Mexican Street Corn - Roasted Elote with a Twist
Corn is just one of those simple foods that everyone loves. It always tastes delicious, whether it is boiled, baked, grilled, or fire roasted, corn is just plan yummy! You can butter it, cover it in cheese, put it in a soup, mix it in your chili, or even put it in a salsa. The versatility of corn with its fun texture, and hint of sweetness gives it a green light for most families.
I was first introduced to 'Elote' when I was in San Diego. As a kid we would have ice cream trucks that would come around after school and you would buy candy or a snow cone. Either way it was awesome. And then I moved to an area that had a larger representation of Hispanics and I discovered a Mexican ice cream truck. They had all the hot chips, chili candies, Lucas, Pelon Pelo Rico - Tamarind candy, and my absolute favorite Vero Rebanaditas/Risandias, which are spicy watermelon lollipops! They are so so so delicious!
Bring this dish to a potluck. Others will find it to be unique and delicious, all while experiencing the flavor of another culture!
The teaching moment and recommendations for this recipe are pretty simple. You can always grill this corn instead of roasting it on a cast iron. I probably would have done that but I do not have a grill. Replace your mayonnaise with crème fraiche or non fat Greek yogurt. Make this as spicy as you like by adding in diced hot peppers such as jalapenos, serranoes, habaneros, or ghost peppers if you want to really feel the pain! Also, do not fear the salt, it will enhance the sweetness of the corn and the buttery chili spicing!
Recommendations for this recipe is to either eat it as an appetizer just like salsa. Serve it with some chips and scoop the bowl clean. Or you can serve it as a side with a few of our other recipes...
Mexican Chicken and Chayote Enchiladas in Red Sauce
Mexican Red Rice, or
And of course, you can always finish it off with a delicious slice of our traditional Mexican dessert, Flan! As always, and of course most importantly, we encourage you to enjoy this recipe with those you choose to do life with. Having fun in the kitchen, and building loving relationships with friends and family.
Mexican Street Corn - Roasted Elote with a Twist
Servings: 6 Time: 40min Difficulty: easy
Feel free to make this recipe by roasting your corn over the grill. It will give it a wonderful charred taste that helps bring out the sweetness in the corn!
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6 large ears of corn, cut in half with husk and strings removed
2 tbsp of olive or grapeseed oil, divided
4 tsp salt, divided
1 tbsp butter, unsalted
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 tsp of chili powder, more for garnish
1 lime, juiced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped (missing in ingredients photo)
1/3 cup of queso fresco, crumbled
black pepper to taste
optional - jalapeno or serrano pepper
Remove the husk and strings from your corn on the cob and then cut them in half. Place them in a large stock pot and cover with water. Add in 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tsp of salt and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes and then turn off the heat and let the corn sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.
Drain the corn and shave off the kernels from the cob once the corn has cooled enough to be handled. In a preheated cast iron skillet, add 1 tbsp of oil and roast corn until brown and black bits appear. Roughly 3-5 minutes.
Take the roasted corn and place it in a large mixing bowl with 1 tbsp of butter. Mix gently and let cool for 10 minutes while the butter melts. Add in your mayonnaise, chili powder, and remaining salt. Mix well. Gently fold in the onion, bell pepper, and cilantro. (Mix in any hot peppers at this point, if you desire your elote to be spicy).
Serve the Mexican street corn on a plate with a side of chips and garnish with fresh ground black pepper, crumbled queso fresco, and a small dash of chili powder. Enjoy!!
You can replace the mayonnaise with fat free Greek yogurt or crème fraiche.
You can add in as much spice as you like to this dish and eat it like salsa, or serve it as a side dish.
