Thoughts on my Mexican street corn recipe
I have been pining to make this Mexican street corn off the cob recipe since last year.
I LOVE Mexican street corn but is there anything more awkward than eating an entire fresh corn on the cob at the table with your friends? Haha
I mean, I know it’s totally fine but I really hate it because 1. it’s messy, you end up with so much cotija cheese and other ingredients on your face, and 2. you get so much stuck between your teeth that if you don’t carry floss or toothpicks with you, it can get real annoying!
There are some restaurants apparently that if you ask, they will cut the corn off the cob for you when you order Mexican street corn.
So that got me thinking…then why not just make the entire dish IN a bowl OFF the cob in the first place?!
Well, that is exactly what I did and I could’ve eaten this ENTIRE bowl of Mexican street corn, or as they say in Spanish, elote!
I loved this elote recipe so much that I created another variation – my poblano Mexican street corn off the cob AND a Mexican street corn kale salad.
Who would’ve thought taking ears of corn and cutting it off the cob would yield such an incredibly easy to make and loads of flavor dish?
The best part? Your face won’t be covered in cotija cheese, mayo, or corn.
However, I guess if you are all about the experience, you could make this on the cob too but I like taking ears of corn and shaving off the corn kernels into a big bowl (or small bowl if you’re saving some to snack on later) because it’s easier to divide up and share as a side dish!
How to make Mexican street corn (elote) off the cob
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Butter
- Ears of corn or corn kernels
- Mayo
- Cotija cheese (or try queso fresco if you can’t find cotija cheese)
- Green onion
- Parsley or fresh cilantro (cilantro tastes like soap to me so that’s why I always use parsley)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Prepare the corn kernels. You’ll want to either grill the ears of corn or cut off the corn kernels and char it in the skillet with some butter. They kind of spit and pop at you when they get hot (kind of like popcorn!) so just be careful.
Combine ingredients in a large/small bowl. Once the corn kernels are cooked/charred, add them to a bowl and mix in the mayo, cotija cheese, smoked paprika, green onion, and parsley (or fresh cilantro). Don’t forget salt and pepper, to taste! Stir together to incorporate everything.
Enjoy. Divide and enjoy your street corn…in a bowl!
Can I use frozen corn kernels?
Yes, just thaw it and make sure it’s warm (microwave or stovetop).
Can I grill the corn on the cob first?
Yes! That’d be so good.
I can’t find cotija cheese
You can use feta or queso fresco!
I don’t like cilantro
Friend, neither do I.
I think it tastes like soap.
You can sub parsley!
Can I use vegan mayo?
You can use whatever mayo you want.
Should this be served warm or cold?
You can do either but it’s best warm!
How does this keep?
You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
I think this is best eaten as quickly as possible and I’m sure you won’t have trouble with that!
This Mexican street corn would be great to serve with a summer panzanella, grilled lime butter shrimp, or these grilled chicken kebobs!
If you’re looking for another version of this Mexican street corn off the cob, try this smoky poblano Mexican street corn off the cob!!
Mexican Street Corn off the Cob
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
- 4 ears of corn, shucked and kernels removed (about 3–4 cups depending on how large your corn is)
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 3 ounces (85 g) cotija cheese, freshly grated or crumbled
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 green onion stalk, finely chopped
- Handful of freshly of chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat then add the corn kernels. Spread in an even layer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until exterior is charred/browned, stirring frequently. Be careful of the popping action of the heated kernels!
- Once charred/browned, place into a large bowl then mix in mayo, cotija, paprika, green onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Mix to combine then divide evenly and serve!
I made this recipe last night and it was wonderful! Everyone loved it. It was easy to put together and had great flavors. I did not have cojita, so I subbed for the recommended feta, and WOW. So good! Thanks for a wonderful recipe Julie!
Thank you!!! It’s one of our favorites!!
This was awesome! I had to double the recipe for our crowd and I used cilantro because we like that flavor. I also squeezed 1/2 a lime in and I believe that the entire dish was inhaled somehow! We will definitely make this again!
Yum!! We love this one too.
How many people did your dish serve when you doubled the recipe?
When doubling the recipe, it will serve 8. One ear of corn per person is the basis for # of servings.
Within the recipe, look just above the “ingredients list” to locate the “recipe calculator” to enter the specific amount of servings you wish to prepare (or also include leftover servings; which, I recommend). You will notice: the amount of servings = the ears of corn used. The amount of other ingredients change, as well.
Pay attention to the NOTE that changing the AMOUNT of servings AFFECTS the cooking time; which you will calculate by the color of the corn as mentioned in the instructions.
Sounds wonderful. I love corn!
Your dish looks amazing i am going out on a limb i am willing yo mix the corn with hominey since they are related and i just bet the flavor will be amazing.
Ooo yes, hominy would be amazing in this too! I LOVE hominy!
I just made this to go with fajitas and black beans for our Fajita Friday. It smells SO GOOD!! We can’t wait to dig in to it!
Yum!! That sounds like a great pairing!
So excited to try this. Growing up my best friends grandpa would make Mexican street corn. For the picky eaters he would use the parmesan cheese in the shaker. I love it both ways but will probably make it using parmesan tonight due to living in an area that charges a kidney for cojita.
Enjoy! bummer about the cotija though!!
I saw this recipe on Dr Oz a few yrs ago but it was on the cob. I didnt catch the name of cheese so I used monteray jack shredded. And it was great! I cut it off the cob after dressing it and it was delish as well.
I made this today and swapped out the cotija for goat cheese and the parsley for cilantro. (just what was available to me) AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!
thank you
Yay! Yes, cilantro is PERFECT in this dish but since cilantro tastes like soap to me (darn genes!), I usually sub in parsley for anything that uses cilantro.
This sounds and looks amazing! Any substitute for the cotija cheese. This is something not readily available in Portugal. Thx :)
Do you guys have feta over there?
I don’t think it’s silly at all to mourn a celebrity’s death. You feel like you get to know someone, even if you didn’t get to know them in person. I so hear you!
Thanks :)
I love corn but I haven’t found eating corn on the cob enjoyable since I had braces as a kid. I am one of the few people who hasn’t been able to enjoy Mexican Corn on the Cob for that very reason so this is the perfect solution. I can’t wait to whip this up for dinner one night with a grilled steak or chicken. I’m excited!
I hope you enjoy!!