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Home / Recipes / Side Dish / Mexican Street Corn Casserole

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

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Author:

Kimber Matherne

Updated:

March 11, 2024

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This Mexican Street Corn Casserole is super easy to make and crazy delicious!  With only a few ingredients you can have this whipped up and in the oven in as little as 5 minutes. Once it bakes you are in for a treat!  This casserole is rich and creamy and filled with the bright flavors of Mexican street corn.  The best part is that since this Mexican Street Corn Casserole is made and baked completely in one dish, there is almost no clean up! 

Scooping a spoonful of Baked Mexican Corn Casserole from serving dish this Recipe

Table of contents

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  • Mexican Street Corn Casserole Recipe
  • How to Make Mexican Street Corn Casserole
  • Recipe Step by Step
  • Recipe Variations
  • What to serve Mexican Street Corn Casserole with
  • Leftovers
  • More Easy Side Dish Recipes
  • Mexican Street Corn Casserole Recipe

Mexican Street Corn Casserole Recipe

Mexican street corn has always been on my list of sides that are so good they give other veggies and sides a bad name.  When I visited Austin last week for a blog conference we ventured out to Torchy’s Tacos.  If you have never been, it is well worth your time to go a bit out of your way to try it if you are ever in the vicinity of one. 

I have been to Torchy’s a handful of times on my trip through Texas, but I have never tried their Mexican Street Corn until this trip.

Why? I don’t know!  It seems so obvious that it would be amazingly delicious and it was every bit as good as I could have imagined.  Their twist on the classic street corn was to take the creamy goodness and bold flavors and layer them in a cup so that you could eat it with a spoon. It was love at first bite.

Since a week after I got home I was still dreaming of this Mexican Street Corn in a cup, I thought I should probably try my hand at recreating it.  Although this isn’t an exact replica, it is really delicious and has all the wonderfulness of Mexican Street Corn served in a super easy to eat way.

So give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments!

What is Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican Street Corn, or Elote, is a popular street food found in Mexico. Traditionally, it is a roasted ear of corn that is smothered in mayonnaise, spices, and crumbled cheese and then served whole.

This Elote Casserole uses the flavors of traditional Mexican Street Corn for inspiration, and turns it into a drool-worthy, super easy to make, casserole side dish that can easily feed a crowd. This makes it perfect for a side dish for family dinner, a potluck, or neighborhood BBQ.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Casserole

I am going to walk through some highlights of the recipe here.  Hopefully if there are any questions that pop up on the recipe for you, this will answer them.  If not feel free to pop them in the comments for me. You can find the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients + Substitutions

  • Frozen corn, thawed- I use a large family sized bag of corn.  If you didn’t take the corn out of the freezer to thaw, you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it gets to be thawed then work from there.

    Alternately, you can substitute an equal amount of canned corn that has been drained, or fresh corn kernels that have been cooked and cut from the cob to make this recipe.
  • Mayonnaise- Yes, this recipe has mayonnaise, but it doesn’t taste like mayonnaise! You can use light mayo, but I don’t recommend substituting Miracle Whip since the flavor is so different.
  • Sour cream- I use regular sour cream, but you could also substitute light sour cream for a good result.
  • Spices– We use a combination of chili powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper (optional)- I leave this out or reduce it to just a dash when I am making it for the kids, but both my husband and I really enjoy it with a kick.  If you don’t want spicy make sure to leave this out!
  • Queso fresco, grated or crumbled- This is a Mexican cheese and can often be found in the case with the specialty cheeses if it is not in the regular cheese section. If you can’t find it at all, you could use parmesan cheese, it is quite different than queso fresco, but it would still be yummy. You can also substitute Cotija cheese as well, which is closer to queso fresco.

For Garnish

  • Fresh cilantro, chopped- If you are one of those weird cilantro haters, I don’t understand you, but you can leave this out.
  • Lime Juice- Feel free to squeeze a little juice from fresh limes over the top
Step by Step for how to make Mexican Street Corn Casserole- 1. Pour corn into casserole dish. 2. Add Mayo, sour cream, and spices. 3. Mix and top with Cheese. 4. Bake then garnish with cheese and cilantro.

Recipe Step by Step

Using this simple method, you are able to make this easy Mexican Corn Casserole using just one dish!

  1. Pour the corn into a large. casserole dish. You can use a 9×13″ baking dish or a 2.5-3 quartt casserole dish.
  2. Add the mayo, sour cream, spices, and half of the cheese to the casserole dish.
  3. Mix everything together, scraping down the edges as needed.
  4. Bake and then top with the corn mixture remaining cheese, cilantro and lime juice.

Recipe Variations

While I think this recipe is pretty perfect as is, there are a few fun twists you can try to change it up a bit!

  • Jalapeno Street Corn Casserole– For a spicy twist, add diced jalapeno peppers to the corn mixture before baking. Or keep it more mild by adding diced green chiles.
  • Loaded Elote Casserole– For this variation, saute diced onions and bell pepper, then add to the corn mixture the onions, peppers, diced green chiles, crumbled bacon (optional). Top the casserole add directed, adding sliced jalapeños and diced green onions to the top as well.
  • Spicy Mexican Corn Casserole– To amp up the heat in this side dish, you have a few options. You can just increase the cayenne pepper if you want the heat to go up without changing the flavor. If you want even more heat, you can add red pepper flakes, and diced jalapeno to the corn mixture as well.

What to serve Mexican Street Corn Casserole with

This Mexican Street Corn Casserole goes well any meal you need a little more delicious with.  Just kidding, but really, it can pack a punch when you serve it with anything Mexican inspired or just more classic American meat dishes.  Since this dish serves a crowd it is great for a family dinner, but also perfect for a potluck or barbecue! Here are some meal ideas that I think are perfect for this dish:

  • Tacos– Duh!  Torchy’s had the right idea.  It goes perfectly with my absolute FAVORITE Taco Meat recipe, or try some of my other popular tacos:
    • Baked Chicken Tacos
    • BBQ Brisket Tacos
    • Crispy Ground Beef Baked Tacos
    • Carnitas Street Tacos
  • Fajitas– Whether you are in the mood for Chicken Fajitas, Steak Fajitas, or Pork Fajitas, this Mexican Corn Bake is perfect!
  • Carne Asada– Try this classic Carne Asada recipe!
  • Hamburgers or Hot Dogs– Try it with traditional hot dogs, or our Baked Chili Cheese Dogs. Go with everyday Hamburgers or our Buffalo Chicken Burgers!
  • Grilled steak or Baked chicken– Since grilling season is right around the corner, this side can be your new go to for almost anything you make on the grill!
  • Enchiladas– We love these Beef Enchiladas and our go to Chicken Spinach Enchiladas!
  • Chicken Bakes — I have a lot of Chicken bakes but I think this Black Bean Chicken Bake would be perfect! Mesquite Chicken Bake would also go well .
Mexican Corn Bake in a bowl

Leftovers

If you have leftovers of this Mexican Corn Casserole, they save well and can be reheated for another day. Place the leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave at 30 second increments, stirring in between, or covered in an oven safe dish at 350˚F until heated through.

Mexican Street Corn FAQ’s

Can I half the Mexican Street Corn Casserole recipe?

Yes!  This recipe does make a lot.  If you prefer to make a smaller amount you can easily half the recipe to get a size that serves 4 easily.

Can I make this lighter?

I have created this recipe modeled after the flavors in traditional Mexican Street Corn.  You can try using light sour cream or mayo or slightly lower quantities of them, but it may impact the flavor of the dish.

Can I use canned corn or fresh corn instead of frozen?

You can use an equal quantity of canned corn that has been drained, or fresh corn that has been cooked and cut from the cob.

What is Mexican Street Corn?

Mexican Street Corn, or Elote, is a popular street food found in Mexico. Traditionally, it is a roasted ear of corn that is smothered in mayonnaise, spices, and crumbled cheese and then served whole.

More Easy Side Dish Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my side dish recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite corn recipes and Mexican side dishes below.

  • Crockpot Refried Beans
  • How to Make Canned Black Beans taste amazing!
  • Grandma’s Baked Mac and Cheese
  • Jiffy Corn Casserole
  • Instant Pot Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family do!

If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you let me know!  You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me @easyfamilyrecipes so that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!

Oh and before you go!… If you need a regular rotation of recipe inspiration like me, make sure to sign up to get our emails!  I send out my new favorites, the recipes my family has been devouring, and some of the best tried and true recipes.  It is easy and free of course!  You can click here to sign up or on the button below.

Close up of Elote Corn Casserole in baking dish

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

By: Kimber Matherne
4.87 from 81 votes
This Mexican Street Corn Casserole is super easy to make and crazy delicious!  With only a few ingredients you can have this whipped up and in the oven in as little as 5 minutes. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
8 servings
Rate this Recipe Print Pin SaveSaved!

Ingredients 

  • 32 oz frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1.5 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
  • 5 oz queso fresco, grated or crumbled

For Garnish

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • fresh lime juice, to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F
  • Pour the corn into a large casserole dish.  Mix in the mayo, sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and half of the queso fresco until combined.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and the sides begin to bubble.
  • Sprinkle the remaining queso fresco over the casserole and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Last step!Share a picture on Instagram and tag me at @easyfamilyrecipes!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 289kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 28g (9%), Protein: 7g (14%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Cholesterol: 25mg (8%), Sodium: 393mg (17%), Potassium: 386mg (11%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 450IU (9%), Vitamin C: 8.4mg (10%), Calcium: 122mg (12%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

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4.87 from 81 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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190 responses

  1. Tami McKanna
    October 13, 2021

    Awesome recipe 👍

    Reply
  2. Shiela M Granado
    July 30, 2021

    5 stars
    It’s my go to Mexicali side dish and always requested for pot lucks.. . I am not given a choice of what to bring, lol

    Reply
  3. Michael Harrell
    July 11, 2021

    Great base to start the recipe but I actually did some modifications. Traveling extensively through Mexico and having eaten this many times, I start by heating a cast iron skillet to high temp, add a dash of butter to wet the bottom and char the corn first. After doing in batches I move all ingredients to the crock pot for 3-4 hours on low. My wife’s family is all from Mexico and says it’s the best they have had.

    Reply
  4. LaShondra Burke
    July 7, 2021

    5 stars
    Delicious taste before putting in the oven.

    Reply
  5. Christine @ myblissfulmess.com
    July 3, 2021

    5 stars

    5 stars
    Excellent side dish for a Mexican inspired dinner. I served this along side some Cilantro Lime Ranch Grilled Chicken. This corn casserole makes a lot, but it reheats well. I did not use the cayenne pepper but used black better instead. I also used light mayo and light sour cream with awesome results.

    Reply
  6. Shawn
    June 21, 2021

    5 stars
    I halved the recipe but only used 12 oz frozen corn, so the ratio to liquid was a bit off. However, the taste was amazing and it was super easy to pull together. Next time more corn!

    Reply
  7. Erin Wilson
    June 15, 2021

    What is Queso Fresco? I looked it up and it says it’s any white fresh cheese. What did you use? Feta?

    Reply
    1. Kimber Matherne
      June 15, 2021

      It is a crumbly white cheese. It is not feta but usually sold in a round wheel. I can find it in the cheese section of most grocery stores including Walmart in the south

      Reply
    2. Terri Jones
      June 16, 2021

      It’s a crumbly mexican cheese. It’s delicious and mild..

      Reply
  8. Chris
    May 26, 2021

    Went through the comments, but haven’t seen if anyone has tried this in the crockpot? If so, did it work? Thanks! Looking forward to making this for our camping group.

    Reply
  9. Jamie Thompson
    May 6, 2021

    We are having a taco bar birthday/graduation party. There will be 25 people there.. if I double this recipe do you think that will be enough ?

    Reply
  10. Betty Skinner
    April 5, 2021

    Great recipe! The family loves it

    Reply
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