This elote off the cob recipe combines delicious Mexican ingredients in an easy to eat salad. It's the perfect side dish to mix up the usual routine with fresh corn on the cob and a great grilled texture.
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Fresh Flavors of Mexican Elote of the Cob
This Mexican corn salad brings fresh to whole new level. Fresh sweet corn on the cob gets grilled for the perfect al dente cook. Then you will cut it off the cob and combine it with tangy Mexican crema, tangy lime, chili powder, bright red onion, cilantro, and top it all off with queso fresco.
Simple Ingredients List
Get your shopping list ready for this powerhouse of flavor!
- 6-8 ears of corn
- ¾ cup Mexican Crema
- Fresh Lime juice from one lime
- Lime Zest from one lime
- 1 teaspoon Chile Powder
- ¼ cup Queso Fresco (aka cotija cheese)
- 1 tablespoon Minced Red Onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- a little salt and pepper to taste
*see ingredients substitutions below
Helpful Salad Supplies
You don't need anything special to make this elote salad.
- small bowl for mixing the tangy sauce
- large bowl for mixing the corn and dressing
- sharp knife and large cutting board for prepping all of the ingredients and removing the corn kernels from the ear of corn
How to Make Corn Salad Steps
This delicious corn recipe only has a few simple steps. It's a go-to recipe for my summer cookouts because I can cook the corn on the grill next to my favorite main dishes.
- Prep the corn cobs for the grill - after you have removed the outer corn husks and washed the corn kernels, drizzle each corn cob with avocado oil and lightly season with salt and pepper
- Grill corn - place each corn cob directly on the grill grates of a grill heated to 400˚F and cook for 10-15 minutes total, rotating once
- Make the dressing - in a large bowl combine the lime juice and zest with the crema, red onion, chili powder, and minced cilantro
- Finish the dish - after the corn has cooked, cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Transfer the cooked corn to the bowl with the crema mixture and fold to combine. Sprinkle queso fresco on top of the corn salad and garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedge for serving.
Serving Suggestions
The best thing about this elote off the cob recipe is how easy it is to serve and eat. I'm down with spoonable side dishes. However, you can also serve this with tortilla chips as a great appetizer because the creamy sauce brings it together to feel find of like a dip.
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Ingredient Substitutions
Some of these items may not be on your regular shopping list for grocery stores. No big deal- we can modify a few things.
Mexican crema can be swapped for sour cream mixed with a little heavy cream or half and half. Cremais very thick but can be poured.
Do you hate cilantro? Some people do. You can swap that for parsleyor leave out the green garnish altogether.
Queso fresco (aka salty cotija cheese) is similar to feta cheese in the consistency. You can use that or grated parmesan cheese to add the same texture and salty bite.
More of My Favorite Mexican Recipes
This is a great side dish and it deserves a special main dish. If you are making a special for Cinco de Mayo, make sure to include all the garnishes, beverages, and extras 🙂
Mexican Street Corn Salad Recipe Card
Elote Recipe Off the Cob
Equipment
- large bowl
- Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn
- ½ cup Mexican Crema
- 1 small Lime juice
- 1 small lime zest
- 1 ½ tablespoon red onion minced super fine
- 1 tablespoon cilantro
- ½ teaspoon Chili powder
- ¼ cup qeuso fresco aka cotija cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to 400˚F with the lid closed. While the grill heats, prepare the corn.
- Remove the outer corn husks and washed the cobs, drizzle each corn cob with avocado oil and lightly season with salt and pepper
- Place each corn cob directly on the grill grates of a grill heated to 400˚F and cook for 10-15 minutes total, rotating once.
- While the corn cooks, make the dressing. In a large bowl combine the lime juice and zest with the crema, red onion, chili powder, minced cilantro, salt and pepper.
- After the corn has cooked, cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Transfer the cooked corn to the bowl with the crema mixture and fold to combine. Sprinkle queso fresco on top of the corn salad and garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedge for serving.
Anya says
This was so good! I made it for a potluck at our neighbors house this weekend and everyone raved about the flavor. Thanks for sharing!