Mexican street corn off the cob, also called Mexican corn salad, Mexican street corn in a cup, or elotes off the cob recipe esquites.
This tangy and spicy corn is a great cookout recipe, food for Cinco do Mayo, Taco Tuesday recipes or fiesta recipes, summer corn idea, or any time you’re looking for corn recipes for dinner sides.
MEXICAN STREET CORN OFF THE COB
This is one of our favorite corn recipes for a dinner side dish because it has a quick 15 minute cook time.
I love it as a side dish or eating it alone as a corn salad for lunch, so I always make extras so I can have leftovers for lunch the next day.
You can make easy Mexican street corn recipe off the cob with frozen corn or with fresh corn.
This is an authentic Mexican street corn recipe can be on the cob or off the cob.
When this corn recipe is made as a smoked Mexican street corn salad the elote off the cob name is called esquites instead of elotes. You can get our elotes recipe here.
What is Mexican street corn made of?
That yummy roasted corn and elote seasoning (Mexican corn seasoning) is made up of different spices.
Mexican street corn ingredients:
- Roasted corn
- Butter
- Cotija cheese (the Mexican street corn cheese)
- Mayonnaise
- Lime juice
- Smoked paprika or chili powder or Tajin
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Pepper
RECIPE TIP: I personally like the smoked paprika instead of chili powder for elote and esquite for a more smoky spicy Mexican corn recipe, but Tajin is the traditional Mexican recipe. However, definitely try to get Cotija for your street corn cheese!
Another thing I like about this recipe is that if you make it off the cob like this corn salad recipe, you can make it corn in a cup for easy party foods.
Recipes FAQs and Cooking Tips
What is Mexican Elote?
Mexican elote is a roasted street corn dish, served with a mayonnaise and lime mix and topped with cotija cheese, cilantro, and paprika or chili powder.
This easy street corn recipe is served on the cob (elotes) or cut off the cob (esquites, aka elote off cob).
Definitely add this to your Mexican corn recipes because, trust me, you’ll put this in your monthly meals rotations, whether you need side salads, side dishes, light main dish for summer, or a last minute party dish!
RECIPE TIP: Be sure to use a heavy bottomed pan like this or even a cast iron pan!
What’s the difference between Elotes and Esquites?
What’s the difference between esquites vs elotes?
Both are a Mexican roasted street corn.
Elotes, pronounced eh-loh-tay, is roasted corn on the cob (Mexican street corn on the cob) with a special mayonnaise and cheese toppings.
Esquites, pronounce es-KEE-tehs, (Mexican corn off the cob) is the same recipe, but corn is cut off the cob and it is served in a cup and eaten with a spoon. (It’s the corn in a cup in Spanish.)
If you’re wondering how to cook fresh corn off the cob, using it for elotes street corn is a great way!
More Summer Recipes With Corn / Other Food With Corn Sides
Easy Corn Casserole Recipe (*another favorite corn side dish)
How do you eat Esquites?
Esquites are served warm in a cup with a lime wedge on the side.
The roasted street corn is topped with cheese, chili powder or smoked paprika or Tajin seasoning or hot sauce, cilantro, and lime juice. It is eaten with a spoon right out of the cup.
Elote Mexican corn is served right on the cob with toppings slathered on the elote street corn.
(Elote corn topping is the same for esquites toppings.)
If I’m making it as a dinner side dish, I just serve esquites in a serving bowl with extra lime wedges in case people want to add more lime juice (me, but not my husband).
Is Esquites served hot or cold?
Esquites is mainly served warm in a cup and eaten with a spoon.
However, some people eat this roasted street corn off the cob at room temperature or even cold.
I like equites warm or room temperature.
Queso Fresco vs Cotija Cheese For A Mexican Corn on the Cob Recipe
Ok, let’s talk about street corn cheese because I happen to think that you canNOT skimp on this part. The type of cheese can make or break this recipe, in my opinion.
Is there a special Mexican corn cheese?
The crumbly elote cheese is really what makes a Mexican sweet corn recipe.
The special white cheese in street corn is called Cotija cheese. This is the cheese for both elote corn and esquites corn recipe (aka: cotija cheese corn!).
Mexican Cheese Cotija can sometimes be hard to find in stores, but you can order it online.
Is Cotija cheese the same as queso fresco?
What is Cotija cheese similar to?
Cotija cheese, named after the town in Mexico where it came from, has a bolder, saltier flavor than the more mild queso fresco.
Keep that in mind when making this recipe for Mexican street corn (or any recipe with Cotija cheese) and adjust salt accordingly. You may not want to add extra salt until you taste it with the Cotija cheese.
What can be used instead of Cotija cheese?
If you can’t find Cotija cheese, you can substitute the following for your elote recipe off the cob:
- Queso fresco
- Feta
- Fresh parmesan
- Romano
- Parmigiano Reggiano
You can make Mexican street corn off the cob with parmesan cheese and nothing else if that’s all you have!
RECIPE & READ FOR KIDS – YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CHECK THIS OUT FOR YOUR KIDS TO GO WITH THE ELOTE CORN RECIPE:
Cinco De Mayo History, Facts, Activities and Lessons for Kids
OK!
On to the esquites recipe (how to make elotes in a cup)!
It’s time to stop searching Mexican street corn near me because this is so easy to make you won’t need to buy it again once you learn how to make elote at home / at home equites!
Learning how to make Mexican corn is a simple recipe and a fun recipe to make with kids.
(Don’t miss our recipe and read pairings with this dish after the printable recipe card for Mexican food with corn!)
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN STREET CORN OFF THE COB
Can you make Mexican street corn off the cob frozen corn?
If you’re wondering how do you make Mexican corn that tastes like restaurants, this is it! This is pretty close to the authentic Mexican street corn recipe we’ve had at restaurants!
You can make this corn recipe with fresh corn cut from the cob or frozen corn (as Mexican street corn frozen corn).
However, I really like it better with fresh corn (and it’s easy to cut it right off the corn cob!) and canned corn is a close second for this Mexican sweetcorn recipe.
This skillet Mexican street corn off the cob (elotes recipe off the cob) is great eaten as is as an elote salad (this Mexican corn recipe as a salad is my favorite way!) like a traditional Mexican street corn cup, but some people eat it as a Mexican street corn dip (elote dip recipe) with tortilla chips or a Mexican corn side dish with a main dish.
(It’s yummy those ways, too, especially if you like the Costco street corn dip / easy Mexican corn or an elote casserole!)
If you’re looking for fresh corn side dish recipes, Mexican side dish recipes, or summer salads, add this to your recipe rotation! (I think you’ll be surprised how this street corn recipe easy, so definitely add it to your corn dish recipes!)
Be sure to garnish it with a side of lime, but taste it first before adding. I like the extra lime in fried Mexican corn, but my daughter doesn’t. I really think it’s a personal preference.
Here’s how to make street corn…
RECIPE TIP: There are more recipe tips after this corn Mexican food recipe card, so be sure to scroll down!
Mexican Street Corn (Esquites)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3-4 cups fresh corn cut from cob or frozen corn (about 4-5 fresh corn cobs)*
- 2 tablespoons Hellmann's mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese or queso fresco grated or crumbled
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste**
- Extra crumbled Cotija/queso cilantro, paprika/chili powder for serving
Instructions
- Melt butter in a heavy pan (cast iron is best). Spread corn kernels in a single layer in the pan. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the outsides of the kernels have browned. (Some will have a charred look, but don't let them burn!)
- Spoon corn into large bowl. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, crumbled cheese, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, smoked paprika (or chili powder), and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until combined.
- Pour mayo mixture over roasted corn. Stir to combine completely.
- Sprinkle with extra crumbled cheese, paprika (or chili powder), and cilantro. Serve warm immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Note
Nutrition calculations are approximate. If you're following a special diet, please calculate your own nutrition values.
More Street Corn Recipe Tips
Can make Mexican street corn off the cob without mayo?
You can make Mexican street corn off the cob without mayo by substituting plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
If you want a lighter Mexican street corn or healthy version of street Mexican corn off-cob, try just using avocado oil instead of mayo or yogurt.
I’m not sure what else you would use to make it a creamy Mexican street corn recipe off the cob besides crema or sour cream added to the street corn off the cob to make it Mexican style street corn.
The elote sauce really isn’t a sauce, it comes from the creamy mayonnaise and the melting of the cheese on the hot corn.
If you make it without those, the corn elote will still taste great, it just won’t be as creamy.
How to take corn off the cob…
How To Get Corn Off The Cob
If you are making Mexican grilled corn on the cob (Mexican corn elote), you can just leave it on the cob and put the ingredients on top.
However, if you’re making esquite, then you’ll want to cut the corn off the side of corn cob.
- Stand the fresh corn cob on the end on a cutting board.
- Carefully cut a knife down one side of the corn, being careful not to cut too deep into the corn cob.
- Rotate the corn and do another corn side until all corn sides have been cut off cob.
Then, use the corn cut off the cob for your Mexican seasoned corn or any other Mexican food corn recipe!
ANOTHER GREAT MEXICAN CORN RECIPE: MAKE ELOTES MEXICAN STREET CORN ON THE COB
Recipe and Read: Best Children’s Books About Mexico To Go With The Best Mexican Street Corn Recipe
This elote off the cob recipe is great to pair up with learning about Mexico, Mexican culture, a Cinco de Mayo or Dia De Los Muertos study unit, or a Mexico study unit for kids.
The Mexican corn ingredients are simple enough for children of all ages to help in the recipe step-by-step.
Try these books for reading with children (recipe and read) before making elote corn off the cob and answering what is an elote for kids!
Best children’s books to go with the recipe for Mexican corn (aka: recipe for street corn)…
- Munching On Churros In Mexico: Geography Literacy for Kids
- Off We Go To Mexico!
- Next Stop: Mexico (Time For Kids)
Have you tried Mexican corn on the cob or another elotas? What are your corn recipes Mexican favorites?
This is one of the best Mexican street corn recipes!
Let us know how you enjoy your Mexican street corn off the cob recipe!
Could you make this in a crockpot?
I’ve never made it in the crockpot (pan frying the corn really gives it that roasted flavor). I do have this popular corn crockpot recipe though: https://littlecooksreadingbooks.com/corn-casserole-recipe/
Can this be made ahead of time (minus the toppings) and reheated for serving?
Hi Joanna,
I have reheated it and added more toppings for myself at home, but (it my opinion) it’s definitely best made right before serving. Some people have told me that they eat it cold, too. I really think it’s a personal preference.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it!
I make this every time I grill chicken and poblanos, but I just mix the ingredients right in the cast iron skillet with the charred corn. Fewer dishes always work for me!
Wow! What a great dish! I used fresh Silver Queen sweet corn cut off the cob, and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ann! It’s one of our favorite recipes here!
Made 2nd time tonight. Both times were delicious. This will be a our side for Mexican food night from now on.
Can you make it ahead of time, and then heat it?
Yes! I’ve reheated this and it’s still good. If you’re going to make it ahead, I would wait to put the toppings on until right before serving (cheese, cilantro, etc.)
Some people like to eat this cold, too.
second time making this and it turned out just as good. new fav!!!
Doubled recipe yesterday, it was gone! Delicious!!!!
Yes! I always double this recipe now! LOL. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Would it be ok to keep it warm by keeping it in a crock pot? On low?
Hi Jennifer, I’ve never done this, but it might be hard to keep it on low in the crockpot because of the toppings. (Also, this dish is good at room temperature too!)
I made this last night with fresh corn and it turned out really good. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you tried it Jeanne! Have you tried the Street Corn on the Cob? You may like that one, too! Try it here: https://littlecooksreadingbooks.com/corn-on-the-cob-mexican-style-recipe/
Made this for a potluck and it was a hit. This is a favorite with my family
I’m so glad to hear that, Michelle! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
I do not see where the mayonnaise ingredient is and how much to put in.
Hi,
It’s 2 tablespoons Hellmann’s mayonnaise and step #3 in the recipe instructions is when you add it. Hope this helps!
Made with parmesean cheese. Very good. Would make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I used fresh corn I took off the cob after cooking it in the husks in microwave. I followed the rest of the recipe and it was wonderful!
That’s a great idea, Carla.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!