Street Corn On/off The Cob Recipe

Preheat and prepare corn

Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400–450°F / 200–230°C). Husk the corn and remove silk. Lightly brush each ear with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Grill corn

Place ears directly on the preheated grill. Cook 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, until kernels are charred in spots and tender. Remove from grill and let rest 3–5 minutes so they are cool enough to handle.

While the corn grills, whisk together mayonnaise, finely chopped chipotle in adobo, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust lime, chipotle, or salt to preference. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or shallow bowl for easy application.

Crumble the queso cotija (if not already crumbled). Chop cilantro and cut lime into wedges. Have chili powder ready for dusting.

Coat corn with chipotle mayo

Working one ear at a time, brush or spread about 2–3 tablespoons of the chipotle mayonnaise evenly over each grilled ear, covering the charred kernels.

Add cheese and season

Immediately roll or sprinkle each coated ear in the crumbled queso cotija so the cheese sticks to the mayo. Sprinkle a light dusting (about 1/4 teaspoon) of chili powder over each ear and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top.

If serving off the cob: using a sharp knife, stand each cooled ear upright and cut kernels off into a bowl. While still warm, toss the kernels with melted butter and an extra 1–2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (if using) to help the sauce adhere. Stir in 1/2 cup of the crumbled cotija and most of the chopped cilantro, reserving a little for garnish. Adjust salt and lime to taste. Finish with a sprinkle of chili powder and remaining cotija.

Serve the grilled street corn hot. For on-the-cob, present 1 ear per person with a lime wedge. For off-the-cob, serve in bowls garnished with remaining cotija and cilantro. Leftover chipotle mayo can be refrigerated up to 4 days.