Elotes (Grilled Corn With Cheese, Lime and Chile)

By Melissa Clark

Updated July 1, 2025

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(1,521)
Comments
Read comments

Whole ears of corn are a classic street food in Mexico, where they are either grilled or boiled, then often dressed with some combination of lime, chile, mayonnaise and grated cheese. This grilled version calls for all of the above, which get mixed together into a creamy, bracing topping, and slathered all over the hot, sweet ears. It's not strictly traditional, but it does make it easier to assemble the corn and its dressing before serving. Or place the various topping in small bowls and let guests have the fun of garnishing their own. And if you don’t have a grill, the broiler works too though watch the ears carefully so they don’t burn.

Featured in: Summer Corn at its Tangiest, Spiciest, Messiest Best

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 6 ears fresh corn, shucked

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 2 limes

  • ¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder, more as needed

  • Fine sea salt, as needed

  • Black pepper, as needed

  • ½ cup crumbed cotija cheese (or substitute feta or ricotta salata)

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

22 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 183 calories; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 332 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until cooked through and lightly charred, 7 to 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, zest of 1 lime, chile powder, salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Slather hot corn with mayonnaise mixture and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Cut limes into wedges and serve alongside corn.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,521 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Santosh

My favorite ! I love them so much that I have iterated over this again and again and have settled on this mix: 4 tbsp mayo, 4 tbsp crémè fraîche, 1/2 tsp ancho cilli powder, 1/2 cup of cotija cheese and 1/4 cup cilantro.Mix this thoroughly, baste on corn and then sprinkle some Tajin salt all over. Now squueze a 1/4 wedge lime on it

Kevin

Sometimes I'll grill corn, cut it off the cob and add the rest of the ingredients here to make a corn salad. It's great for summer potlucks.

Marty Rosenbluth

I find that par-boiling the corn in about 8 cups of water with one cup of milk and about a tablespoon of sugar for about 5-7 minutes makes he corn more tender and adds flavor.

Wolfgang

The simple way: it also really works well, if you just roast pre-cooked kernels in a pan or on a plancha. Once they are roasted, let them cool a bit on a plate, mix them with the mayonnaise mixture and then sprinkle with cheese and cilantro

frankb

very good, would double the dressing next time! YES.

Paige C

Absolutely delicious! Fresh and savory and sweet. For a dinner salad, we trim the kernels off, toss with the dressing and cheese, and put on dressed arugula (got the idea from a local restaurant). Theirs also included pickled carrots and red onion, which played nicely with everyone else.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.