Spicy Mexican Corn Recipe

The next time you have leftover corn on the cob you have to try this spicy Mexican corn recipe. It’s a buttery and spicy side dish that takes just 15 minutes to make. The flavors of buttery sweet corn and zesty lime go great together with the spices and fresh herbs. It’s the perfect summer side dish that uses leftover corn!

You might also like this rainbow Mexican corn salad recipe!

This is one of my favorite side dish recipes in the summer time. I always overbuy corn on the cob and try to find things to make with it. And this spicy Mexican corn is not only super tasty, but it’s also very easy to make too.

It’s not a low carb dish like I usually make but it’s still a vegetable and my family loves it. I just cut it off the cob and add butter, spices, garlic, lime and cilantro, all of which goes creates a great flavor combination.

So this is a great way to use leftovers and it also only takes 10-15 minutes to make. This is the perfect side dish for busy weeknight meals or dinner on the grill. And check out this post for more leftover corn recipes!

What is Mexican street corn?

Corn on the cob is a common street food in Mexican and is called elote. Street vendors usually cover cobs in mayonnaise and lots of spices and top them with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro. This dish I’m showing you today is a much simpler one but uses all lot of the same flavors of Mexican street corn.

Recipe ingredients I used.

As I mentioned I used cooked ears of corn from the night before. You can use fresh if you prefer or even frozen corn. It just has to be cooked. The other ingredients are butter, garlic, paprika, chili powder, cumin, lime zest, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, salt & pepper.

Tip: An easy way to add a bit of smoky flavor to this dish is to use smoked paprika which you can sometimes find at Trader Joe.  

One thing I did not use was cheese, but if you want try the queso fresco or crumbled cotija cheese sprinkled on top after the dish is finished. You can find queso fresco seasonally at Aldi and I’m sure other big grocery stories might sell it. Unfortunately I don’t usually have either on hand so I didn’t use them.

The difference between queso fresco and cotija cheese. Cotija is aged and therefor drier and the queso fresco is fresh and moist. Both are crumbly and could be used in this recipe if you want.

How to make spicy Mexican corn with leftovers!

Step 1: If you have leftover ears of corn on the cob, cut it off the cob and set aside. Get out a large skillet and heat to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 2: Once the butter has melted add the fresh crushed garlic, lime zest and spices. Miix well to make the spicy butter sauce but reserve the last tablespoon of butter for the end.

Step 3: Add the corn kernels to the spicy butter sauce and sauté for about 2-3 minutes making sure the kernels are heated through.

Step 4: Lastly add the rest of the butter and mix well. Turn the heat off and spoon the corn mixture into a serving bowl. Squeeze the lime juice and sprinkle some cilantro leaves on top and you are ready to serve.

his corn side dish would go great with tacos, chicken (like this marinated grilled chicken), burgers or any meaty main dish.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

Two variations of this Mexican street corn recipe.

While I love this dish just the way it is, here are 2 more variations you might want to try.

1. I had some leftover cajun shrimp from our birthday feast and so I added it to this dish for my lunch. It went great and made it more like a meal. So if you wanted you can add cooked shrimp at the end and mix it well.
2. Another idea is you can make this a cold Mexican street corn salad. It would be great for a picnic or cold summer side dish. Just mix olive oil (2 tablespoons) instead of butter. You could also try a little mayonnaise or sour cream. Mix it with the lime juice, lime zest, garlic and spices so it’s like a creamy dressing. Toss everything together and add a lot of fresh cilantro. Refrigerate it before eating. You can also add some Mexican cheese like queso blanco or cotija cheese. They have the texture of feta cheese but less of a tang to them.

Recipe Tips And Notes

• This is a great recipe for leftovers but you can also use fresh corn kernels or frozen. Just make sure it is cooked before you add it to the pan.
• While this is spicy it is not spicy hot. If you wanted some heat too, you could add a diced jalapeno, or just add some cayenne pepper or even hot pepper flakes.
• I also had leftover cajun shrimp which I chopped up and added. It was really delicious so keep that in mind. I have a cilantro lime shrimp recipe that would go great with this dish.
• This is a great summer side dish and would make a great salad for picnics and parties. I would use olive oil instead of butter and mix it with the garlic, spices and lime juice. Then add the cilantro and maybe chopped green onion and mix well.
• You can add different things like black beans, ripe avocado, cherry tomatoes, etc for a different flavor. Just make sure to avocados after it’s cooked at the end. Here is a very popular black bean salad recipe that you might also like.

So next time you find yourself with leftover corn, reuse it! You’ll love this spicy Mexican corn dish. Next time I think I’m going to add a fresh jalapeno pepper from my hubby’s garden for additional flavor. Enjoy.

The nutritional information for 1 serving is: 172 cals / 9.8g fat / 20g carbs / 0.9g fiber / 3g protein