Street FoodEasyFree

Prepared Corn on the Cob

Name: Prepared Corn on the Cob
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 Corn cobs; 60 g Cotija cheese; 80 g Mayonnaise; 80 g Soured cream; 2 tsp Chilli powder; 2 Lime; 1 to taste Salt

25 min (5 prep + 20 cook) Easy 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 10 Feb 2026 · Updated: 10 Mar 2026

Corn on the cob slathered with mayo, cream, chilli powder and crumbly cheese.

About this recipe

Elote preparado is a whole cob of corn — either boiled or chargrilled — slathered with mayonnaise, drizzled with cream, and finished with a dusting of chilli powder, crumbled cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime. It's one of Mexico's most popular street snacks.

History & Origin

Elote preparado (dressed sweetcorn on the cob) has roots stretching back millennia in Mesoamerica, where maize was domesticated over 7,000 years ago and was considered sacred by indigenous peoples. The 'prepared' version with mayonnaise and chilli emerged on the streets of Mexico in the 20th century, becoming synonymous with fairs, parks, and Sunday outings. In Mexico City, eloteros wheel their steaming carts through the streets, announcing themselves with their distinctive whistle. The off-the-cob variant is known as 'esquites' in central Mexico and 'trolelote' in the north.

Estimated cost

£12.56

Total cost

£3.14

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

120

Calories

Protein

16g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

280mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Deseed and lightly toast the guajillo chillies in a dry frying pan for about a minute. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes until soft.
💡 Don't burn the chillies — just warm them until fragrant.
2
Blend the soaked chillies with the tomatoes, garlic and a splash of the soaking liquid until smooth.
3
Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan. Fry the chopped onion until translucent, then pour in the chilli-tomato sauce. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
4
Add 1.5 litres of water (or fish stock for extra flavour), bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
5
Add the fish pieces and squid rings first, as they take longest. Cook for 5 minutes.