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This deliciously cheesy Mexican street corn recipe is perfectly spiced. It’s the perfect side for your Mexican meals!
This savory corn side pairs perfectly with Mexican dishes! We like to add Mexican street corn to our other Mexican sides like Refried Beans and Spanish Rice.
Torchy’s Tacos Copycat
Have you been to Torchy’s Tacos before? Unfortunately, they are only located in a few states so chances are you haven’t been there. It’s a very sad thing because the place has some of the best Tacos and Sides I’ve ever tried.
Torchy’s is best known for its tacos, which we absolutely love. Having said that, the two other menu favorites for us are the Mexican street corn and the queso. I still need to develop a copycat recipe for the queso, but today I’m sharing a copycat recipe for the street corn.
Sometimes street corn is served as an entire cob on a skewer and called “elote”, but this recipe is for Mexican corn off the cob. I personally think it’s easier to prepare that way!
How to Make Mexican Street Corn
This best Mexican street corn recipe is packed with flavor!
CORN. Heat a large skillet on high heat and add the corn. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
SEASON. Remove from heat and add in butter and salt. Stir until mixed. Place corn in a bowl and stir in mayo and lime juice. Add 1 teaspoon chili powder and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture with cotija cheese, chili powder, and chopped cilantro.
Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
This skillet street corn can be made using fresh corn or frozen corn.
Fresh corn. Although it will be more time-consuming, fresh corn can be used. Husk the cobs and use a grill to cook them. Brush corn with vegetable oil. Grill corn on high heat, turning every 2-3 minutes, until slightly charred on all sides. Cut corn kernels off the ears of corn, and then mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredient substitutions. There are some other ingredients you can use however keep in mind that with every substitute you are in essence creating your own dish and not a Torchy’s Copycat.
- Substitute feta cheese or parmesan cheese for the cotija.
- Use parsley for the cilantro.
- Try Mexican crema, Greek yogurt, avocado mayo, or olive oil in place of the regular mayo, but it will have a slightly different flavor.
- Add lime wedges on the side for an extra splash of flavor.
Serving + Storing Tips
Torchy’s street corn is a delicious side to any of your favorite Mexican dishes, but here are some of our favorites:
Serving Suggestions:
Warm or cold. I prefer this best Mexican street corn recipe served warm, but you can serve it at whatever temperature you like!
STORE. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe FAQ
This recipe uses drained cans of corn, but you can easily thaw some frozen corn to use just to allow a few extra minutes for the corn to heat up. You can also cut the kernels off of cooked corn on the cob. See above for how to grill ears of corn.
I make my street corn using chili powder. You can reduce the amount for less spice. If you love spice you can easily increase the amount.
For More FAvorite Mexican Sides, Try:
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 (15.25-ounce) cans corn, drained
- 2 tablespoons butter
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
- cotija cheese
- cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat and add the corn. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and add in butter and salt. Stir until mixed.
- Place corn in a bowl and stir in mayo and lime juice. Add 1 teaspoon chili powder and mix well.
- Sprinkle with cojita cheese, chili powder, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is your recommendation for making/prepping ahead of time? Many thanks!!! Can’t wait to make this for a large family event (any preps ahead of time is extra awesome!!)
You can cook the corn, add butter and salt, and then mix in the mayonnaise and lime juice up to 2 days ahead of time. Store this mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Gently reheat the corn mixture in a skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until warmed through (do not overheat). You can also serve it chilled out of the fridge. Add the cotija cheese, extra chili powder, and cilantro just before serving.
Hi! I’m going to make this tomorrow for a gathering. Can I substitute the lime, salt and chili powder with the seasoning called Tahin?
Yes you can but some people may not be used to the Tajín. The ingredients she listed will make it taste more smokier and the natural lime taste much different than the acidity of the Tajín. But id put the Tajín at their reach to whomever loves the taste of it
Me and my daughters love this! We use ‘spaghetti confetti’ (that’s what we call stinky cheese… shake parmesan cheese) I have not found the colors cheese yet as we live in a small town but we absolutely love it love it with ‘ spaghetti confetti’!!!! we slow cook chicken breast seasoned hour before we wanted and a crockpot, then shred it and freeze it so we have it for whenever we want to make quesadillas at some black beans and some Mexican corn from this recipe and oh my gosh, it is delicious. Oh, and don’t forget the cheese in the quesadilla we use shredded mozzarella with a little bit of mild cheddar!
That’s a fun name for shake parmesan! I also try to keep shredded chicken in the freezer; it comes in handy for so many dishes.
Best street corn recipe I’ve made. I used the Kroger brand (Simple Truth) frozen roasted corn and Bourbon Barrel smoked chili powder. Just the right essence of flavors, but nothing over powering.
Forgot to add that I’m taking this and your Ooey Gooey cake to a family get together.
Made your hamburger helper last night and it was amazing. This is my go-to site for all recipes and has been for a few years now. You never let me down. Thank you!
Your brand choices for the street corn sound delicious, and I love to hear that have enjoyed my recipes for so many years!!!
Did you still sauté the corn since it was fire roasted? I found the roasted canned corn and want to try it but not sure if I need to still sauté it.
I would still saute the corn for 3-4 minutes to help reduce the moisture from being canned.
Delicious! Improvised and added grilled shrimp to make a main dish – everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing🤗
Sounds absolutely delicious!
Can’t wait to try
Hopefully it turns out well. Happy Cooking!
So good!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Love love love Mexican street corn. I like to add it to pasta with some chicken and lettuce and makes for a great, hearty lunch! Meal prepping it for the next week.
Those are great ideas!
perfect side dish, the flavors were great and the recipe is so easy to make
Hi Kristyn – Going to make this, but the only cotija cheese my local food store had was a cold 10oz circular block instead of grated – can I still use that and add/melt it into the corn mixture at the end?
You can use a fork to break up the circular block of cheese. It crumbles really easily.
Yes, I would recommend finely grating or crumbling the block before adding it to the recipe.
I’m pleased it was a success!
I have made this recipe multiple times, and it is SO good! Last night, we happened upon a makeshift outdoor restaurant selling authentic Mexican street food, and tried street corn on the cob for the first time. This recipe tastes exactly like what we had last night in downtown Columbus.
That’s wonderful to hear! It always makes my day when people think my recipes taste like their authentic versions.
Can I make this with corn cut off the cob instead of canned?
Sorry, I saw your comment about using corn off the cob.