Street Corn Recipe

Preheat Grill and Prep Corn

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high (about 400°F / 200°C). Husk the corn and remove silk. Brush each ear lightly with vegetable oil and sprinkle with kosher salt to season.

Grill Corn

Place corn directly over the grill grates. Grill, turning every 2–3 minutes, until kernels are tender and charred in spots, about 10–12 minutes total. Remove from grill and let cool slightly (3–5 minutes) so you can handle them.

While the corn grills, make the chipotle mayo. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, minced chipotle peppers (start with 1 tbsp, add more to taste), lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, honey and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk until smooth and taste; adjust salt, lime or chipotle level as desired. Keep chilled until ready to use.

For On-the-Cob

If serving on the cob: using a silicone brush or spoon, evenly coat each grilled ear with melted butter (optional) then slather with chipotle mayo. Sprinkle generously with crumbled queso cotija, a light dusting of chili powder or Tajín, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over.

For Off-the-Cob (Street Corn Salad)

If serving off the cob: hold an ear vertically and run a sharp knife down to cut kernels off the cob into a large bowl. Repeat for all ears. While still warm, toss kernels with 1–2 tbs melted butter (optional) and 3–4 tbs chipotle mayo (add more to taste) until coated. Fold in 3/4 cup crumbled cotija and half the cilantro. Season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with remaining cotija, cilantro, a sprinkle of chili powder/Tajín and extra lime wedges.

Final Seasoning & Serve

Taste and adjust: add more lime, salt or chipotle mayo if needed. Serve immediately so the grilled flavor and textures are at their best.