Mexican street corn

noun

1

: grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a creamy spread (such as mayonnaise, sour cream, or crema) and garnished with toppings (such as lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder) : elote

We also indulged in some Mexican street corn … which was nicely crunchy … and slathered in butter and cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder and lime and drizzled with crema, which made it really, really messy and drippy and so good …

—Heidi Knapp Rinella

For side dishes we tried the Mexican street corn, … which is served on the cob with a hearty dose of chipotle aioli, cotija cheese and cilantro.

—Susan Sprague Yeske

… you may have tried elote (Mexican street corn), which is corn on the cob that's been grilled and then slathered with mayo, sour cream, cotija cheese, chili powder and a squeeze of lime.

—Alexandra Emanuelli

called also street corn

2

: boiled, grilled, or sautéed corn kernels mixed with assorted ingredients (such as lime juice, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and chili powder) : esquites

Another side, Mexican street corn … was salty, sweet and citrusy, with grill marks on the rows of corn sheared freshly from the cob, sprinkled with cheese and laced with red pepper.

—Mike Sutter

The small salad of "Mexican street corn" … was spicy, sweet, and delicious.

—Joan Wilder

Diners can also sample Mexican street corn prepared as … esquites, served in a cup …

—Bradley Martin

called also street corn

Examples of Mexican street corn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Get the recipe > Sweet corn and mashed potatoes get a crispy, baked taquito makeover in author Kiera Wright-Ruiz’s homage to elote, with lime, Tajín, and crema bringing the bright, tangy flavors of Mexican street corn to every bite. —Saveur Editors, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025

Plump agnolotti pasta was a spin on Mexican street corn, packed with white butter, corn, and mascarpone in a sauce of corn stock, fragrant cilantro oil and chile oil finished with cotija and pickled pearl onions. —John Mariani, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Another friend lamented that her Mexican street corn pizza from Charlie’s was a sloppy mess and difficult to eat. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Everything about the beloved Mexican street corn is here—including crema, Cotija cheese, and chile powder—so fans will really appreciate this dish. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 14 July 2025

The finalists included a fried pickle ranch Whopper, a maple bourbon Whopper and a Mexican street corn Whopper. —Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025

Cruise only needs to add a side of Mexican street corn and hatch chile mac and cheese. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 May 2025

West Coast Taco Bar: The $14 signature meal features Mexican street corn, a three-taco plate and churro doughnuts. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2002, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Mexican street corn

• adorn
• airborne
• blackthorn
• broomcorn
• buckhorn
• buckthorn
• careworn
• firstborn
• foodborne
• forborne
• forewarn
• forlorn