Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

The Origin of… “Nacho Corn” (My spinoff name for Elotes)

That sounds like a villain origin story. But don’t worry, this corn is the hero to your hungry appetite! We’ve all seen this unforgettable scene from the movie Nacho Libre, if not, then you need to watch it now! I almost died laughing during this scene as such beautiful looking corn were smacked to the dirt floor… that will forever be a staple memory in my younger days. To be honest, I would probably still eat that corn off of the floor. That’s how good it is. I’ve had Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn) a few times in Mexico and have never been able to find any authentically made Elotes here in the states. After I watched this movie (about 14 years ago), my dad and I had become inspired to make our first homemade Elotes, and we called it… Nacho Corn.

We dedicated our inspiration to the movie, which motivated us to make it for the first time. My dad, being from Mexico, knew exactly what to do. He taught me how to create this dish he so thoroughly enjoyed as a kid. In fact, Mexican culture inspires many of Craving Yummy’s recipes. The tangy, sour tartness of the Crema mixture (Mayonnaise, Sour Cream and Chile Powder with Lime) combines perfectly to spark and explosion of flavor in your mouth! The bold saltiness of the Cotija Cheese, plus the charred sweetness of the grilled Corn fit together better than a game of Tetris! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

What are Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)?

Elotes are a very popular street food in Mexico. You can find them in most street vendor’s carts and are very common as a late night snack because of how easy they are to make. Elotes have a long and beautiful history in Mexico. The word Elote comes from the Nahuatl language (from the ancient Aztec and Toltec civilizations) meaning corn. Simple as that, almost as simple as this recipe!

You can make Elotes in multiple ways. My personal favorite, is Grilled Elotes. They are super easy on the grill and it brings out the natural sweetness of the corn, plus I love the charred flavor that the grill adds! It is very hard to find authentic Elotes (Mexican Street Corn) in the U.S. Thankfully, we can take one step closer to Mexico with this tasty recipe! Easy on the Grill Elotes (Mexican Street Corn) is one of the recipes that started my food fascination. Its simple, delicious and a little messy! (The best foods are messy, you just have to lick your fingers after eating!)

How to make Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

It’s cheesy, tangy, sweet and creamy! Who wouldn’t want to make this?

Making the Sauce

Grab your Mayonnaise and Mexican Crema (Sour Cream), mix that together with a squeeze of lime. Add some minced Garlic, Black Pepper, a pinch of Salt and most importantly… Tajin (or any Chile powder).

Grill your Elotes

Remove the husk from your corn. I find that 4-6 ears of corn work best with this recipe. I’m using a gas grill, so make sure to preheat your grill on high heat. If you are adding wooden skewers to your corn, make sure to soak them in water for about 5-10 minutes before placing them on the grill with your corn, so that they don’t burn. Grill your elotes until they develop a beautiful char, just enough to give them a sweet aroma. It should take about 8-10 minutes.

Spread that Cream Sauce on!

Last step! Spread on the cream sauce, coat it in some crumbled Cotija Cheese, and enjoy!