Mexican Street Corn Casserole

5 from 25 votes

Mexican Street Corn Casserole (Elote Casserole) is the perfect side dish for your next Mexican night! Loaded with cilantro, cheese, and spices, it's quick and easy to make.

Say hello to the perfect Mexican night side dish!

This casserole is loaded with ingredients you would find on Mexican Street Corn (or Elote). Cilantro, cheese, chili powder, and cumin are the main flavors that make this dish both bright and spicy.

💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe

This casserole combines the freshness of summer corn and the richness of a casserole into one satisfying dish
It's super easy to make! Just mix, dump, and bake. This would be perfect for a potluck or even a summer side dish.
This is a great way to change up that side dish for Taco Tuesday. Instead of the same old rice or beans, try this!

🌽 Ingredients & Variations

3 15.25oz cans whole-kernel canned corn - This should be drained really well.
⅔ cup sour cream - Use light varieties of sour cream and mayo to trim the fat. You'll barely notice a difference!
⅔ cup mayonnaise - I actually prefer light mayo to lighten the dish up a little bit.
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro - Don't use dried cilantro for this...it doesn't add the same flavor punch.
seasonings - You'll use 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in this dish.
juice of 2 limes - Go with fresh limes vs. bottled lime juice. The freshness makes a difference.
½ cup grated parmesan cheese - I know it sounds strange, but trust me, use the canned kind!

Casserole Additions

This is one of those "use what you have" recipes. By no means do you have to go by my ingredients!

Use frozen corn instead of canned corn. You could also use an equal amount of corn kernels cut off the cob - it's just a little bit more work! I prefer the canned corn because it still has a little bit of texture without being too harsh for the casserole. If you choose to use another variety, you'll need about 6 cups of kernels.
Add about ½ cup of crumbled queso fresco to your casserole. Some people like this addition for a more authentic taste; I prefer to use just the parmesan so the bolder queso fresco doesn't overshadow the dish.
Make this side dish a main course by adding proteins like chicken or steak. Both would need to be cooked prior to adding to the dish. A rotisserie chicken would be perfect for this!

Fan of a good corn dish? 🌽 You'll also want to try my Crock Pot Corn Dip and Crockpot Corn Chowder recipes!

💃 How to Make Mexican Street Corn Casserole

ingredients for mexican street corn casserole in a bowl.

spreading corn casserole in a baking dish.

MIX. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cans of corn, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup mayo, ½ cup chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, juice of 1 lime, and ½ cup parmesan cheese.
POUR mixture into a greased 9x13" glass dish.
BAKE uncovered in a 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until sides are bubbling and top starts to brown.
SPRINKLE top with chopped cilantro, extra parmesan, and remaining lime juice.

🎥 Step-by-Step Recipe Video

🍽️ What to Serve with Elote Casserole

Incorporate this into any Mexican dinner! You can pair it with...

Tacos
Fajitas
Burritos
Enchiladas
Quesadillas
Do a dip dinner! This makes a great dip as well. Pair it with guacamole, Velveeta Rotel sausage dip, and blender salsa.

mexican street corn casserole in a dish, next to limes on a cutting board.

📝 Helpful Recipe Tips & Tricks

You can give the casserole even more flavor depth by grilling the corn before mixing it into the casserole. Drain the canned corn well and grill on a griddle or in a skillet for just a few minutes, until corn starts to brown and pop.
This is a great recipe to make in advance! Just mix ingredients up to 24 hours before baking.
Leftovers can be stored (covered) in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply microwave the casserole when you're ready to enjoy leftovers.

❓FAQs

Definitely not! You can use an equivalent amount of frozen corn or fresh corn cut off the cob. Both of these will give the corn more crunch and texture, if you prefer that.

There are a few easy substitutions that will reduce fat and calories in this dish. Use light sour cream, light mayonnaise, light Greek yogurt, and/or reduced fat cheese. The flavor difference will be minimal!

There isn't one! 🙂 Elote is the Spanish word for what we know as Mexican Street Corn; a cob of corn grilled and covered in toppings like chili powder, lime juice, and cotija cheese or queso fresco.

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leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.

2 Comments

Nicole Saltzman says:

at

How haven't I thought of this before? I'm making Mexican Corn Salad this week with our burritos... maybe this will sub in... I'll use cotija cheese, though, instead of parm.

Reply
1. Leslie says:
  
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  Hope you love it! 🙂
  
  Reply