Mexican Street Corn
My Mexican Street Corn features a tangy sauce and crumbly cotija cheese sprinkled with just the right amount of spice. This is the best corn I've ever tried!
Serve with tacos, Doritos Casserole, and carne asada fries fries for a true fiesta.
I love enjoying fresh sweet corn from the farmer's market in the summer. Usually, I just eat it with a little bit of butter and salt. However, this Mexican street corn recipe is my new favorite! It features creamy sauce, crumbly cheese, and a hint of spice. My mouth is watering just writing this post. You need to try it before the end of summer. Fun Variation: You can also serve this recipe off the cob (also called esquites) like I did in my street corn salad. It is perfect for lazy weeknight dinners, picnics, and BBQs. It's equally at home besides Mexican favorites and grilled meats like burnt ends.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Corn: Fresh corn will taste best. However, if it is out of season, frozen can be substituted.
- Mayonnaise: If you're not a fan, you can use sour cream or Mexican Crema instead. However, I find mayo provides better flavor and helps the cheese stick better. Avoid Miracle Whip, which is too sweet for this recipe.
- Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed. It has more flavor and less acid than squeeze bottles. To get the most juice out of your lime, roll it on the counter and microwave it for 20-30 seconds.
- Cilantro: Measure before chopping.
- Cotija Cheese: It has a strong salty flavor and doesn't melt easily, which is perfect for this recipe. If you can't find it, queso fresco has the same texture but a slightly milder flavor. Feta or parmesan can also be used, but they have a slightly different flavor.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn
- Cook Corn: Cook corn in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Or grill for 3-5 minutes per side over medium heat.
- Make the sauce: Combine garlic powder and mayonnaise. Brush over corn.
- Top: Top with chili powder, cheese, and cilantro.
FAQs
Grilled corn is done when the husk is charred. You can also peel back the husk to check. The kernels would be plump and squirt milk when cooked through.
If you are among the 14% of the population who think cilantro tastes soapy, parsley can be used instead. You could also use chives if you prefer a mild onion flavor.
️Tips and Tricks️
- Storage: Don't remove your corn from the husk until you're ready to use it, or it may dry out. Store in the husk in the fridge for up to days before cooking.
- Make husking corn easier: Microwave for around 1 minute.
- Use a silicone basting brush or a pastry brush to easily coat your corn.
- Easy Eating: Serve with a metal or bamboo skewer for easy eating while mingling.
Corn Buying Tips
When buying fresh corn, I like to go to my local farmers' market. Look for corn with a bright green husk and a pale yellow tassel. Also, look at the spot where the corn was removed from the plant. It should be pale, not brown.
More Corn Recipes To Try This Summer
📖 Recipe
Easy Mexican Street Corn
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Ingredients
- 6 Ears Fresh Sweet Corn
- 6 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Cup Cotija Cheese Crumbled
- ⅓ Cup Fresh Cilantro Roughly Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
- 2 Limes Quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place corn in husks directly on the oven rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until fork tender.
- You can also grill over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side.
- While corn is cooking, in a small bowl combine garlic powder and mayonnaise.
- When corn is done brush with garlic mayo. Roll in cotija cheese.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and chili powder.
- Squeeze with fresh lime juice if desired.
Notes
- Corn: Fresh corn will taste best. However, if it is out of season, frozen can be substituted.
- Mayonnaise: If you're not a fan, you can use sour cream or Mexican Crema instead. However, I find mayo provides better flavor and helps the cheese stick better. Avoid Miracle Whip, which is too sweet for this recipe.
- Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed. It has more flavor and less acid than squeeze bottles.
- Cilantro: Measure before chopping. You can also use parsley.
- Cojita: Look for it in the specialty chees section. You can also use queso fresco, feta, or even parmesean.
- Corn Buying Tips: When buying fresh corn, I like to go to my local farmers' market. Look for corn with a bright green husk and a pale yellow tassel. Also, look at the spot where the corn was removed from the plant. It should be pale, not brown.
- Storage: Don't remove your corn from the husk until you're ready to use it, or it may dry out. Store in the husk in the fridge for up to days before cooking.
- Make husking corn easier: Microwave for around 1 minute.
- Use a silicone basting brush or a pastry brush to coat your corn easily.
- Easy Eating: Serve with a metal or bamboo skewer for easy eating while mingling.
Nutrition
The chipotle powder gave it such a smoky and spicy kick! Mexican corn is so delicious. This recipe was easy and very tasty!
My family loved this!
This is a really good recipe! I made grilled steak tacos this weekend and paired them with this corn. Perfection.
in the section ,'storing the corn", there's no number in front of the amount of days to keep in the refrigerator
Hi Dee!
I'd keep it for up to 3 days.
Really good recipe! It's difficult to find cotija cheese in my city so I had to use feta, which obviously was not the same. Would recommend!
Yay glad you like it. Thanks for the substitution idea. I have trouble finding it here too 🙁 Hooray for small-town living.
I think it's funny how some people think that they have a recipe for Mexican Street Corn, or try to "American-fy", or "Gringo-fy". LOL! As a Mexican-American myself, it's just roasted charred corn (preferably on a grill), and you add your toppings,
(for TRUE AUTHENTIC MEXICAN STREET CORN) such as Mayonnaise ,butter, lemon juice, Chamoy, Chile Rojo, Tajin, Queso Mexicano, parmesan cheese, Valentina Chile. THERE ARE NO EXACT MEASUREMENTS, and add your toppings to your hearts content. At least, that's how us Mexcians do it. 🙂
Hi Mary!
Thanks for sharing your tips!
As a “gringo” myself, I like to try new and different things I can’t find where I live. Any recipe I’ve seen for this is very similar to this. I find it strange that we either get hate for not appreciating other cultures or hated for trying to. I also find it strange that you intentionally looked up a recipe just to comment how ridiculous you think it is. Sometimes its best to think before you speak... or type
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me Jamie I appreciate you! 🙂
Hi I have a question about baking the corn with the husk on. So before you bake the corn do you take. away the hair/strands or do you bake it with all the hair and the outside which is the husk on?
Great question Lonetta!
Bake with the husk (and silk on). Baking will actually help everything slide off super easily and cleanly.
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Street Corn: From my lips to my hips. Marvelous darling, but dangerous.
LOL I like that saying. At least it is a vegetable right!? 🙂
To speed this recipe up, try cooking the corn in the microwave (on a microwave safe plate) for 3 minutes per ear (2 ears - 6 mins, 3 ears-9 mins, etc.) Leave the husks on and trim the silk on the end and extra stem. The steam will cause the husk & silk to peel right off.
Great tip thanks so much for sharing Gene! 🙂
Can I use frozen corn?
Yes that should be fine!
I just made this corn and its sooooooo good!! THANK YOU!!
So glad you enjoyed it Ericka! 😀
Wow! That looks indulgent in the best possible way. I think I'll be making this on Father's Day. Thanks for sharing a cool idea.
Thanks Lauren! I bet this could be adapted for the grill, with no problem!
Oh boy this looks incredible. I have been trying to add some new sides to my meal plan and this is just perfect, my family is going to love this!
Thanks Stephanie, let me know what you think!
These look delish! The blueberry mojitos sound perfect with this!
Oooh I like how you think cheer Mary Frances! 😉