This Mexican street corn casserole aka Elote casserole recipe is a twist on the infamous Mexican corn dish. Traditional Elote is a popular street food that packs in some wicked delicious creamy, salty and spicy flavors, and if you love it, you’ve got to try this version of the dish.
This side dish recipe is perfect to make and enjoy with the entire family or take along to a potluck.
This casserole packs in all the flavors of Mexican street corn in a delicious, easy to eat format that lessens the mess and comes together in just under 40 minutes. Plus, it is a great way to use up any leftover corn that you might have. When I have some I always turn to this recipe, or make some skillet charred corn or whip up a nice corn Pico de Gallo.
If you love a classic creamed corn, but are looking to give it a bit of a twist with some unique flavors, this Mexican inspired recipe can do the trick.
Jump to:
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Elote Casserole
- 💭Top Tip
- How to Store the Leftover Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve the Elote Casserole
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Elote Casserole (Mexican Street Corn Casserole)
What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about this recipe is the fact that it comes together super quick, and is always a hit with everyone! It is actually a perfect side with almost all of my Mexican favorites, and has just a different appeal to it.
If you love tangy and spicy Mexican food, you may also want to try my cucumber and Tajin salad or watermelon and Tajin salad recipes.
Recipe Ingredients
Corn: I used sweet corn kernels for this Mexican street corn recipe. About 1 cup of the corn should work just fine.
Butter: I also added a bit of butter to add some richness and flavor to the casserole dish.
Mayonnaise: A bit of mayo can really bring some much needed creaminess to the casserole dish.
Jalapenos: Chopped jalapenos bring a bit of a color and a kick of heat to the corn casserole.
Sour Cream: Sour cream teams up with the mayonnaise and the cheeses to form this beautiful creamy layer around the corn.
Queso Fresco Cheese: Queso Fresco cheese is perfect for this Mexican corn casserole. It has a nice creamy and milky flavor.
Parmesan Cheese: This one isn’t typical, but I added it in for some extra deliciousness.
Green Onions: Chopped green onions bring some much needed freshness and a bit of a crunch to the baked dish.
Lime Juice: A dash of lime juice helps tie all the flavors together and brings some tanginess into the corn dish.
Seasonings: I used some simple seasonings for this corn bake - cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper powder and a bit of salt. You could also use some Tajin seasoning if you want to.
See recipe card for quantities.
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Substitutions & Variations
- Cotija cheese can be a good substitute for the queso fresco that this Mexican street corn casserole recipe calls for.
- Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese, but if you don’t have any at hand, you can also just use some crumbled feta.
- I used chopped green onions to garnish the dish. If you don’t have it, you can just chop up some fresh cilantro and sprinkle some of it over the casserole right before you serve.
- If you don’t have the cayenne that this recipe calls for, you can use a combination of chili powder and some red pepper flakes to lend some color to the dish.
How to Make Elote Casserole
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the corn, spices and seasonings, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and half of the queso fresco. Give it a good mix.
Step 2: Now add the chopped jalapenos into the corn mixture.
Step 3: Layer this corn Elote mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese and chopped jalapenos.
Step 4: Bake for 30-40 minutes and top with some chopped green onions.
The Elote casserole is now ready to serve.
💭Top Tip
To lend this dish a bit of a smoky flavor, you can use grilled corn instead of the corn stripped from the corn on the cob.
Got some fresh fruits? Try my apples with Tajin, watermelon with Tajin or Tajin and Chamoy strawberries recipes.
How to Store the Leftover Mexican Street Corn Casserole
If you have any leftovers, you can store them for later for up to 3 days. Just make sure you cover the baking dish with some cling wrap or move everything to an airtight container.
The casserole can then be reheated in the microwave, pausing at every 1 minute increments.
Fill these reusable, freezer safe food storage containers with leftovers, batch cooking, or use for canning sauces, jam and fruit. Includes 6 x 1 quart ( 4 cup ) clear containers with 6 green lids
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Ideally, it is best to use fresh corn to make this Elote corn casserole, but if you don’t have it at hand, some leftover corn can do the trick too.
- If you’re using a whole corn on the cob, you may have some of the kernels left over after making this recipe. You can use it to make a spinach and corn frittata for the next day!
- I used regular sour cream for this recipe, but you can also choose to use the low fat version, or use some Greek yogurt as a substitute if you want to make this dish healthier.
How to Serve the Elote Casserole
This amazing Mexican street corn casserole can be enjoyed on its own, or paired with other foods. Here are a few good ideas to get you inspired. You can team up this versatile corn casserole with any tacos of your choice. I always end up making this for taco night- no regrets there!
This unique spin on the traditional Mexican street corn can also work wonderfully with almost all popular Mexican recipes. I love serving it with some quesadillas, burritos and even my chicken fajitas, teamed up with some Chamoy dip.
Recipe FAQs
You totally can! In fact, I highly recommend using it since frozen corn makes this dish so much easier to cook. Just remember to let it thaw completely before you use it for the recipe.
You can also use canned corn to make this Mexican street corn casserole. Just remember to drain off the excess liquid before using it.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Elote casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Elote Casserole (Mexican Street Corn Casserole)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 jalapenos finely chopped
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup Queso Fresco cheese
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 green onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the corn, spices and seasonings, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and half of the queso fresco. Give it a good mix.
- Now add the chopped jalapenos into the corn mixture.
- Layer this corn Elote mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese and chopped jalapenos.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes and top with some chopped green onions. The Elote is now ready to serve.
Notes
- Ideally, it is best to use fresh corn to make this Elote corn casserole, but if you don’t have it at hand, some leftover corn can do the trick too.
- If you’re using a whole corn on the cob, you may have some of the kernels left over after making this recipe. You can use it to make a spinach and corn frittata for the next day!
- I used regular sour cream for this recipe, but you can also choose to use the low fat version, or use some Greek yogurt as a substitute if you want to make this dish healthier.
