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Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn

by chunkyinkentucky Leave a Comment

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This easy Instant Pot Mexican corn cooks in 2 minutes at high pressure. Top with cotija cheese and creamy sauce and it’s delish. The perfect side for cookouts, parties and summer gatherings.

street corn covered in cotija cheese and cream sauce garnished with cilantro
creamy and tangy

Contents

  • What is street corn? 
  • what you’ll need
  • step by step instructions
    • step 1: pressure cook the corn
    • step 2: make the cream sauce
    • step 3: brush on the sauce
    • step 4: top with cotija cheese and cilantro
  • tips
  • FAQs
    • What’s cotija cheese?
  • substitutions
  • leftovers
  • What to serve with street corn?
  • Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
      • Corn
      • Elote Sauce
    • Notes
    • Nutrition
  • WHAT GOES WITH CORN?

What is street corn? 

Elote is a term used to describe corn, or street corn. And, in some regions of Mexico, street corn are sold by “eloteros”—people who walk around with a cart selling elotes (street corn). My family loves this Mexican side so much we even make street corn casserole!

This amazing side dish is the perfect recipe when you’re looking for a flavorful, Mexican-inspired recipe for summer cookouts, potlucks or outdoor gatherings. Serve it with carnitas, tacos or alongside a quesadilla.

what you’ll need

For this simple recipe, you’ll need just a few ingredients.

Mexican elote (street corn) ingredients on a table with a tablecloth
ingredients for street corn
  • Corn– on the cob, sweet/yellow
  • Sour cream or crema
  • Cilantro
  • Fresh garlic- I recommend using garlic, as it gives extra flavor to the dish
  • Mayonaise– I used Hellman’s, but any brand will do the trick
  • Chili powder or ground red pepper
  • Lime juice– fresh is best

step by step instructions

instructions for Instant Pot street corn

step 1: pressure cook the corn

  1. Add a cup of water to your instant pot/ pressure cooker
  2. Place the grilling rack so the corn is not submerged in the water
  3. Add 3-4 ears of small corn or stack the corn vertically to evenly cook
  4. Vent (quick release) after pressure cooking for 2 minutes

step 2: make the cream sauce

cotija cream sauce for Mexican street corn
cilantro may be added to the sauce or as a garnish

While the corn is in the Instant Pot, make the cream sauce (or make ahead to save time)

  1. use a tiny wink or fork to blend the ingredients.
  2. refrigerate my sauce for at least 2 hours, allowing time for flavors to combine.

step 3: brush on the sauce

brushing on tangy cream sauce on an ear of yellow corn
the magic is in the cream sauce

step 4: top with cotija cheese and cilantro

so creamy and tangy

tips

  • Pressure cook for only 2 minutes and vent (release pressure quickly)
  • Butter corn after cooking to prevent drying out
  • Save time by choosing pre-husked sweet corn from your local grocer
corn with a bowl of cilantro and cotija cheese next to lime wedges
tip: use taco holders to hold corn in place while adding toppings

FAQs

What’s cotija cheese?

Cotija cheese is made with cows milk, is salty, and similar to parmesan cheese. 

  • Its round in shape (typically) and you won’t need a knife to cut it. 
  • Simply break a portion off and continue breaking the cheese apart until crumbles form. Cotija cheese makes the perfect topping for street corn, tacos, and more.
cotija cheese in a bowl next to street corn and a lime wedge

substitutions

  • Corn– sweet corn or yellow corn work best
  • Mayonnaise– If you don’t like mayo, you won’t even taste it in this recipe. However, you may omit it if you cannot have mayonnaise. Simply add extra crema or sour cream instead.
  • Cotija cheese- feta or queso fresco are great alternatives to feta and they crumble just as well
the perfect corn for BBQs and summer parties

leftovers

  • Leftover sauce– use leftover cream sauce with salsa for burgers, tacos, or for salad dressing. Keep in a sealed, air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Leftover corn– I recommend placing cobs in a moist paper towel in the refrigerator overnight. Pressure cooked corn is best consumed the day of cooking.
three ears of corn with cream sauce, cilantro and crumbled cheese
cilantro and cheese are a perfect pair

What to serve with street corn?

  • tacos
  • carnitas
  • burgers
Mexican street corn with sauce, cojita cheese, cilantro

Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn

Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn is so easy; make in your pressure cooker/Instant Pot in 2 minutes!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 331kcal
Author: chunkyinkentucky

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 4 ears corn
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup sour cream or crema
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic optional
  • ½ cup mayo
  • ½ lime juice only
  • ⅓ cup cotija cheese

Instructions

Corn

  • Add 1 cup water to pressure cooker. Place rack into pressure cooker.
  • Add corn and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Natural release.

Elote Sauce

  • Add all other ingredients to a bowl and whisk or stir with a fork. Top with cotija cheese.

Notes

tips
  • Cook for only 2 minutes and vent (release pressure quickly)
  • Corn will dry out if not buttered or kept moist after cooking
  • Best consumed day of 
leftovers
-place wrapped in a paper towel in the refrigerator
topping
-refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving on corn for best flavor
 

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 963IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

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