This Elote in a Cup is Delicious and Easy to Make

elote in a cup stacey freeman
One of our favorite (and popular) summer recipes is Mexican Street Corn. We love grilling corn in the summer because the kids love it and it just feels like summer. The great thing about this elote in a cup recipe is that it takes traditional street corn and makes it much more portable and perfect to take to bbqs or other summer parties by making Mexican street corn in a cup. 

Mexican Street Corn Elote in a Cup 1

What is Elote?

Elote means corn in Spanish. Generally, when people say elote, they mean Mexican street corn, which is corn that is slathered in mayo, sour cream, cotija cheese and spices. The only difference between elote and elote in a cup is that the elote is still on the cob, and obviously elote in a cup is removed form the cob and garnished in a cup. 

The first time I had Mexican street corn, I lived in Phoenix. We lived near central Phoenix and every weekend there was a lady who grilled Mexican hot dogs and she often also served Mexican street corn. That’s when we first fell in love with those flavors. 

elote in a cup 2 stacey freeman posh in progress
Although we all do love corn in my family, we don’t love how the cob pieces get stuck in our teeth. That’s just another reason why the elote in a cup is an easier and still equally tasty option. There really is no difference between our Mexican Street Corn recipe and our elote in a cup recipe. They are identical. The main difference is how you serve them and how they look. Honestly, I do think our Mexican street corn recipe looks prettier, but the street corn in a cup is so much easier to serve and eat. 


Either way, I’m sure you’ll love this Mexican corn in a cup recipe and you should give it a try at your next bbq or summer gathering. If you’re looking for other grilling recipes, click here.

Elote in a Cup Recipe

This Elote in a Cup is Delicious and Easy to Make

This Elote in a Cup is Delicious and Easy to Make

Elote in a Cup

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 4 ears shucked corn
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Prepare your gas or charcoal grill.
  2. While preheating, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir until mixed; set aside.
  3. When the grill is hot, place corn directly on the hot side of the grill to cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes.
  4. Once the corn is cooled slightly, cut it off the cob.
  5. Transfer corn to the bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat the corn on all sides. Sprinkle with extra cheese, cilantro, a lime wedge, and chili powder. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you don't want to roast the corn, you can use frozen corn or frozen fire roasted corn. You can also use fresh corn but simply boil it and remove it from the cob once it's cooked. To be the most authentic elote, I suggest grilling or roasting the corn, or using fire-roasted frozen corn. That charred flavor is definitely an important part of the best elote, in my opinion.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
4 ears shucked corn
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Prepare your gas or charcoal grill.

While preheating, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir until mixed; set aside.

When the grill is hot, place corn directly on the hot side of the grill to cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes.

Once the corn is cooled slightly, cut it off the cob.

Transfer corn to the bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat the corn on all sides.  Serve in mason jars Sprinkle with extra cheese, cilantro, a lime wedge, and chili powder.

Cook’s Notes:

If you don’t want to roast the corn, you can use frozen corn or frozen fire-roasted corn. You can also use fresh corn but simply boil it and remove it from the cob once it’s cooked. To be the most authentic elote, I suggest grilling or roasting the corn, or using fire-roasted frozen corn. That charred flavor is definitely an important part of the best elote, in my opinion.

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