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Mexican

Elote

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Grilled corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise, rolled in crumbled fresh cheese and dusted with chilli powder, served with lime — a Mexican street-cart favourite.

Elote is a Mexican street food from Mexico, ready in about 17 minutes and made with sweet corn and queso fresco. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Close-up of Mexican elote topped with cheese and chili powder served with fresh lime.
Photo: J E / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
12 min
Total
17 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
199

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Grill the corn (opens in a new tab) over high heat or on a griddle pan, turning every couple of minutes, until tender with charred patches all over.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    While hot, brush each cob with mayonnaise (opens in a new tab), then roll or sprinkle with the cheese.

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Dust with chilli powder and salt, add cilantro (opens in a new tab) and serve with lime (opens in a new tab) wedges to squeeze over.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Mexico · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from Mexico
    Dish
    Snack · Lunch · Dinner · Street food · Side dishes
    Cooking method
    Grilled
    Taste
    smoky, creamy, sweet, spicy (chilli heat), tangy
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
    With the listed swaps: Lacto-vegetarian, Whole-food focused, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Street food · Child-friendly · Everyday
    Cook more with
    Sweet corn · Queso fresco · Mayonnaise · Chili powder (blend) · Lime
    Techniques
    Grilling · Charcoal grilling

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom queso fresco
    • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom mayonnaise
    • May contain: Mustardfrom mayonnaise, chili powder (blend)
    • May contain: Celeryfrom chili powder (blend)

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    199 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 133 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 11%
    • Carbohydrate 36%
    • Fat 53%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy199 kcal150 kcal
    Protein5.9 g4.5 g
    Carbohydrate19.4 g14.6 g
    Net carbohydrate16.9 g12.7 g
    Sugars6.4 g4.8 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre2.5 g1.8 g
    Fat12.6 g9.5 g
    Saturated fat3.5 g2.6 g
    Trans fat0.1 g0.1 g
    Cholesterol15 mg11 mg
    Sodium353 mg265 mg
    Salt equivalent0.9 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    292 mg
    Calcium
    95 mg
    Iron
    0.7 mg
    Magnesium
    39 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    52 µg
    Vitamin C
    11 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.4 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.3 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    41 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Push a skewer into the stem end of each cob to make a handle.

    Storage

    • Best eaten immediately.

    Variations

    • Esquites (Mexico): The same flavours with charred kernels served in a cup.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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