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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.

Close up image of Mexican street corn topped with cotija and cilantro.
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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.
Close up image of Mexican street corn in white bowl.

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.

Mexican street corn recipe off the cob in a white bowl.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use frozen corn to make Mexican street corn?

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.

Is Mexican street corn spicy?

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:

5 from 574 votes

Mexican Street Corn Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Made in under 20 minutes, this deliciously cheesy Mexican street corn recipe is a perfectly spiced complement to any Mexican dinner.
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 13 minutes

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

Video

Notes

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 94mg, Potassium: 488mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 955IU, Vitamin C: 12.6mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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5 from 574 votes (531 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




104 Comments

  1. Angela Fresolone says:

    How much cheese do you sprinkle?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      It’s honestly however much you like. I’d start with a tablespoon or two, but you could definitely do more!

  2. Elizabeth Martinez says:

    5 stars
    Just made this for the first time for my dad (Hispanic) and family. Used cotija cheese, only substitute. Everyone loved it! I Loved how easy it was with canned corn too.

  3. Amanda says:

    5 stars
    Made this for a Father’s Day gathering and everyone loved it! Definitely – recipe worth saving.

  4. Nodine Fritzi says:

    5 stars
    Served warm. Loved it. To take to a dinner I doubled the recipe for some lunch left-overs

  5. Rochelle says:

    5 stars
    We loved it. We had it as a side with fish tacos. Definitely an easy and yummy dinner. Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Jill says:

      What could I use for a substitute for mayo?

      1. Bob says:

        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 c will have a slightly different flavor.

        Add lime wedges on the side for an extra splash of flavor.

      2. Craig says:

        Crema (Mexican Sour Cream) works really well! Usually I’ll use both, the Mayo adds a richer taste profile. 🙂

      3. Lil'Luna Team says:

        You could use a little less mayo and add some sour cream or greek yogurt.

  6. Rachel says:

    Can this be made a few hours ahead of time and put in a crockpot to keep warm?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes!

  7. Kathryn says:

    4 stars
    Took to a happy hour party and was liked very much. Mostly gone. I did add roasted red peppers, as well as one jalapeño, didn’t use cotija but used finely chopped Parmesan. Grilled my own fresh corn and served with corn chips.

  8. Florence Farrow says:

    Can you use frozen corn?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes you could. You’ll want to thaw the corn before so that there isn’t a bunch of extra liquid.

  9. Debbie says:

    5 stars
    I made this as a side dish to my smoked brisket. The corn outshone the brisket! It was so good and everyone loved it! It was even really good heated up the next day. I’m definitely going to make this over and over again! So yummy!

  10. Cindy says:

    Great recipe. I took some liberties to make it a lighter mid day snack. Sub olive oil for butter, greek yogurt for mayo, and feta in place of cotija as that’s all I had. I’ve made it both ways but prefer the greek yogurt as mayo makes this recipe a bit rich for me. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Daniel W. Hopkins says:

      A little confused by the number of cans of corn needed to triple the recipe. Recipe says 54.75 cans corn, that can’t be. A little help please.

      1. Angie says:

        The recipe algorithm automatically doubles or triples all the numbers so when she put 3 (15.25) oz cans it doubles the number in the ( ) so you need 6 (15oz) cans for 2x recipe and 9 cans for 3x recipe.

      2. Angie says:

        The recipe algorithm automatically doubles or triples all the numbers so when she put 3 (15.25) oz cans it doubles the number in the ( ) so you need 6 (15oz) cans for 2x recipe and 9 cans for 3x recipe.