If you only make corn on the cob once this summer, let it be this recipe! This Healthy Grilled Mexican Street Corn takes corn on the cob to an entirely new level of deliciousness!
Grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook corn in the summer, especially when it's smothered with delicious toppings like creamy chili lime sauce, feta cheese, cilantro and red pepper flakes! It's not only healthy, it's gluten-free, fast and easy to make. But the best part is that it's Weight Watchers friendly. Yet, it's so loaded with flavor that no one would ever be able to tell it's WW friendly! This recipe is 4 WW points.
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This is one of my favorite times of the year because it's peak corn season and that means fresh corn! And we are very fortunate to have easy access to Taber corn here in Calgary! Taber, Alberta is known as the Corn Capital of Canada and it's famous for its corn because of the ample sunshine the area receives. The sun warms the soil around the crop during the day, then the cool Alberta nights bring out the natural sugars in this corn, resulting in a sweet, crisp cob! In fact, Taber corn is so sought after (with a price tag to match) that vendors selling knock-offs at roadside stands trying to pass off 'other corn' as Taber corn on unsuspecting buyers.
I love corn on the cob, so I'm actually happy to have fresh corn at all. But since discovering this Mexican style grilled corn, I honestly don't think I can go back plain old corn on the cob. And since I've come up with a healthier, lighter and WW friendly version of it, I don't have to! Mexican Grilled corn is an easy and fun way to enjoy the short summer corn season.
🥘 Ingredients
Your typical Mexican Corn on the cob uses Cotija cheese, which has 35.7 g of fat and 446 calories! I wanted to make it lighter and healthier so I opted to use fat-free feta cheese. Authentic Mexican corn on the cob also uses crema, which is similar to sour cream but a little runnier and sweeter and also a little higher in fat and calories. Where many people use Greek yogurt, I use low-fat mayonnaise and non-fat sour cream instead, to lighten it up even further. The feta gives it a nice salty zing, the crushed red peppers give it a spicy bite and the fresh lime and cilantro take it to that next level fresh summer taste!
For this Grilled Mexican Street Corn recipe, you'll need:
- ears of sweet corn husks
- fat-free sour cream
- light mayonnaise - I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- fat-free feta cheese
- chopped fresh cilantro
- salt
- garlic
- chili powder
- crushed red pepper
- limes
- light parmesan cheese
*see recipe card for quantities
💭What is Elote?
Elote is what this corn on the cob is known as in the streets of Mexico. It's sold by street vendors and at festivals. And this loaded grilled corn on the cob is completely irresistible - I'm officially addicted to it. No wonder it's such a popular Mexican street food! In fact, I'll be making it again this week.
🔪Instructions
This grilled Mexican Street Corn is easy to make on the grill
- Heat grill to 400 degrees F. Clean the grates once it has heated. Add a little cooking oil to grill.
- Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, salt chili powder, lime zest and lime juice. Add more salt to taste, if desired. Set aside.
- Grill corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3-5 minutes or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
- Using a bbq or pastry brush, coat each ear of corn with the mix of mayo and sour cream. Toppings: Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
- Then add the toppings! Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, crushed red pepper and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Spicier - use hot sauce or cayenne pepper
- Add-ins - use green onions or red onion
- Oil - you can use olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil
- Cheese - you can use Cojita or queso fresco
- Cilantro-if I don't have fresh cilantro, I use cilantro I dehydrated in the air fryer- it's the next best thing to fresh!
🥗What to serve with Healthy Mexican Grilled Street Corn
This lighter version of traditional Mexican street corn is also perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations as a party snack or side and pairs well with so many recipes! Personally, I grill all year 'round (seriously, I shovel a path through the snow to get to the BBQ, ) but if you don't, you can easily grill this corn in the oven. And as a summer grilled side, it goes perfectly with a simple BBQ pork, like this Marinated Grilled Maple Lemon Pork.
And if you're looking for Mexican dishes to go with this Healthy Elote, try my Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas (shown) or my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe (gluten-free)!
🌡️Storage
Store this healthy Mexican street corn for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The ingredients do not stand up to freezing.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 6 servings. But you can double or triple the recipe by simply clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is 4 WW points.
If you're hoping to take advantage of the fresh corn this season and looking for street corn recipes, then you’ll definitely want to try this Healthy Grilled Mexican Street Corn Recipe- it's the perfect summer side dish!
🌽 Healthy Mexican Street Corn Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium ears sweet corn husks removed
Sauce
- ½ cup fat-free sour cream
- ¼ cup light or fat-free mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime zest from one lime
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice from one lime
Topping
- ½ cup fat-free feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Crushed red pepper
Garnish
- 6 Lime wedges
- 1.5 tablespoon light Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Heat outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Clean the grates once it has heated. Add a little cooking oil to grill.
Sauce
- Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, salt chili powder, lime zest and lime juice. Add more salt to taste, if desired. Set aside.
Grilling
- Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3-5 minutes or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
- Using a bbq or pastry brush, coat each ear of corn with the sour cream mixture.
Toppings
- Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and cilantro.
Garnish
- Serve with lime wedges.
Sadia Malik
This recipe is delicious. I don't think I have ever seen a Taber corn here in Ontario.
Terri Gilson
Hi Sadia: no, it's an Alberta thing so you likely wouldn't have seen it. Especially this year - I heard hail wiped out a lot of their crop, so it's not as abundant this year, sadly.... But if you ever get a chance to try, I recommend you do!!
Kristen
We LOVE LOVE LOVE Mexican street corn at our house - we even make it in salad form. Your recipe looks fantastic. I'll give this a try to switch it up a notch!
Terri Gilson
I really want to make it in salad form too- that would be soo delicious! Hope you enjoy this, Kristen!
Vanessa
I have been eating fresh corn on the cob on repeat lately. This will be a delicious way to change things up. Looks so good!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Vanessa!
Fareen J
This looks amazing. My kids can't get enough corn. Will definitely be making this.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Fareen! I hope you all enjoy it!