With this creamy, cheesy, herb-infused Mexican Street Corn Compound Butter, making "Elotes Mexicanos" is a snap! It's always ready in the fridge, so all you need to do is cook the corn and slather it on!
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What is Elote Mexicanos?
Have you ever had Mexican Street Corn? If you have, you know what a creamy, cheesy, herb-infused mouthful of deliciousness it is! (If you haven't - well, it's high time you try it, because you are going to love it!)
Corn-on-the-cob is a popular street food in Mexico, where it is known as elote (literally, corn cob). It is typically made by grilling corn and then slathering it with a creamy base layer, along with crumbled cotija cheese, spices, and fresh herbs.
Fresh, grilled corn-on-the-cob is a summer luxury and one of our favorite things, and this savory compound butter makes "Elotes Mexicanos" a snap to make! The compound butter takes just 10 minutes to put together, and then it's ready in the fridge whenever you want it. All you need to do is cook the corn and paint it on!
What Goes into this Recipe
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
★ Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter for this compound butter recipe. If you use unsalted butter, add an additonal ¼-teaspoon of salt.
★ Roasted Garlic: This elotes butter is delicious, but oven-roasted garlic adds another amazing layer of flavor, and we can't get enough of it.
Completely optional, but totally worth the effort.
★ Cotija: Cotija cheese is a firm, crumbly Mexican cow’s-milk cheese. Use it if you can find it. A fifty-fifty mix of feta and parmesan makes an acceptable substitute, but it really isn't the same.
★ Cilantro / Coriander: Use the leaves and stems of the coriander plant.
In many places around the world, coriander refers to both the green leaves of the coriander plant, and to the spice derived from the seeds of the plant.
In North America, cilantro is most often the name given to the leaves and stalks of the plant. (The word “cilantro” is the Spanish name for coriander leaves.)
★ Lime juice & zest: Fresh is always best! (But frozen works just as well!)
TIP: Before peeling or juicing, we zest nearly every piece of citrus that comes through our kitchen. Tightly wrapped in a reusable snack-size bag, citrus zest will keep in the freezer for up to three months, and it's always ready when we need it!
★ Corn: Buy corn as fresh as possible and use it fast. (My Dad used to say that if you want corn to be at its sweetest, it should still be on the stalk when the water starts boiling on the stove.)
How to Make this Recipe
Compound Butter
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or molcajetes (large stone mortar and pestle).
Use a pestle (or the back of a wooden spoon) to mash the ingredients together until they form a cohesive paste.
I really like what the pestle does for this elotes butter recipe. Not only does it effectively mix the ingredients, but it bruises the cilantro and lemon zest as it does so, releasing even more flavor into the compound butter mixture.
Once the compound butter is thoroughly mixed, place it on a square of plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper. Using the wrap, form the compound butter into a small cylinder.
A cardboard bathroom tissue roll is very helpful here: carefully pull the wrapped butter through the center for a perfect-sized cylinder.
Refrigerate the compound butter until firm enough to slice.
NOTE: We usually refrigerate the butter inside the tissue tube so that it doesn't settle in the fridge.
At this point, you can make elotes immediately, or you can refrigerate the compound butter until you are ready to use it.
This Mexican Street Corn Compound Butter can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Cook Corn
When you are ready to eat, prep your corn.
Our favorite way to make this Mexican Street Corn recipe is to grill the corn on the barbecue.
This is as simple as heating up the grill and throwing the corn on. Using tongs, turn it occasionally until it is tender.
If you'd rather cook your corn on the stovetop, simply bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shucked, trimmed corn and cook just until the water returns to a boil. (About 5 minutes.)
TIP: If your corn isn't quite as sweet as you'd like, add about ¼ cup of white sugar to the water and allow it to dissolve before adding the corn.
Use tongs to remove the corn from the water, and allow it to cool for a few minutes to avoid burning your fingers.
Now you're ready to baste it with elotes compound butter!
When the corn is ready, cut a ¼-inch slice of compound butter for each ear and slather it over the hot corn.
FAQs & Expert Tips
What to Serve with Mexican Street Corn
Elotes is a delicious side dish, and goes with just about anything! We like especially to eat it with fish tacos, fajitas, sloppy Joes, chili, and Nashville Hot Chicken!
Other Ways to Use Elotes Compound Butter
- Melt it over chicken, fish, or pork.
- Add it to pasta or rice for a quick, easy side.
- Garnish a baked potato. (OMG. So good!)
- Spread it on a slice of hearty bread or baguette.
Typically, Mexican Street Corn is made with mayonnaise; however, this compound butter has all of the flavor without the mayo, and will last in your fridge for up to two weeks.
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Mexican Street Corn (Elotes Mexicanos) Compound Butter
Equipment
- 1 molcajetes or mortar & pestle, or medium bowl and wooden spoon
- 1 cardboard toilet paper tube
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup cotija cheese crumbled
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro ~½ ounce
- 5 cloves roasted garlic optional
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl or molcajetes (large stone mortar and pestle).
- Use a pestle (or the back of a wooden spoon) to mash the ingredients together until they form a cohesive paste.
- Place butter mixture on a square of plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper.Using the wrap, form the compound butter into a cylinder. A cardboard bathroom tissue roll is very helpful here: carefully pull the wrapped butter through the center for a perfectly-sized cylinder.
- Refrigerate the compound butter until firm.
- To make Mexican Street Corn, simply slather a ¼-inch slice of compound butter onto hot corn-on-the-cob.
Notes
- Melt it over chicken, fish, or pork.
- Add it to pasta or rice for a quick, easy side.
- Garnish a baked potato. (OMG. So good!)
- Spread it on a slice of hearty bread or baguette.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Originally published August 26, 2014. Post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.
Lisa says
Sounds delicious! I think corn might be on the menu tonight 🙂
Chrissy- Shine Bright Little Mama says
Yum!!! I will be making this for sure this weekend!
Lauren says
I am a huge fan of grilled corn. My favorite is butter with lemon and black pepper. Thanks for a new recipe!
Raewyn says
Yum! The cilantro lime butter sounds DELICIOUS
Alyssa says
What a great recipe! It all looks so tasty!
Pech says
I love grilled corn and compound flavored butter so both together is awesome!
Deidre says
I tried something very similar to this at a friends house over the weekend. SO good.
Jess says
Yum! This looks awesome!
Shipra says
I love corn on the cob, especially with different types of spices. This is making my mouth water. 😛
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
Grilled corn is so tasty!
Jenn @ hellorigby! says
Yum! I love cilantro but never thought of putting it on my corn! Will have to try this.
Neely says
I love grilled corn!
Lynette says
I love your video, thank you for sharing, this looks like a good recipe and your instruction are really easy to follow
Myrabev says
Last weekend my parents had a BBQ and we had cob my friend was talking about trying different flavours I have never had it with anything other than butter.
kendall says
YUM! We are a total corn family! We love it!! I need to try this!
Jessica Doll says
This sounds so delicious. I love corn done on the bbq.
Alicia @ Felt With Love Designs says
This sounds delicious!! I love corn on the cob! Pinning for later!
Katie Matthews says
We love corn on the cob in our house! Normally we boil it because it's quick and easy and we don't generally buy it with the husk on! I will definitely try it this way if we do buy some!
Katie <3
kelsey says
yum! i have market corn and need to GET ON THIS
ladies in navy
Christen says
I love grilled corn. It's the best!
Laetitia - French Fries and Apple Pie says
I have only discovered grilled corn very recently. In France, we do get corn, but it almost only comes in cans. But since we have moved here, I thought it was high time we tried corn grilled. And as we also went camping and Barbecuing, we bought corn and grilled them. I loved it, it taste some much more delicious! I'll try that recipe with cilantro 🙂 Can't be wrong!
betsy mitchell says
I've never had corn and cilantro together but I bet it's delicious! THanks for the great idea.
Bee says
Umm YUM! We've avoided corn since moving from the midwest but we might have to bend the rules now! Great find!
Melissa says
Grilled corn on the cob is so good but this makes it sound even better. Thank you for this recipe! I can't wait to try it.
Rebekah says
Oh my gosh I love cilantro! I have to try this!
Kayli Schattner says
Mmm, cilantro butter? You had me at hello!
Karissa says
I love grilled corn. I bet that tastes great
Michelle says
This looks so great visually and looks like it tastes amazing. Lovely!!
JoAnn says
I love corn on the cob! This looks pretty easy and delicious!
lindsay says
Yummm I love grilled corn! I had some last month and it was delicious!
Brooklyn Jolley says
YUMMY! That look so so good. My sister makes corn a lot like this and it is to die for.
Maryann says
Looks delicious!
Alisha Hodges says
I abhor the taste and smell of cilantro, but I bet I would love this with another herb. I have only ever tried salt and butter, but it's a great idea to add something else.
Chelsea says
This sounds amazing! I've never thought of putting anything on my corn other than salt and butter, but I'll definitely have to try this now.