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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!1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, 4 ears of corn
- Once charred/browned, place into a large bowl then mix in mayo, cotija, paprika, green onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.2 tablespoons mayo, 3 ounces (85 g) cotija cheese, 1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) smoked paprika, 1 green onion stalk, Handful of freshly of chopped parsley, Salt and pepper
- Mix to combine then divide evenly and serve!
I know this is an older recipe but we had something similar to this at a restaurant and after Googling around to find a recipe, this one popped up. It’s delicious! I swapped out Chipotle Mayo for the regular mayo and skipped the paprika. I used frozen corn so it wasn’t quite a crisp as fresh would have been, but hey; it’s January. (haha) Thanks for the details – super easy and tasty!!
I have made this with cream cheese, simply delicious
I am not a big fan of mayo dont mind it as much mixed with stuff but is there something I could substitute? Mexican crema maybe?
yes, that could work i believe
Hi Julie…I realize I am late to the party, but I happened upon your blog for the first time today. There is hope for those who taste soap when they eat cilantro, and I am proof! As a young child, I used to tell my mom that it tasted “like ants smell”. Sounds crazy, I know, and my mom told me so every time I brought it up, but that was the only way I could articulate it at the time because I guess I hadn’t tasted soap before. Later, I made the soap and cilantro taste connection. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I married into a Mexican family. My mother-in-law put cilantro in nearly everything, and I had to eat it to be polite, soapy taste and all. Slowly things tasted less soapy and after a couple of years,I couldn’t taste soap at all. Today, cilantro is my favorite herb! Apparently I carry the gene that makes potentially toxic plants taste bad to prevent me from poisoning myself, but through my mother-in-law’s unintentional desensitization program, my brain has learned that cilantro will not poison me. I wish this technique worked for other foods as well….I’m going on about 40 years of trying to like blue cheese, and it still tastes like soap to me. I guess my brain is trying to keep me from poisoning myself with mold.
Oh wow, that’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing!!
Question: are you supposed to cook the corn on the cob before removing the kernels to char them? Or will they cook and char appropriately in the skillet? Thanks!
they should char appropriately in the skillet!
Can you make this with frozen corn? Fresh corn on cob is not always available.
yes, in the blog post there is a section that talks about this
Can I use pepper jack cheese?
sure
If I do not mayo…would sour cream work ?
It might honestly be far too sour since you would be using quite a bit of it.
I substituted okra and asparagus for the corn (not in season and not available in my local grocery store) and it turned out ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I used an electric skillet and cranked that baby up to max temp (about 450 degrees F) and it’s simply to die for!
I had Mexican Street Corn at California Pizza Kitchen and I fell in love! This recipe is the exact duplicate. Thank you very much! ?
OMG!! This was amazing! Will be making it often! Got rave reviews.