Memorable Quotes:

“A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect.” — Fernand Point

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)

 This Mexican street-style corn gets its flavor from deeply charring fresh ears of corn rather than boiling them. The hot corn is coated with a creamy mixture of mayonnaise and Mexican crema, then finished with Cotija cheese, chile and plenty of fresh lime. The contrast of sweet, blistered corn, creamy dressing, salty cheese and bright lime makes this a terrific summer side dish.

Mexican Street Corn (Elote)


Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8–12 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • ⅓ cup Mexican crema
  • ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
  • 1–2 teaspoons Tajín or ground chile, to taste
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
  • Salt, to taste
  • Wooden sticks, optional

Instructions:

  1. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Do not boil the corn.
  2. Choose one of the following methods for charring the corn:
    • Gas burner: Place the bare ears directly over a medium flame and turn with tongs every minute or two until blistered and charred in patches, about 8–10 minutes.
    • Comal or cast-iron skillet: Heat a dry comal or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Do not add oil. Cook the corn, turning as each side develops color, for about 10–12 minutes.
    • Broiler: Position the corn on the upper oven rack and broil, turning every 4–5 minutes, until well browned and charred in spots.
  3. Don’t try to brown the corn uniformly. You want a combination of golden kernels, blistered kernels and some distinctly blackened patches.
  4. While the corn cooks, combine the mayonnaise and Mexican crema in a small bowl until smooth.
  5. As soon as the corn comes off the heat, spread each ear generously with the mayonnaise-crema mixture.
  6. Sprinkle or roll the coated corn in the crumbled Cotija cheese.
  7. Season with Tajín or ground chile and a little salt.
  8. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing generously over the corn.

Tip:

The char is an important part of this recipe. Don’t remove the corn when it is merely yellow and lightly browned; allow scattered kernels to become quite dark. Bertha recommends dry heat specifically because it develops the toasted flavor that boiling cannot.

The equal amounts of mayonnaise and Mexican crema are also deliberate: the mayonnaise gives the coating body while the crema loosens it enough to spread easily over the hot corn. 

Source: Adapted from Bertha Cooks, “NEVER Put Butter on Corn Again, Try This Old Mexican Street Trick,” YouTube, September 2026. 

For your GB Recipes Index, I’d alphabetize this under M for Mexican Street Corn (Elote). That follows the title-first indexing rule we established and also makes the dish very easy to find.