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Mexican Street Corn Nachos on a parchment lined baking sheet on a wooden table with a beer and red napkins near by.
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Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Mexican street corn, also known as "elote", is a common street food in Mexico made of grilled corn on the cob with a mixture of mayonnaise, cotija cheese (a hard cow's milk cheese), chili pepper and lime juice. This recipe takes that concept and makes it even more corn-centric by serving the mixture over corn chips for the perfect cheesy, spicy nachos.
Course: Appetizers/Snacks
Cuisine: mexican
Keyword: Vegetarian, Lunch, Great Snacks
Servings: 8
Calories: 528 kcal
Ingredients
Queso Blanco:
  • 1 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1½ cups shredded white Cheddar cheese divided
  • 1½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese divided
  • 3 tablespoons canned diced green chilies
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Nachos:
  • 4 ears corn
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ⅓ cup cotija cheese
  • ¾ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 bag white corn tortilla chips
  • ⅓ cup diced red onion
  • 2 Jalapeño peppers sliced
  • Mexican crema**
  • Fresh chopped cilantro
**Substitution for Mexican crema
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
  1. Make the queso blanco by melting the butter in a medium saucepan and adding the flour. Stir the two ingredients together into a paste. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 1 cup of the white Cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Stir until both cheeses have melted. Add the green chilies, chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper and set the queso blanco aside.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

  3. If you have a grill at your disposal, grill the corn on the cob to char some of the kernels and then slice all the kernels off the cob. If you don't have access to a grill, slice the corn kernels off the cob and sauté them in a skillet over high heat. Transfer the corn to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, cotija cheese and chili powder.

  4. Spread the tortilla chips on a baking sheet and transfer the sheet to the oven for 5 minutes to crisp them up. Pour the queso blanco over the tortilla chips and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top. Sprinkle the corn mixture on the chips and top with the diced red onion and sliced Jalapeño peppers. Return the baking sheet to the oven.
  5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until warm and bubbly.
  6. Drizzle the Mexican crema on top of the nachos and sprinkle with a little chili powder. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Substitution for Mexican Crema
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Amount Per Serving
Calories 528 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Cholesterol 58mg19%
Sodium 784mg33%
Potassium 321mg9%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 695IU14%
Vitamin C 5.6mg7%
Calcium 469mg47%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.