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Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Simple, flavorful, and sure to please the whole family, this Mexican Street Corn Casserole captures the bright, creamy, and slightly spicy flavors of classic Mexican street corn in an easy, oven-baked dish.
Traditional Mexican street corn starts with grilled ears rubbed with mayonnaise, chili powder, lime, and cotija cheese. This casserole takes those same ingredients and folds them into a comforting, shareable bake — perfect as a side, a dip with tortilla chips, or even a taco filling.
We discovered a delicious version of street corn while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta at Villa Amapas. The villa itself, with an infinity pool and on-site cook Lupe, inspired this casserole adaptation. Lupe’s cooking is the reason I developed this easy-to-make recipe to share with you.
The casserole replicates the savory, tangy, and slightly smoky notes of elote but uses frozen corn and simple pantry ingredients so you can make it any time. When baked it develops a golden, orange-tinged top that looks as good as it tastes.
About Cotija Cheese
Cotija is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese with a salty bite that complements the sweet corn and creamy mayo in this casserole. If you can’t find cotija, a salty, crumbly cheese such as feta can be used as a substitute, though the flavor will differ slightly.
This dish is great for barbecues, potlucks, or weeknight dinners. Serve it as a side, spoon it into tacos, or enjoy leftovers as a dip with chips. It’s versatile, crowd-pleasing, and easy to scale up for larger groups.
Pin for Later
Family-size Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- 10 ounces cotija cheese
- 2 pounds frozen corn
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter (for greasing)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the cotija in a food processor and pulse until crumbled. Reserve half the cotija for topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine the corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, lime juice, half the cotija, and the egg. Whisk until well combined.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with the butter. Pour in the mixture and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until set and slightly golden on top.
- Sprinkle the reserved cotija over the casserole before serving.
Make ahead: Prepare through step 2, refrigerate up to 1 day, then bake at 350°F until warm.
Mexican Street Corn Casserole for a Crowd
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cotija cheese
- 4 pounds frozen corn
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 ounces (about 4 cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons butter (for greasing)
Special Equipment
- Large disposable aluminum roasting pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse cotija in a food processor until crumbled and reserve half.
- Combine corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, lime juice, half the cotija, and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Grease a large disposable roasting pan with butter, pour in the mixture, and bake uncovered for 45–60 minutes until set and golden on top.
- Before serving, sprinkle with the reserved cotija.
Make ahead: Prepare through step 2 and keep covered in a slow cooker on the lowest setting for up to 2 hours before serving.
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