Mexican-Inspired Grilled Corn on the Cob

A grilled corn on the cob recipe with a Mexican-inspired twist that includes instructions on how to prepare in the husk, in foil, or with husks removed. An easy and healthy summer side dish featuring mayonnaise, sour cream, lime, chipotle, and Parmesan cheese.

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Mexican-inspired Grilled Corn on the Cob

I love all things corn: on the cob, corn bread, corn pudding, corn tortillas, corn chips, that stuff that comes on the side of your plate at Chevy's and El Torito, tamales, sopes, etc. To me, nothing says summer like corn on the cob and being able to load up on it for 5/$1 at the grocery store. We moved back home to Northern California last summer and one of my favorite things to do here on a warm summer night is hit up the weekly night market for some elotes: husked corn grilled to perfection, brushed with Mexican crema and then coated with ground/dried chipotle and cotija cheese. Fresh, in-season corn already has a delightful sweet flavor and mixing in the perfect amount of char with the savory elements takes it to another level.

Corn over the charcoal grill

A few weeks ago I saw pre-season corn on the cob on sale and decided to pair it with our spicy grilled shrimp tacos. We slathered the husked corn in butter and added a bit of salt and pepper, wrapped the husks in tin foil and got to grilling (more on different methods/how to grill corn on the cob below). It was only our second attempt at grilling corn, but it went so well (translation: yum!) that we decided to try our hand at a Mexican-inspired version.

Starting to char...

This time, we had bought husked and trimmed corn from Costco and we decided to try grilling it directly, without the tin foil. While The Hubs monitored the grill, I whipped up our Mexican-inspired sauce to replace the crema: mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and ground chipotle. Once we were satisfied with the level of char, we brushed on the sauce and liberally coated the corn with Parmesan cheese and a bit of ground chili pepper (we switched spices only because we ran out of chipotle, either will do).

Grilled corn on the cob

We served it with lime wedges and it was so good! Creamy, cheesy corn with a hint of spice and a light, brightness from the lime. This is another keeper, a recipe will we return to again and again this spring and summer. Subbing in ingredients that we had on hand (i.e. that didn't require a special trip to the store), makes this an easy side dish that requires little to no planning ahead. The recipe below includes both a more authentic and our easy version, make whichever you prefer.

Give it a try! Nothing says summer like grilled corn on the cob. Happy grilling!

Mexican-Inspired Grilled Corn on the Cob

by Smoke & Vanilla


This recipe makes enough sauce for 6-8 ears of corn. Scale up or down depending upon your needs.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 00:03
Cook time: 00:12
Total time: 00:15

Ingredients (*see tip):
6-8 ears of corn
¼c mayonnaise
¼c sour cream
1 lime, juiced
2 limes, quartered, for serving
1t chipotle or chili powder plus more for sprinkling on top
½c Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat your grill on high. Go here for instructions on how to start a charcoal grill.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chipotle powder.
3. Grill corn, with grill lid on, for 2-5 minutes per side until cooked/charred as desired then remove from grill. (*see below for three different methods)
4. Using a pastry brush, brush mayonnaise mixture all over each ear of corn.
5. Sprinkle each ear liberally with Parmesan cheese and additional chipotle or chili powder as desired.
6. Serve with lime quarters and devour!

How to Grill Corn on the Cob (3 different methods)

• Grill Corn on the Cob in the Husk:

  1. Place corn on the grill over direct heat and close the grill lid.
  2. Grill for 3-5 minutes per side.
  3. Allow to cool slightly before carefully removing husk and proceeding with recipe.

• Grill Corn on the Cob Without the Husk

  1. Remove husk from corn and place on grill over direct heat, close the grill lid.
  2. Grill 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Remove from grill and proceed with recipe.

• Grill Corn on the Cob in Tin / Aluminum Foil

  Note: This version is great if you prefer less char and more steam cooking.
  1. Remove husk from corn, rinse corn (do not pat dry, this helps to steam the corn), wrap tightly in tin / aluminum foil, place on grill over direct heat and close the grill lid.
  2. Grill 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Allow to cool slightly before carefully removing foil and proceeding with recipe.

Tips:

• For a more authentic version of this recipe, replace the mayo, sour cream, and lime juice with ½c Mexican crema and the Parmesan cheese with cotija cheese. Both can usually be found in the international aisle of your grocer or at a Mexican-specific grocery store.
• While not absolutely necessary, corn holders (like these) are especially useful for eating this type of corn.

Have you had elotes before? Are you ready for summer and grilling season? Are you excited to try out this recipe? We'd love to hear from you in the comments!