Mexican Street Corn: Creamy and Charred by Cooking With Clint

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Cooking With Clint

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Mexican Street Corn: Creamy and Charred This Mexican street corn is a warm skillet dish built around lightly charred corn kernels, a creamy lime-and-Tajín sauce, cotija cheese, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeños. It takes the familiar combination of corn, tangy lime, cheese, and seasoning and turns it into an easy scoopable side dish or snack.

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The corn is cooked first in olive oil and butter, then mixed while warm with the creamy sauce. Green onions, cilantro, and cotija are stirred in at the end, with extra Tajín and cheese added over the top just before serving.

A hand pours liquid from a metal jigger into a white bowl containing white sauce, spices, and chopped green herbs.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This recipe brings several distinct elements together in a clear sequence. The corn gets time in the skillet to become lightly charred and tender before it is transferred to a mixing bowl, keeping the browning step separate from the creamy finishing step.

The sauce combines mayonnaise and sour cream with Tajín, jalapeños, garlic, and fresh lime juice. Once it coats the warm corn, the green onions, cilantro, and cotija complete the mixture with fresh and cheesy additions.

Yellow corn kernels searing in a cast iron skillet.

You can use fresh corn kernels, drained canned corn, or frozen corn that has been thawed. Regardless of the type of kernels used, the goal is the same: coat them in the oil and butter, let them sit undisturbed to develop light char, then toss and repeat until tender.

Ingredients You'll Need

A large skillet is used to char the corn over medium heat. You will also need a small bowl for the garlic and lime juice, a separate bowl for mixing the creamy sauce, and a large mixing bowl for combining the warm corn with the sauce and toppings.

The corn cooks with olive oil, butter, and fine sea salt. The olive oil and butter are added to the skillet first, then the corn is stirred through the mixture before being spread into an even layer for browning.

For the creamy sauce, mayonnaise and sour cream are mixed with Tajín seasoning, chopped jalapeños, minced garlic, and fresh lime juice. Preparing the garlic and lime together first keeps those two ingredients ready to add to the sauce.

A hand uses a spatula to stir corn kernels into a white creamy sauce in a white bowl.

Cotija cheese, thinly sliced green onions, and chopped fresh cilantro are stirred in after the sauce has been mixed through the corn. Reserve the additional Tajín seasoning and cotija cheese for the final topping.

How To Make It

Mexican Street Corn 🌽. Creamy, buttery, charred corn tossed with lime, cotija cheese, cilantro, and Tajín seasoning.

1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 tablespoon butter. 3 cups corn kernels (fresh, drained canned, or frozen and thawed). ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.

¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled or shredded. ½ cup green onions, thinly sliced. ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped. 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeños.

1 clove garlic, minced. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise. 1 tablespoon sour cream.

1 teaspoon Tajín seasoning, plus more for topping. Prepare the garlic and lime. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic and lime juice.

Set aside.

Heat the skillet. Add the olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Char the corn.

Add the corn kernels and sprinkle with salt. Stir to coat the corn evenly in the oil and butter. Spread the corn out in the skillet and let it cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes to develop a light char.

Continue browning. Toss the corn and repeat the process a couple more times until the kernels are lightly charred and tender. Transfer the corn.

Remove the skillet from the heat and place the corn in a large mixing bowl.

Make the creamy sauce. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Tajín seasoning, jalapeños, garlic, and lime juice. Stir until well mixed.

Combine everything. Pour the creamy sauce over the warm corn and mix thoroughly.

Add the toppings. Stir in the green onions, chopped cilantro, and cotija cheese. Finish and serve.

Sprinkle additional Tajín seasoning and cotija cheese over the top. Serve warm as a side dish or enjoy it as a snack.

Clint’s Tips

For extra smoky flavor: Let the corn develop a good char before stirring. For more heat: Add extra jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper. For extra creaminess: Add another spoonful of mayonnaise or sour cream.

For the best flavor: Use fresh lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro. Serving idea: Pair this Mexican street corn with grilled chicken, steak, burgers, tacos, or barbecue. Enjoy!

A cast iron skillet filled with a mixture of corn, greens, and a creamy sauce.

This Mexican street corn is buttery, creamy, tangy, cheesy, and full of flavor. 🌽👌.

Serving & Variations

Serve this Mexican street corn warm alongside grilled chicken, steak, burgers, tacos, or barbecue. It can also be served on its own as a snack, with the final Tajín and cotija topping clearly visible over the finished corn.

For more heat, add extra jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper. For extra creaminess, add another spoonful of mayonnaise or sour cream, then mix it through the corn.

Fresh lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro are the listed choices for the best flavor. For a more pronounced char, give the corn enough undisturbed time in the skillet before tossing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of corn can I use for Mexican Street Corn?

Use 3 cups of corn kernels. The recipe works with fresh corn, drained canned corn, or frozen corn that has been thawed.

How do I get a char on the corn?

Cook the corn in a large skillet with olive oil, butter, and salt over medium heat. Spread it out and let it cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, then toss and repeat a couple more times until lightly charred and tender.

What goes into the creamy sauce?

The creamy sauce combines mayonnaise, sour cream, Tajin seasoning, chopped jalapenos, minced garlic, and fresh lime juice.

How can I make this Mexican Street Corn spicier?

For more heat, add extra jalapenos or a pinch of cayenne pepper.

What can I serve with Mexican Street Corn?

Serve it warm as a side dish or snack. It also pairs well with grilled chicken, steak, burgers, tacos, or barbecue.

Wrapping Up

This Mexican street corn follows a simple skillet-to-bowl method: char the kernels in olive oil and butter, coat them with the creamy Tajín, jalapeño, garlic, and lime sauce, then fold in the green onions, cilantro, and cotija. A final sprinkle of Tajín and cotija finishes the warm, buttery, creamy, tangy, and cheesy corn.

Recipe created by Cooking With Clint for Trust Me Try It.

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