Mexican Street Corn: Easy Vegan Skillet Recipe in 20 Minutes
This vegan Mexican street corn is the side dish I make every single taco night, and it’s the first bowl to empty every time. Charred corn gets tossed in a tangy lime crema with chili and garlic, then topped with a quick salty tofu cotija, cilantro and green onions. It’s creamy, smoky, a little spicy and ready in 20 minutes.
Street corn is usually grilled on the cob in summer, but in October my grill is put away and fresh corn is long gone. So I make the off-the-cob version, called esquites, in a hot cast iron skillet with a bag of frozen corn. It chars beautifully, costs about $5 for six servings and tastes like a sunny afternoon even when it’s raining.
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes | Total: 20 minutes | Serves: 6 | Diet: vegan, gluten-free
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Street Corn
- It’s ready in 20 minutes. One skillet, one bowl and very little chopping.
- Frozen corn works perfectly. No grill and no shucking required.
- It’s creamy and cheesy without dairy. Nutritional yeast and a tofu cotija do the trick.
- It feeds a crowd cheaply. About 85 cents per serving.
- It goes with everything. Tacos, burrito bowls, veggie burgers or straight from the bowl with a spoon.
Ingredients
This Mexican street corn has three parts: the charred corn, a lime crema and a quick tofu cotija for the top. If you can’t find vegan mayo, use all plant yogurt and add 1 teaspoon of oil.
For the Corn
- 5 cups corn kernels, frozen and thawed or cut from 6 ears (750g)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided (2g)
For the Lime Crema
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (55g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plain plant yogurt (60g)
- 1 lime, zested and juiced, about 2 tablespoons juice (30ml)
- 1 small clove garlic, finely grated (3g)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (8g)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for topping (2.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (1g)
For the Tofu Cotija and Toppings
- 3 ounces extra-firm tofu, patted dry and finely crumbled (85g)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (4g)
- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (5ml)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (5g)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (30g)
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced, optional (10g)
Ingredient Notes
Corn: One 2-pound bag of frozen corn is roughly 5 to 6 cups. Thaw it overnight in the fridge or under cool running water in a colander, then dry it well.
Plant yogurt: Use plain and unsweetened. Vanilla yogurt will make your corn taste like dessert, and not in a good way.
Tofu: Extra-firm tofu crumbles into tiny salty bits that look and taste a lot like cotija. Use the rest of the block in a stir-fry later in the week.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn
- Make the Tofu Cotija. Mix the crumbled tofu, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Stir Up the Crema. In a large bowl, whisk the vegan mayo, yogurt, lime zest and juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, chili powder and smoked paprika.
- Dry the Corn. Pat the thawed corn very dry with a towel. Dry corn chars instead of steaming.
- Char the Corn. Heat the oil in a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn in a single layer with 1/4 teaspoon salt and leave it alone for 3 to 4 minutes until browned underneath. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until spotted with dark char. Work in two batches if your pan is small.
- Toss. Scrape the hot corn into the bowl with the crema and toss until coated. Fold in most of the cilantro, green onions and jalapeno.
- Top and Serve. Pile onto a platter, sprinkle with the tofu cotija, the remaining herbs and a pinch of chili powder. Serve warm with lime wedges.
Tips for the Best Mexican Street Corn
Dry the corn really well. This is the most important step. Wet corn steams and turns pale. Dry corn browns and gets those sweet, smoky charred bits.
Use high heat and leave it alone. Resist the urge to stir. Let the corn sit undisturbed for a few minutes so it can brown.
Don’t crowd the pan. If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook the corn in two batches. Crowded corn steams.
Toss while hot. Hot corn soaks up the crema better and warms the sauce through. Mexican street corn is best served warm.
Taste for salt and lime. Corn sweetness varies a lot. A squeeze more lime and a pinch of salt usually make it pop.
Why I Make It in a Skillet
Classic elotes are grilled on the cob, slathered in crema and rolled in cheese. They’re delicious, but they need a grill and good fresh corn, and they’re messy to eat at a crowded table. Esquites, the cup version sold by street vendors in Mexico, gives you the same flavors in a scoopable side dish that’s easy to share.
A heavy skillet gets hot enough to blister the kernels and bring out their natural sugars, which gives you that grilled flavor indoors. Cast iron is my favorite because it holds heat well, but any heavy stainless pan works. Nonstick pans don’t brown as deeply, so give the corn a couple extra minutes.
Making it this way also means you can enjoy Mexican street corn in October, January or any time you have a bag of frozen corn in the freezer.
How to Serve It for a Crowd
For game day or a party, double the recipe and keep the Mexican street corn warm in a slow cooker on the low setting, stirring now and then. Set out the tofu cotija, extra lime wedges, chili powder and hot sauce in small bowls so people can top their own cups. It looks like a little street food stand and saves you from refilling the platter all night.
Variations and Budget Swaps
- Chipotle street corn: Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo into the crema.
- Make it a meal: Fold in a can of rinsed black beans and serve over rice.
- Grilled on the cob: In summer, grill 6 ears, brush with the crema and sprinkle with tofu cotija and chili.
- Extra heat: Add a pinch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Pasta salad: Toss with 8 ounces of cooked small pasta and an extra squeeze of lime for a potluck side.
Corn counts as a whole grain, which surprises a lot of people. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explains more about whole grains and why they’re worth eating.
What It Costs
My breakdown this fall: a 2-pound bag of frozen corn $2.50, vegan mayo and yogurt about $0.80, tofu $0.55, lime $0.35, green onions and cilantro $0.70, and nutritional yeast, garlic and spices around $0.35. That’s about $5.25 for six servings of Mexican street corn.
What to Serve It With
This is one of the best side dishes for tacos, and it’s lovely with burrito bowls, black bean burgers and veggie quesadillas. For a potluck spread, put it next to a big bowl of my sesame noodle salad, and finish the night with a warm spiced pear crisp.
Storage
Fridge: Store leftover Mexican street corn in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the tofu cotija separate if you can.
Reheating: It’s tasty cold as a corn salad, or warm it gently in a skillet for 2 to 3 minutes.
Freezing: The crema doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing the finished dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned corn for Mexican street corn?
Yes. Use two 15-ounce cans, drained and patted very dry. Canned corn is softer, so it won’t char quite as much, but the flavor is still great.
What is the difference between elotes and esquites?
Elotes is street corn on the cob. Esquites is the same idea served off the cob in a cup or bowl. This recipe is esquites-style.
Is this street corn spicy?
It’s mild with just chili powder. For more heat, add the jalapeno, cayenne or chipotle.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the crema and tofu cotija up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the fridge. Char the corn right before serving for the best texture.
What can I use instead of tofu cotija?
Store-bought vegan feta works well, or skip it and add an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the crema.
Make It for Taco Night
This vegan Mexican street corn brings big, bright flavor to the table with almost no effort. It’s cheap, quick and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and it works just as well for a family dinner on a Tuesday as it does for a whole room on game day. For more ideas, browse my easy vegan dinner recipes.
If this corn was the star of your taco night, share the recipe with a friend who loves street food, and follow me on Pinterest for more budget vegan sides and dinners. After you make it, rate it in the recipe card below and tell me in the comments what you served it with. Happy cooking!
