Elote, also known as Mexican street corn, is a crowd favorite that began being sold in the streets of Mexico during festivals. When served on the street, Elote is usually served on a stick or in cups. In those cups, the roasted corn is seasoned with an aromatic blend of spices, mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija cheese, and topped with fresh cilantro.
Elote is creamy and rich in flavor and mostly enjoyed when it is freshly squeezed with lime juice and sprinkled with chili lime salt. When serving this dish to a crowd the cup tends to disappear fast!
Mexican street corn is a side dish that can be enjoyed in summer months while outside barbecuing. The savory sweet flavor goes great with Mexican street tacos or grilled chicken tacos.
A few Mexican inspired main dishes that serve well with this corn are.
- Enchiladas
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Tostada
Recipe Highlights
- This elote recipe features canned corn so it’s easy to make on the stove. No messy corn-on-the-cob to husk or outdoor grills to fire up.
- Save time when you’re ready to assemble the corn cups by preparing the “dressing” beforehand. You can also chop the cilantro and slice the lime ahead of time.
- This popular Mexican side dish is a great way to use fresh cilantro from the garden.
- Recipe yields 6 individual elote (Mexican street corn) cups.
Tips for Making Elote with Canned Corn
One of the most convient ways to cook fresh corn on the cob is by grilling.
Mexican corn is a popular summer side dish that is known for being roasted over an open pit and topped with a creamy “dressing” sprinkled with a Mexican blend of spices. When served Elote is usually made using fresh corn on the cob.
However, Elote can still be enjoyed using canned or frozen corn and the taste is similar when being compared to grilled corn.
If using frozen corn, make sure to defrost your corn by placing the bag in a bowl of warm water. Drain any liquid from corn and once thawed, add to your pan with no oil or butter.
Mexican Corn seasoning: If you make foods like chili or tacos often you should have most of these seasonings on-hand. Authentic Mexican corn is made using cumin, chili powder, and chili lime salt. To have your canned corn taste similar to this festival food, add a hint of chipotle powder, and top with lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Canned Corn or Frozen Corn
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream (I recommend Playero)
- Cotija Cheese or Parmesan Cheese
- Chili Lime Salt (I recommend Tajin)
- Chili Powder
- Fresh Chopped Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Juice
Playero: I highly recommend using Playero as part of your sour cream mixture when making this Mexican street corn. This brand of sour cream can be found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores or you can order this product online.
The difference between American sour cream and this Mexican sour cream in taste is that the Mexican style sour cream is thinner in texture and rich in flavor.
Playero has changed the way I enjoy Elote forever. You have got to get your hands on this product and see for yourself.
This dish is best served with Cotija cheese, but if you cannot find Cotija cheese at your local grocery store, this meal can still be made using a cheese substitute that is similar in taste.
What is Cotija Cheese?
Cotija cheese is an aged grated cheese blend that is best compared to Parmesan cheese. The difference between the taste of grated Parmesan cheese and Cotija cheese is that Cotija cheese has a slightly creamier texture packed with a rich taste when compared to Parmesan cheese.
You absolutely can use Parmesan cheese if that’s what you have on-hand, some people even use Crumbled feta cheese. However, I find that when cooking this Mexican style corn on the cob, Cotija cheese is the best brand of cheese you can use if you want that authentic taste straight from Mexico.
When making Elote, it’s usually made with fresh corn on the cob cooked on a grill. But what if you do not have access to a grill? If you are looking for that roasted taste, you may pan- grill your corn.
What is Pan-Grilled?
Pan- Grilled is a method of cooking with a pan on a stove top.
For this recipe, it’s how we’re going to give the canned corn a fire-roasted grilled taste.
When pan-grilling corn all you need to do is add it to a hot skillet with a little melted butter.
Don’t add any liquid. The goal is to get a caramelized taste.
You may also use frozen corn, but it needs to be thawed and patted dry with a paper towel before grilling.
In my opinion, canned corn produces a better result and is crisper than thawed frozen corn kernels.
Assembling Mexican Canned Corn in a Cup
To save time, you can prepare the mayo/sour cream mixture and chop the fresh cilantro ahead of time.
Once the corn is cooked here is what you do.
- Combine the grilled canned corn with the mayo/sour cream mixture. If you prefer, you can serve the corn with a scoop of the sauce on top instead of mixed in.
- Place the canned corn into clear cups.
- Layer on the cotija cheese, chili powder and chili lime salt.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.
- Be sure and squeeze some lime juice on before eating.
For more Mexican-inspired corn recipes, check out Elote with Hot Cheetos (Cheelotes) and Mexican Corn on the Cob.
Elote with Canned Corn
Easy recipe for authentic Mexican street corn. This elote tastes just as if it was freshly grilled and can be cooked all from the convenience of your kitchen. The best part about this dish is you can use canned or frozen corn.
Ingredients
- 3 canned corn, 11 oz. each
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3/4 cup cotija cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili lime salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Drain canned corn.
- Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add single layer of corn to skillet and grill for 3-4 minutes until corn begins to turn golden brown. Depending on size of skillet, you made need to repeat this process. Divide butter if corn is grilled in multiple turns.
- Allow corn to cool. Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl. Chop cilantro, slice lime into six wedges. Set aside.
- Once the canned corn has cooled stir the mayonnaise/sour cream sauce into it.
- Assemble the Mexican Street Corn in a cup by evenly dividing corn into six cups. Top the elote with cotija cheese, chili powder, chili lime salt and cilantro. Garnish each cup with a fresh lime wedge.
Notes
Assembling Elote with Canned Corn
- Elote Mexican Street Corn can be prepared and served as directed in the recipe or served with toppings on the side.
- To enjoy all the flavors throughout, the canned corn and toppings can be layered into the cups.
- Optional Toppings: Crushed hot Cheetos or hot sauce
- Mild Variation: Mild Cheetos
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 199Total Fat: 8.04gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 11.8mgSodium: 676.56mgCarbohydrates: 31.02gFiber: 3.28gSugar: 5.90gProtein: 5.93g
I’m so glad you loved this elote with canned corn recipe as much as my family did. 🙂
Made this recipe and it was delicious!