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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.
This tasted just like the street corn we had from a Mexican restaurant in Florida 😍
I love it when a recipe is as good as a favorite restaurant’s!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing. Tastes just like Torchy’s.
I’m out of chili powder. Could I use tajin instead?
I’m glad you think it tastes the same, and yes, Tajín can be used instead.
Shouldn’t the 2x recipe have 90 oz corn and not 180?
Thank you for asking. There was an entry error that I was able to go in and fix so the multiply button is accurate.
A couple weeks ago, I tried Mexican corn for the first time at a little hole in the wall taco stand. It was great! I wanted more! So I made this recipe… it came out even better! I first pan fried some fajita seasoned chicken breasts and then started by cooking the corn in the left over juices 🙂 this is going to be my new go to!
Sounds delicious!
Outstanding Recipe. Easy and delicious! Thanks so much!!
hanks for the positive response. I’m happy to hear you loved it so much!
I ate at a fancy Mexican restaurant recently and was blown away by their Mexican street corn (I added chorizo to it as well for some protein). I saw this recipe and wondered if it would taste similar to what I ate that day. OMG it’s 100% identical and half the price! I added chorizo to this one as well and it was absolutely delicious! Word of advice: make this recipe!!!!
It’s always a nice compliment when a recipe can hold its own against a restaurant dish. Thanks for the great review!
First time.
Tryer or making of the mexican corn.
How did it turn out? Hopefully you loved it!
Has anyone made this as a freezer meal? I want to make sure it will be good reheated.
Okay, my oldest son loves street and this was my 1st attempt. They LOVED it. I added some diced redbpepper and a tiny bit of jalapeño. It is a keeper. Served it with smash burger tacos. Try it. Very good
It always makes my day when people enjoy the recipes I share.
What is the amount of one serving? I want to make this for a party and would like to plan accordingly.
The total amount of salad is about 6 cups; hope this helps.
Don’t salt
The cotija is salty enough
It definitely can be an option 🙂
Delicious!!! I added cilantro and parsley and jalepeno peppers and red onion to the end product and it is definately a Keeper !! I also zested the lime and added it to the end product ..
I’m so glad you liked it so much. Thanks for sharing your additions. I’ll have to try them out next time I make it.