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Mexican Street Corn Tacos (Easy Tacos with Corn)

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

March 8, 2025

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4.94 from 16 votes

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These Mexican Street Corn Tacos (Tacos with Corn) put a fun twist on elotes or grilled Mexican corn on the cob that’s slathered in a tangy cream sauce and sprinkled with chili powder. Plus, they come together in just 20 minutes!

Mexican Street Corn Tacos arranged on grey plate next to bowl of corn.

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I’m trying to remember back to the first time I tried Mexican Street Corn… I can’t recall exactly when it was, but I do know that I was instantly hooked! It’s grilled corn that’s slathered in a tangy cream sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Really, it’s hard for me to eat corn on the cob any other way now.

I even make my carrots street corn style now.

So, in an effort to get even more Mexican Street Corn into my life I came up with the idea of topping my tacos with a corn mixture that’s got all those same flavors going on. Instead of serving the corn on the cob, in the traditional method, I cut the kernels off and turned them into a corn salad of sorts – preserving all those same great flavors.

I wanted a creamy corn mixture, with a good amount of tang and a bit of heat, but I really wanted that fresh corn flavor to shine through too.

Side view of street corn tacos arranged on plate.

Table of Contents

  • Ingredients Needed
  • Tip How to Get Corn Off the Cob
  • How to Make Tacos with Corn
  • Topping Ideas
  • What to Serve with Them
  • Wine Pairings
  • Full Recipe

Ingredients Needed

  • Chicken
  • Corn
  • Taco Seasoning – You’ll need 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning. Tip: Here’s how much taco seasoning is in one packet. You can also make homemade taco seasoning.
  • Olive Oil
  • Mayonnaise
  • Cotija Cheese (or Parmesan)
  • Jalapeno – seeded for less heat
  • Garlic
  • Lime Juice
  • Chili Powder
  • Tortillas – for serving
  • Cilantro (optional)
  • Red Onion (optional)

Tip: How to Get Corn Off the Cob

Here’s a tip for getting those kernels off the cob.

First shuck your corn and then seek out that bundt pan that’s buried way in the back of your cupboard. Place the corn, stalk side down into the hole of the bundt pan and then cut around the cob. The kernels will fall right down into the pan and will make for much easier cleanup. You won’t have to be chasing those kernels all over the place.

How to Make Tacos with Corn

Pop those bright yellow kernels into a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil and let them get nice and charred – flipping them once while cooking.

Once they’re nice and charred, it’s time to dress them up. I used a tiny bit of mayonnaise (you could also use sour cream or Greek yogurt if you prefer), a good squeeze of lime juice, a bit of jalapeno for heat, garlic, chili powder, and a dash of cilantro at the end to add some freshness.

Let those flavors all mingle together while you prepare your chicken.

Using the same skillet for the corn, cook the chicken – less dishes are always appreciated, right? I thin sliced a couple of chicken breasts, seasoned them with a bit of taco seasoning (the kind you find in the packets), and added them to the hot skillet.

The chicken cooks up really quickly – just a few minutes on each side is all it should take.

After that, it’s time for the assembly process. I layered everything into some tortillas. Then, just pile on your chicken and the corn mixture.

I also added a bit of red onion at the end for a bit of extra color and crunch, but that step is totally optional.

Street corn tacos arranged on plate.

Topping Ideas

These Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos would be great topped with a bit of fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, chipotle crema, poblano cream sauce or cilantro lime crema too! Or try one of these 7 Tasty Taco Sauce Recipes!

Are you a fan of Mexican Street Corn? Have you tried any fun variations on this traditional side dish? Here’s a fun twist for a Mexican Street Corn Salad recipe.

What to Serve with Them

  • Instant Pot Refried Beans
  • Instant Pot Mexican Rice
  • Mexican Street Corn Salad
  • Mexican Pickled Carrots
  • Mexican Black Beans
  • Instant Pot Black Beans
  • Oven Roasted Carrots (Elote Style)
  • Southwest Salad
  • MORE → Taco Sides
  • PLUS → 30+ Mexican soup recipes
  • Be sure to check out these 25+ Mexican Desserts too!

Wine Pairings

  • Try a creamy, fruit forward Viognier or unoaked Chardonnay with these Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos. Fruit-forward, with a bit of body to them, they stand up nicely to the spices in these tacos.

Overhead shot of street corn tacos arranged on plate.

More Taco Recipes

  • Sweet Potato Tacos with Chipotle Crema
  • Korean Tacos with Bulgogi Beef
  • Easy Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
  • Banh Mi Tacos 
  • Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos
  • 7+ Tasty Taco Sauce Recipes
  • 39+ Sides for Tacos

Be sure to check out these 25+ Mexican Desserts too!

Did you try these tacos with corn?

If you loved these elote tacos I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on  Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.

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Save Recipe – Before Recipe Card

Mexican Street Corn Tacos arranged on grey plate next to bowl of corn.

Full Recipe

Street Corn Tacos

These Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos put a fun twist on elotes or grilled Mexican corn on the cob that’s slathered in a tangy cream sauce and sprinkled with chili powder. Plus, they come together in just 20 minutes! 
4.94 from 16 votes
Print Pin
Serves 4 people
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

Mexican Street Corn

  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ears corn (shucked, kernels removed)
  • 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons cotija cheese (crumbled)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 jalapeno (seeded and minced)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely minced or grated)
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • Kosher salt (to taste)

Chicken

  • 2 chicken breasts (thinly sliced (about 1 pound))
  • 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Tacos

  • 1 package flour tortillas (warmed)
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion ((optional))

Instructions

Mexican Street Corn

  • Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add corn, season to taste with salt, and cook without moving until charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss corn, stir, and repeat until charred on second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl and clean skillet. 
  • Add mayonnaise, cheese, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and chili powder and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. 

Chicken

  • Heat oil in the same skillet used for corn over medium-high heat. Add sliced chicken and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Stir to combine and sautee until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. 

Assembly

  • Top tortillas with Mexican street corn and chicken and sprinkle with chopped red onions, if desired. Serve immediately. 

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 526mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

This post was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The Mexican corn tacos recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

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4.94 from 16 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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24 responses

  1. Melissa Chee
    June 19, 2017

    This meal looks absolutely delicious!!! Some of my favorite foods. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 20, 2017

      Thanks Melissa 🙂

      Reply
  2. Pech
    June 19, 2017

    I love Mexican Street Corn too! Right now with summer corn here you have to get them off the cob but in other seasons I use corn niblets

    Reply
  3. create/enjoy
    June 19, 2017

    That looks so delicious!! GREAT that they have non-GMO organic corn tortillas now!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 20, 2017

      Thanks Suzannah!

      Reply
  4. Hillary Harper
    June 20, 2017

    I love Mexican street corn! We try and do taco night every Friday, so this recipe is definitely in my queue 🙂

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 20, 2017

      Friday taco night sounds fun Hillary! I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  5. ania
    June 23, 2017

    This looks absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      June 26, 2017

      Thanks Ania – Cheers!

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious
    July 5, 2017

    5 stars
    Wow- these look AMAZING! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect summer meal. I love Mexican Street Corn, and this twist on it is so creative. Can’t wait to try these!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 5, 2017

      Thanks Elizabeth – I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Gretchen
    July 20, 2017

    5 stars
    Oh yum! Also, curious question … what is the charcoal stone/background in these photos?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 20, 2017

      Hi Gretchen – The background that I use is from Erickson Woodworks – It’s their “Cookie Sheet” background. I think it photographs beautifully.

      Reply
  8. Harriet Frost
    March 5, 2019

    5 stars
    This is delicious! Great recipe, thank you!!

    Reply
  9. Have a Happy (and Cool) Weekend | Veggies By Candlelight
    March 23, 2019

    […] – Mexican sweet corn tacos .. this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad .. and raw + vegan Chunky Monkey ice […]

    Reply
  10. Coco
    September 23, 2019

    5 stars
    This is so good!

    Reply
  11. Tori
    November 13, 2019

    4 stars
    The corn salsa is definitely the highlight of this dish, and I even had to alter a few ingredients. I used Parmesan Cheese (the Kraft kind), and frozen corn since I couldn’t find corn on the cob (out of season). I dried the corn the best I could without squeezing too much, it didn’t get that char that I’m sure the cob corn would have but it was still good none the less! The chicken, needs a bit more love but served on cilantro rice, delicious.

    Reply
  12. Mexican Street Corn with Sweet Potato Tacos [vegetarian]
    August 21, 2020

    […] street corn recipe was adapted from one by Platings and Pairings. Her tacos looked so pretty and colorful, but of course I needed to have a meatless […]

    Reply
  13. Dennis
    May 29, 2022

    5 stars
    Soooooo delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      May 31, 2022

      You’re welcome Dennis!

      Reply
  14. Xenia
    July 31, 2022

    I added pickled onions and hot chilli honey 🤤

    Reply
    1. Erin
      August 4, 2022

      That sounds delish Xenia!

      Reply
  15. Manda S
    May 19, 2023

    This was absolutely amazing, especially the corn! Thoroughly enjoyed this recipe and so did my kids. Will definitely be adding it to our summer meal rotation. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Erin
      May 24, 2023

      Thank you Manda!

      Reply

Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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