Mexican Street Corn Recipe

Name: Santa Marías Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from ears) or frozen, thawed; 1 tbs vegetable oil; 1 tbs unsalted butter; 2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped; 3 oz panela cheese or queso fresco, crumbled; 4 each lime wedges; 2 tsp tajín seasoning; 1 tsp extra tajín (for garnish); 1 tbs mayonnaise; 3 tbs Mexican crema or sour cream; 2 tsp lime juice; 0.5 tsp garlic, minced; 0.5 tsp smoked paprika or mild chili powder; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper

Inspired by Santa María

Time20m

Serves4

Warm sweet corn tossed with creamy sauce | panela cheese | tajín

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Ingredients

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Corn & Toppings

4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from ears) or frozen, thawed

1 tbs Tuscany sunflower oil

1 tbs Unsalted butter

2 tbs Fresh cilantro, chopped

3 oz panela cheese or queso fresco, crumbled

4 each Lime wedges

2 tsp tajín seasoning

1 tsp extra tajín (for garnish)

Creamy Sauce

1 tbs Mayonnaise

3 tbs Mexican crema or sour cream

2 tsp ReaLime juice

1/2 tsp Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika or mild chili powder

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Method

Creamy Sauce

Make the sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, crema (or sour cream), lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust salt, lime, or paprika if needed. Set aside.

Cook Corn & Assemble

Heat pan

Place a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and unsalted butter. Heat until butter is melted and mixture is shimmering but not smoking (about 1 minute).

Cook corn

Add the corn kernels in an even layer. Let cook, undisturbed, for 2–3 minutes to get some char. Stir or toss and continue cooking another 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn has some browned/charred spots and is heated through (total 5–7 minutes).

Season corn

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the corn while cooking and crack in the black pepper. Stir to combine so the corn picks up the seasoning.

Combine with sauce

Remove the pan from heat. Pour the prepared creamy sauce over the warm corn and stir thoroughly to coat all kernels evenly.

Finish & garnish

Transfer the sauced corn to a serving bowl. Immediately sprinkle the crumbled panela (or queso fresco) over the top, followed by chopped cilantro. Dust with 2 teaspoons of tajín and an extra 1 teaspoon for garnish if desired. Serve with lime wedges alongside for squeezing over each portion.

Serve

Serve warm as a side or snack. Encourage guests to squeeze lime and toss again before eating so flavor distributes.