Mexican Street Corn: How to Wow Your Friends at the Next BBQ

Nothing tastes more like summer than corn on the cob, but you can’t just boil an ear, slap on some butter, and expect to still call yourself a San Antonian. If you want to build some street cred, the next time you throw a party—even if it’s only a party of one—be sure to serve up traditional Mexican street corn, better known as elote.

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Chile Powder
Cayenne Powder
8 ears of corn
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
8 key limes
1/4 cup mayonnaise or unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Build a medium-hot fire on your grill or preheat your oven to 400°. (If using a grill, brush your grate with vegetable oil.)
   
   
2. Prep your materials—shuck the corn, crumble the cotija, cut up your limes, and combine chile and cayenne powders. NOTE: powders will be used to season the corn. You should season to taste. The safe route is 1 tsp chile powder to 1/2 tsp cayenne.  
   
   
   
   
3. For Grilling: Place the ears on the fire for 10 minutes, periodically turning them so they cook evenly and lightly char.
   
   For Oven: Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Use a paper towel to rub ears of corn with vegetable oil. Place in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. 
   
   
   
   
4. After the corn is cooked, rub each ear with the mayo or butter, whichever is preferred, and sprinkle chile and cayenne powders. Squeeze 1 lime over each ear, and top all ears with cotija. 
   
   
5. Serve these delightfully hot, spicy, and tangy antojitos (cravings) to your lucky guests! 
   
   
   
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