Mexican street corn recipes give you endless options for weeknight dinners and holiday parties!
Mexican street corn, or elote, has become a classic side dish or appetizer. With roasted corn, mayo, sour cream, spices, and cheese, it’s not hard to see why the recipe concept has become so popular. Mexican street corn is fabulous in summer with fresh corn, but frozen corn works well, too.
There are so many ways to use Mexican street corn. It makes a great side dish or appetizer on its own, either with the corn on or off the cob. Mexican street corn tastes amazing as a topping or addition to pasta, soup, tacos, enchiladas, salad, chicken, and much more.
There are lots of easy recipe options for weeknight dinners as well as fun appetizers, dips, and spreads for game day, birthday parties, holiday gatherings, and other special occasions.
Mexican Street Corn Recipes
Corn on the cob
Cooking with Mima’s corn on the cob Mexican street corn is one of the easiest ways to enjoy this classic recipe. Grill your buttered ears of corn on the cob and then top them with the Mexican street corn mixture, which you can prepare in advance.
Corn off the cob
Preparing Mexican street corn with the kernels off the cob is more time intensive if you’re using fresh corn but less messy to eat and more versatile, as you can easily put the leftovers in tacos, burritos, and wraps or on chicken or steak. Frozen corn works well, too.
Dessert Now Dinner Later’s Mexican street corn off the cob recipe gives you the full instructions for cooking the corn kernels and then adding the Mexican street corn ingredients.
“Ribs”
Served from Scratch’s Mexican street corn “ribs” are pieces of corn cut off the cob into quarters or eighths. When you grill, fry, or bake them, they curl up a little bit, making them resemble ribs. They’re everything that you want from corn on the cob but with less mess. She shares her best tips for cutting corn “ribs” quickly and easily and her favorite Mexican street corn topping for them.
Pasta
Midwest Foodie’s Mexican street corn pasta salad will quickly become a go-to dish for summer gatherings. Most likely, you have a lot of the ingredients in your pantry already, and it comes together in just 20 minutes.
Mexican street corn is also a great add-in for a hot pasta dish! Served from Scratch’s Mexican street corn skillet pasta is creamy and packed with flavor and comes together in just 30 minutes.
Quinoa salad
Substituting quinoa for pasta is an easy way to switch up this dish. The Beach House Kitchen’s quinoa Mexican street corn salad is zesty and packed with protein.
Kale salad
Eating Bird Food’s Mexican street corn kale salad turns elotes into a full-size meal. The salad has shredded kale, grilled chicken, avocado, and tortilla chips.
Potato salad
Three Olives Branch’s Mexican street corn potato salad is another great option for summer gatherings. The recipe can be made in advance and easily doubled for a crowd.
Dip
Mexican street corn is fabulous on its own as a dip for pitas, chips, and crackers. Mexican street corn dip tastes great hot or cold. If you love the dip hot, make it in a skillet and add extra cheese.
I’m linking Joyful Healthy Eats’ Mexican street corn dip. There are tons of variations out there. Over time, you’ll figure out your own preferred ingredients and measurements.
Guacamole
Celebrating Sweets’ Mexican street corn guacamole is everything that you love about both of these recipes. It has avocado, fire-roasted corn, sour cream, lime, and cojita cheese. You’ve never had guacamole with so much flavor and texture.
Hummus
Mexican street corn is a great addition to hummus or another bean dip of your choosing. Three Olives Branch’s Mexican street corn hummus is so easy to make and is an ideal appetizer or snack.
Grilled cheese
If you’re going to trash up grilled cheese, How Sweet Eats’ grilled street corn grilled cheese is the way to go. It has charred corn with melted cheddar on toasted bread with cilantro lime butter, chili lime seasoning, and cojita cheese.
Brussels sprouts
If you have family members who don’t love Brussels sprouts, Dash of Mandi’s Mexican street corn Brussels sprouts may change their minds. Roast or air fry your Brussels sprouts for the best flavor and then toss them with traditional Mexican street corn ingredients. It will quickly become your new favorite side dish.
Zucchini
When you have lots of zucchini from the garden, make Closet Cooking’s Mexican street corn-style grilled zucchini. Instead of coating corn in the Mexican toppings, you’re coating zucchini in it.
Nachos
Damn Delicious’s Mexican street corn nachos make nacho night an instant winner for the whole family. It’s also an ideal game day appetizer or snack.
Tacos
I’m sharing a couple of Mexican street corn taco recipes to add to your Taco Tuesday rotation. Tacos are so easy to customize with different meats, tortillas, and add-ins.
Platings and Pairings’ Mexican street corn tacos take chicken tacos to a whole new level. The key is to season the chicken well before cooking it.
Shrimp tacos
Our Balanced Bowl’s shrimp and street corn tacos will become your new favorite summer dinner. Load creamy Mexican street corn in a charred tortilla and top it with spicy shrimp.
Tostadas
Our Balanced Bowl’s Mexican street corn tostadas are the ultimate weeknight dinner. Homemade shells, refried beans, and Mexican street corn give the tostadas so much protein and flavor.
Quesadillas
Tao of Spice’s Mexican street corn quesadillas are a hearty vegetarian dish that’s perfect for a busy weeknight. They’re loaded with cheese and your favorite Mexican street corn ingredients and topped with a creamy chipotle sauce.
Empanadas
Take Two Tapas’ Mexican street corn empanadas give you all of the flavors you love of Mexican street corn without the mess. The crust is so flaky, and the filling is flavorful and creamy.
Enchiladas
Cooks Well With Others’ Mexican street corn enchiladas have everything delicious about street corn in cheesy chicken enchiladas. It’s a great recipe to prep in advance and then bake when you’re ready to eat.
Burrito bowls
Jessica in the Kitchen’s Mexican street corn burrito bowls are an easy healthy alternative to regular burritos that have so much flavor. It’s an ideal recipe for lunch or dinner meal prep.
Soup
Oh Sweet Basil’s Mexican street corn soup has a creamy broth packed with sweet corn, roasted chicken, and subtle spices. Finish it with your favorite Mexican street corn toppings.
Chowder or chili
If you want a thicker chowder or chili, opt for Chelsea’s Messy Apron’s Mexican street corn chowder. It’s bulked up with a few more ingredients. Making it in the slow cooker allows the broth to get thicker and more flavorful.
Chicken
Mexican street corn is an easy, flavorful topping for grilled, baked, or pan-fried chicken, steak, or seafood. Easy Family Recipes keeps it simple with a baked Mexican street corn chicken recipe.
Pizza/flatbread
How Sweet Eats’ chili lime chicken street corn pizza is topped with chili lime-spiced chicken, jalapeño peppers, cojita cheese, and fresh lime. It’s crispy with plenty of melted cheese and a drizzle of lime crema to cut the heat.
Fritters
Eat Like Men’s Mexican street corn fritters are a chunky, savory pancake with lots of cheese and a little jalapeño heat. Top them with sour cream, green onion, and cilantro.
Stuffed/loaded sweet potatoes
Chelsea’s Messy Apron’s loaded Mexican street corn sweet potatoes have green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, lime, and Mexican cheese, all finished with a creamy sauce. When you’re making Mexican street corn, prepare a double batch, so you’re able to make these sweet potatoes for an easy dinner on another night.
If you’re looking for more healthy sweet potato dinner ideas, I have an entire round-up of stuffed sweet potato recipes.
Deviled eggs
Isabel Eats’ Mexican street corn deviled eggs are a fun twist on classic deviled eggs. The filling has egg yolks, mayo, cojita cheese, chili powder, chipotle powder, and sautéed corn.
Hot dogs
Street corn takes grilled hot dogs to a whole new level. Spices in my DNA’s Mexican street corn hot dogs are loaded with Mexican street corn and topped with a sriracha mayo drizzle.
Corn dogs
Jonathan Melendez’s Mexican street corn corn dogs are the ultimate summer party food. Making your own corn dogs from scratch will spoil you for life.
Burgers
The Wooden Skillet’s Mexican street corn burger is topped with lettuce, cheese, avocado, and Mexican street corn salad. Put it in your grilling rotation for the summer.
Loaded fries/sweet potato fries
Domestically Blissful’s loaded Mexican street corn fries are so easy to make with a base of crispy fries and melted cheese, topped with roasted corn, cilantro cream sauce, and fresh lime juice.
The loaded fries concept is also great with sweet potatoes! Britney Breaks Bread’s Mexican street corn sweet potato fries are topped with lime crema, cojita cheese, and cilantro.
Coleslaw
Mexican street corn is an ideal add-in for coleslaw. Jo Cook’s Mexican street corn slaw is a smoky, creamy dish with sweet charred corn and feta cheese. It will quickly become your new favorite side dish.
Macaroni and cheese
Midwest Foodie’s Mexican street corn macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It comes together in 20 minutes in one pot.
Did you make one or more of the Mexican street corn recipes in this post?
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