It’s sweet corn season around here and this recipe for elote corn salad on the Flatrock is a delightful way to use fresh corn in an easily-sharable dish. Tender corn kernels are griddled on the Flatrock until golden and tender and then combined with a multitude of traditional elote ingredinetns, resulting in a low-mess, high-taste side dish perfect for any backyard BBQ this summer.
ELOTE BUT MAKE IT LESS MESSY
Elote is a traditional Mexican street food, often found in ethnic neighborhoods and certainly all across Mexico. It’s the perfect summertime treat– hot cooked sweet corn doused in a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream and then seasoned generously with cotija cheese, spices, cilantro and peppers. It should be served with extra napkins because there’s no way you can eat elote without getting it on your cheeks.
We loe cooking up our version of elote on the grills, and our twins are getting a handle on how to eat corn on the cob. But as we’ve been thinking about recipes to share with family and friends this summer, we wanted to take the flavors of elote and make it easier and less messy. And using Traeger’s new Flatrock Griddle would be an added bonus for this recipe– because cooking anything and everything outside is our go-to-activity.
HOW IS ELOTE SERVED?
While we have usually found traditional elote to be served right on the cob (often with the husks still attached as a handle), there are definitely variations on the dish that serve it in a cup or bowl with a spoon. This is what we were going for with our recipe, but our version, of course.
COMMON ELOTE TOPPINGS
Some of the most commonly-found toppings for elote include:
- Mayonaise
- Sour cream or crema Mexicana
- Grated or crumbled cotija cheese (queso fresco or parmesan)
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Tajin seasoning (a flavorful mix of salt, peppers, chiles and lime juice crystals– it’s spicy and tangy all at once)
- Cilantro
- Peppers (serrano or jalapeno)
- Green onions
- Chile powder and/or spices and seasonings (Chile, cumin, garlic, etc.)
- Hot sauce (like Cholula or Tabasco)
WHAT KIND OF CHEESE TO USE FOR ELOTE CORN SALAD?
We like to use cotija cheese for recipes like this, because it’s a classic Mexican cheese that is easy to find and really adaptable. It’s similar to parmesan– but less firm and salty. Cotija usually comes in a round block and with a press of your hands, you can crumble it into breadcrumb-sized pieces.
If you can’t find cotija cheese, look for queso fresco. Or you can use grated parmesan, which has a similar look and texture.
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
- Sweet corn on the cob
- Butter
- Salt Pepper Garlic seasoning blend (or salt, pepper and garlic)
- Limes
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Serrano peppers
- Mayonaise
- Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Tajin seasoning
WHY COOKING ELOTE CORN SALAD ON THE FLATROCK WORKS
Traditionally, elote is a dish served right on the cob– cooked/grilled corn that is slathered in a thick coating of mayonnaise and Mexican crema and then seasoned with Tajin, spices and cilantro. In this recipe, we wanted to make elote but easier to serve for a crowd, and cooking it up on the griddle made the most sense.
The corn kernels, freshly cut off the cob, are given the chance to cook and turn golden through the consistent heat of the Traeger Flatrock. The large surface of the cast iron griddle provides lots of area for the corn kernels to sear (and do some popping) and in about 10 minutes, you have ideally-cooked corn for this recipe.
You could definitely cook up this elote corn salad on another type of grill– simply leave the corn on the cob, remove the husks and cook the corn directly on the grill grates for 5-10 minutes. Be sure to rotate the corn throughout the cook so all sides get golden and cooked.
STEP-BY-STEP
- Preheat your Traeger Flatrock griddle to medium high heat.
- Invert a small bowl inside a larger wide bowl.
- Peel the husks off the corn cobs.
- Placing the corn cob on the smaller bowl, carefully slice the kernels from the cob.
- Chop the cilantro, Serrano peppers and green onions and crumble the cotija cheese.
- Melt the butter on the preheated griddle and immediately add the corn kernels.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula, until the corn is cooked, tender and golden.
- Transfer the griddled corn to a serving bowl.
- To the bowl, add the crema, mayonnaise, lime juice and seasoning.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped cilantro, peppers and green onions and stir again.
- Sprinkle the cotija cheese in the elote corn salad and season again with the Tajin seasoning.
- Stir well to combine and season to taste.
- Serve your elote corn salad on the Flatrock warm or room temperature for best results.
ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS
Cooking fresh sweet corn in the summertime is like a right of passage. Whether it’s steamed in a pan on the stove inside or cut off the cobs and used in a recipe, it’s truly one of the most delicious bites of summertime. Here are some recipes to consider trying:
- Seared scallops with corn and chorizo
- Beef alambre
- Smoked elote corn dip
- Korean corn cheese
- You can also try out the corn salsa recipe that is featured in my cookbook, which you can pick up here.
Products used in this cook:
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Elote Corn Salad on the Traeger Flatrock
Equipment
- Traeger Flatrock griddle
- Large bowl and small bowl
- Small sharp knife
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 3 ears sweet corn on the cob
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp Salt Pepper Garlic seasoning blend or salt, pepper and garlic
- 2 limes
- 2 green onions
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 Serrano pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- 4 tbsp Tajin seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger Flatrock griddle to medium high heat.
- Invert a small bowl inside a larger wide bowl.
- Peel the husks off the corn cobs.
- Placing the corn cob on the smaller bowl, carefully slice the kernels from the cob.
- Chop the cilantro, Serrano peppers and green onions and crumble the cotija cheese.
- Melt the butter on the preheated griddle and immediately add the corn kernels.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula, until the corn is cooked, tender and golden.
- Transfer the griddled corn to a serving bowl.
- To the bowl, add the crema, mayonnaise, lime juice and seasoning.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the chopped cilantro, peppers and green onions and stir again.
- Sprinkle the cotija cheese in the elote corn salad and season again with the Tajin seasoning.
- Stir well to combine and season to taste.
- Serve your elote corn salad warm or room temperature for best results.
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