Elote is the corn on a stick sold from street carts all over Mexico: an ear boiled or grilled, slicked with mayonnaise or crema, rolled in salty cotija cheese and dusted with chile, with lime on the side. In the US it goes by Mexican street corn. The ingredient list is short and hard to get wrong. The cooking time is where people trip, because a Mexican street-cart ear and a supermarket ear of sweet corn are different plants, and one takes ten times longer than the other.
What elote is, and why your corn decides the cooking time
How do you make Mexican street corn (elote)? Boil 4 ears of sweet corn for 6 minutes once the water returns to the boil, pat them dry and push in a stick. While hot, brush each ear with butter and a tablespoon of mayonnaise, roll it in 15 g (½ oz) of grated cotija, then finish with chile powder and lime. Ready in 30 minutes for 4 servings.
The corn sold from carts in Mexico is usually a white, large-kernel, starchy variety, less sweet and starchier than American sweet corn, and it boils for a long time: 40 to 50 minutes for the floury cacahuazintle type, and up to an hour for others, from 40 minutes.
The sweet corn in a US or UK supermarket is bred to be tender. It needs only 3 to 8 minutes in boiling water. I stop at 6. Past 8, it goes watery.
If your corn is still hard after 10 minutes, it is the starchy kind, not undercooked sweet corn. Keep boiling and test a kernel with your fingernail every 5 minutes.
Elote vs esquites. Same toppings, different form. Elote is the whole ear on a stick. Esquites are the kernels cut off and simmered in a broth with epazote, served in a cup with a spoon. If you’d rather not eat off the cob in front of guests, cut the kernels off and make the cup version.
What goes on elote, and US and UK swaps
Per ear: 5 g (1 tsp) butter, 1 tbsp (15 g) mayonnaise, 15 g (½ oz) cotija, 1 g of chile powder and half a lime. Some cooks double the mayo; I find one tablespoon covers a large ear without dripping.
Mayonnaise, crema or both
Mayonnaise is the usual choice, and it grips hot corn best. A lot of street vendors used to use thick Mexican crema, and some cooks still prefer it. I go half and half. In the US, sour cream thinned with a little milk stands in for crema; in the UK, I’d use crème fraîche. Whole-milk Greek yogurt in place of mayo brings an ear down to about 233 kcal.
The cheese
Cotija is a dry, salty Mexican cheese that crumbles and doesn’t melt, so it sits on the mayo like a coat of crumbs. Queso añejo works too, and so do Parmesan and feta.
In the UK, cotija is mostly an online buy from Mexican grocers. Feta from any supermarket is the practical choice. Grate it on the fine side of a box grater so it sticks.
The chile powder, and the supermarket trap
In Mexico the powder is ground chile piquín or chile de árbol, both hot. Árbol is the cayenne of Mexico, and some cooks cut it with milder guajillo so they can use more. Tajín, a seasoning of ground chiles, salt and dehydrated lime, also works, but it adds salt.
US “chili powder” is a blend, not pure chile. McCormick’s label lists chili pepper, spices, salt, garlic and an anti-caking agent, and the brand’s own description mentions cumin and oregano. To me it tastes like chili con carne on corn. Use ancho chile powder or a pinch of cayenne. In the UK, I’d use hot smoked paprika or one part cayenne to three parts sweet paprika.
How to make elote, boiled, grilled or without a grill
30 minutes start to finish, 10 of them hands-on. The water takes about 12 minutes to boil with the lid on; husk the corn and grate the cheese in that time. Then 6 minutes in the pot and 2 to dry and dress.
Boiled
The street-cart way and the easiest for a group: 6 minutes for sweet corn once the water is back at a boil. Boiled elote is less smoky and extra juicy.
Grilled
High heat, 400 to 450°F (200 to 230°C), for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes. Another way is to grill it in the husk for about 10 minutes, then husks, butters and grills another 10 until browned.
Without a grill
- Cast-iron skillet → dry pan over medium-high heat, 10 to 12 minutes, turning until the kernels brown on several sides. This is how I do it in a flat.
- Oven → 400°F (200°C) for about 30 minutes, turning every 10. At 375°F (190°C) it also works in 30 minutes.
- Broiler → only for a final blast of colour. Broiling whole ears browns the top rows and leaves the rest dry and leathery; if you do broil, allow 12 to 16 minutes, turning halfway.
- Microwave → 3 to 4 minutes per husked ear, turning halfway.
- Pressure cooker → 2 minutes at high pressure with quick release for sweet corn.
How to tell it’s done
- Sweet corn at 6 minutes → glossy, deeper yellow kernels that give under a fingernail and spurt juice.
- Starchy Mexican corn → from 40 minutes, the kernel dents with no resistance.
- Grilled → brown and black spots on every side, kernels plump, not shrivelled.
- Ready to dress → dry to the touch. If it shines with water, pat again.
Mistakes, spice level, kids and allergens
- Hard corn after 10 minutes → starchy corn treated like sweet corn. Keep boiling, testing every 5 minutes.
- Watery, bland corn → sweet corn boiled for 20 minutes. Pull it at 6.
- Cheese falls off → wet corn or chunky cheese. Dry the ear, grate the cheese fine and roll, don’t sprinkle.
- Too salty → salted water plus cotija plus Tajín. With Tajín I use only 1 tsp of salt in the pot.
- Burnt outside, raw inside on the grill → heat too high without turning. Turn every 2 to 3 minutes.
Spice level, 1 to 2 out of 5 with chile on top; 0 if you leave it on the table. Kids usually love it; skip the chile and snap the ears in half before cooking. Allergens: milk (butter, cotija) and egg (mayonnaise). It is gluten-free, but check the chile powder and Tajín labels for coeliac guests. During pregnancy, avoid soft Latin-style cheeses unless the label says made with pasteurised milk; I apply the same rule to cotija.
Elote for a crowd, 12 to 20 ears
Scale by pots, not by water: a large 8-litre (8½-quart) pot holds 5 big ears comfortably. For 20, use two pots and cook two batches.
| Ears | Butter | Mayo | Cotija | Chile powder | Limes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 20 g (1½ tbsp) | 60 g (4 tbsp) | 60 g (2 oz) | 4 g (1½ tsp) | 2 |
| 8 | 40 g (3 tbsp) | 120 g (½ cup) | 120 g (4 oz) | 8 g (1 tbsp) | 4 |
| 12 | 60 g (4 tbsp) | 180 g (¾ cup) | 180 g (6 oz) | 12 g (1½ tbsp) | 6 |
| 20 | 100 g (7 tbsp) | 300 g (1⅓ cups) | 300 g (10½ oz) | 20 g (2½ tbsp) | 10 |
Keep the second batch in the covered pot over the lowest heat, or wrap the ears in a clean towel. Hot food should be held at 140°F (60°C) or above. Put the toppings out as a bar and refill the mayo from the fridge in small amounts.
Calories, and a lighter elote
A large ear of elote comes to about 321 kcal. The corn with lime and chile is only 128; the rest is toppings.
- Lighter → Greek yogurt instead of mayo and no butter: about 197 kcal.
- No butter → about 285 kcal.
- Dairy-free and egg-free → vegan mayo, no cheese, more lime and chile.
A regional cousin. In El Salvador, elote loco comes on a stick or in a cup with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, grated cheese and salsa negra, with chile optional.
What elote costs
The corn is the main cost; the toppings go a long way. Advertised supermarket prices on 9 October 2026 averaged 41 cents an ear and 50 cents a lime, and butter averaged $4.02 a pound in August 2026. Four ears, two limes and 20 g of butter come to $2.82, about 71 cents an ear. Mayonnaise and cotija aren’t counted. I don’t give a UK figure here.
Yield. 4 ears, one each as a snack. As a side at a cookout, half an ear each feeds 8.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
Make ahead. Husk the corn a day early and refrigerate it wrapped, or cook it fully, cool it within 2 hours and refrigerate. Warm it in a skillet or on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, then dress it while hot.
Fridge. Store cooked corn undressed and covered. Cooked food shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C) and keeps 3 to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Dressed elote doesn’t keep: eat it, or cut the kernels off for esquites.
Freezer. Undressed cooked ears freeze wrapped and keep their best quality for 3 to 4 months. The kernels soften a little after thawing.
Reheat in a skillet, on the grill or in the microwave to 165°F (74°C), the safe temperature for leftovers, then add the toppings.
What to serve with elote
Elote opens a taco night, and with tacos on the table I plan on 1 ear for every 2 people: tacos al pastor or Mexican carne asada, guacamole with chips, and cold agua de jamaica to cut the mayo. For a Venezuelan table, cachapas bring the same sweet fresh-corn flavour.
Mexican street corn FAQ
What is elote made of? Corn on the cob, boiled or grilled, with butter, mayonnaise or crema, cotija cheese, chile powder and lime. I use 15 g (½ oz) of cheese, a tablespoon of mayo and a pinch (1 g) of chile per ear.
Is elote boiled or grilled? Both. Street carts in Mexico often boil it; most US recipes grill it. Boiled is juicier and easier for a crowd, grilled is smokier.
How long do you boil corn for elote? Supermarket sweet corn needs 5 to 8 minutes after the water comes back to the boil; I take it out at 6. Starchy white Mexican corn takes far longer, anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour.
What can I use instead of cotija? Feta is the closest. Use half as much finely grated Parmesan because it is stronger. Queso fresco works but is milder and moister.
What chili powder goes on elote? Ground chile piquín, chile de árbol or ancho. Regular US chili powder is a blend with garlic and spices; it works, but it tastes of chili con carne.
How do I make elote without a grill? In a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, or in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 30 minutes, turning every 10.
How do I keep the cheese from falling off? Pat the corn dry, spread the mayo while the corn is hot, grate the cheese fine and roll the ear through it.
How many calories are in elote? About 321 kcal for a large ear with all the toppings, of which the mayo is 102.
Nutrition per ear
Per large ear (143 g kernels, 5 g butter, 15 g mayonnaise, 15 g cotija, 1 g chile powder and the juice of a quarter lime), calculated from the recipe amounts; the salt in the cooking water is not counted:
- Calories: 321 kcal
- Protein: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fat: 22 g, of which saturated 7 g
- Fibre: 4 g
- Sugars: 5 g
- Sodium: 390 mg
With yellow sweet corn the calories stay the same and the sugar rises to about 9 g per ear.
In Venezuela we call corn on the cob jojoto, and at home it was boiled and eaten with butter and salt, nothing else. Mayonnaise and cheese on corn sounded like too much to me until I tried it. What took longer was learning the timing: used to our starchy jojoto, I kept overcooking supermarket sweet corn until I stopped at 6 minutes. Know your corn first; the toppings are the easy part. Josnaisis.