Authentic Elote Recipe: How to Make Grilled Mexican Corn in a Cup

This authentic elote recipe might the best corn recipe ever. The natural sweetness of the corn, creamy mayonnaise, savory cheese, fiery hot sauce, a burst of sour lime, and Smokey chilies combine to create a rich flavor that will make you wanting for more. It’s an acquired taste for those of you who never had this Mexican dish before.

Elote is a hassle-free recipe that you can make yourself at home. Suppose you dislike eating corn on the cob. In that case, the authentic elote recipe in a cup below could be your easy way to go whenever you are craving this Mexican street food.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of frozen corn
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• ¼ cup of mayonnaise
• ¼ cup of sour cream
• ½ tsp of sriracha sauce, to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Lime salt, to taste (optional)
• ½ cup of queso fresco or cotija cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup of cilantro
• Chili powder
• 1 lime, cut into small wedges

Cooking Instructions:

1. To make an authentic elote recipe, you first need to pour 1 cup water and add 2 tablespoons of sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the corn when the water is boiling, then cover with a lid. Simmer the corn for 3 to 5 minutes until all the corn is tender enough or evenly cooked.
2. While waiting for the corn to simmer, mix sour cream, mayonnaise, kosher salt, lime salt, and sriracha sauce in a small-sized bowl. Drain the water and return the corn to the saucepan after it is finished cooking. Let it cool for approximately 3 minutes. Add the mixture of mayonnaise and sriracha to the corn and mix them until well combined. Divide the elote into four separate cups. Top them with cilantro, queso fresco, a bit of chile powder, and a wedge of lime. Elote cup is ready to serve.

Notes:

Cotija cheese is a traditional cheese commonly used to make elote in Mexico. However, this type of cheese is not widely available in regular grocery stores. As an alternative, use queso fresco instead. To minimize the efforts, it’s advised to use canned or frozen corn. Yet, you may also use fresh corn on the cob; it’s all up to your likings. To add more taste to this authentic elote recipe, you may add some ingredients, such as chopped jalapeno peppers, sautéed onion, cherry tomatoes, or grilled zucchini.