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Home Mexican

Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Adobo Sauce

By:Nagi
Published:27 May '15Updated:14 Sep '20
80 Comments
Recipe v

It’s gnarly looking and messy to eat. This Grilled Mexican Corn is the BEST corn I have ever had in my life. (And I don’t say that lightly).

Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Adobo Mayo and Parmesan

Until a few weeks ago, the best corn I had ever had in my life was David Chang’s Corn with Bacon and Miso butter at Momofuku in NYC. The second best corn I had ever had in my life was Mexican Street Corn in LA (the real deal, called Elotes).

Both of these have now been bumped down not 1, but 2 places. For the most unexpected reason.

I live in a wonderful area of Sydney, known as the Northern Beaches. It’s north of Sydney city and I think it encompasses all that Sydney is known for – beautiful beaches, friendly people, laid back outdoor lifestyle, lots of greenery. And plenty of dog beaches which is a huge plus because my dog Dozer (an abnormally large golden retriever) is obsessed with swimming and chasing sand (yes, chasing sand. Not balls.)

Dozer and friend getting drenched at the beach as usual

Grilled Corn with Chipotle Adobo Mayo (Restaurant Copycat) - this is the best corn I have ever had in my life. Grilling and stovetop instructions included.

However….I wouldn’t say the Northern Beaches is great for ethnic food. As Aussie as I am – and believe me, I need a regular meat pie fix – I blame the Japanese blood in my veins that has me hankering for a good Asian fix at least once a week. So I make the 30 minute drive to the nearest area with plenty of Asian restaurants (for Sydneysiders reading this, it happens to be Chatswood) just to get some real dumplings, Dan Dan Noodles or BBQ Duck or whatever it is that I happen to be craving. (I have also been known to drive all the way to Parramatta – about 50 km away – just to get laksa. Yes, I’m nuts.)

Mexicano
Image courtesy of Mexicano

As a result, I tend to temper my expectations when I dine out locally. So imagine my surprise when I visited a local Mexican restaurant called Mexicano in Narrabeen and not only was it scrumptiously delicious on every level, it is the best Mexican I’ve ever had in Sydney. It’s the closest I’ve had to the real deal (which is saying a lot in Sydney where Tex Mex still dominates). And they do killer margaritas too, which always scores highly in my books.

The stand out was the corn. Really. It sounds so weird saying that. Me, the taco fiend, saying that a vegetable dish was the stand out.

It was that good.

Char grilled, smothered in a chipotle mayo and coated in parmesan cheese, it was so good that I would have hoovered down the whole plate myself except I was with friends and I hear it’s rude not to share (isn’t it?).

So I made it my mission to replicate it at home. The menu describes it as “chargrilled corn with chipotle mayo, cheese, lime and smoked spice.” It took a few goes, making a sauce with punchy enough flavours to compliment rather than being drowned out the strong smoky char grilled flavours. But I’m really happy with what I came up with. I dare to even say that it’s even better than the restaurant’s!

Table with Grilled Mexican Corn and Chipotle Adobo Mayo

So here’s the new Corn Pecking Order:

1. My homemade Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Adobo Sauce (i.e. this recipe….in case it wasn’t clear!)

2. Mexicano‘s (Narrabeen, Sydney) Char Grilled Corn (which I copied)

3. Momofuku David Chang’s Corn with Bacon and Miso Butter

4. Real Mexican Street Corn Elotes (i.e. the real, real deal Mexican corn).

So here’s the recipe for the best Mexican corn ever. At least, in my humble books. 🙂

– Nagi

Painting Grilled Corn with Chipotle Adobo Mayo and rolling in Parmesan coating

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Grilled Corn with Chipotle Adobo Mayo (Restaurant Copycat) - this is the best corn I have ever had in my life. Grilling and stovetop instructions included.

Grilled Mexican Corn with Chipotle Adobo Sauce (Mexicano Restaurant Copycat)

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Total: 15 minutes mins
Grilling, Sides
Mexican
4.85 from 20 votes
Servings4 - 6
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 56
This is the best corn I have ever had. It is a copycat of corn I had at a modern Mexican restaurant in Narrabeen, Sydney, called Mexicano (which I think is the second best corn! 🙂 ) ! The chargrilled flavour is key for the ultimate corn experience. But don't worry! You can make it on stovetop - I've provided directions for both methods.

Real Mexican street corn is sprinkled with Cotjia which isn't available here in Sydney. Parmesan is a ripper substitute - and dare I say it takes it to another level!

Ingredients

Chipotle Adobo Mayo

  • 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce (1 chipotle + sauce totalling 1 1/2 tbsp) (Note 4)
  • 1/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise (Note 1)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Corn

  • 4 to 6 corn on the cob
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (Note 2)
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder , chipotle powder or smoky paprika
  • Lime wedges , for serving

Instructions

  • Place the Chipotle Adobo Mayo ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth. (Note 3)
  • BBQ: Heat the grill side on high. Grill corn for around 8 minutes, or until charred all over and cooked through.
  • Stovetop: Boil a large pot of water. Add the corn and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and let the corn steam dry in the colander for a few minutes. Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil over high heat. Add the corn and cook all over until nicely charred.
  • Allow the corn to cool slightly.
  • Place the parmesan in a shallow dish.
  • Use a pastry brush to generously slather each corn with the Chipotle Adobo Mayo.
  • Roll the corn in the parmesan.
  • Sprinkle with a pinch of ancho chili powder, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Notes:

1. Using whole egg mayonnaise is key to the recipe! Ordinary mayonnaise is more vinegary. Whole egg mayonnaise is available at supermarkets. There are many brands - just look at the label and make sure it says"whole egg". Japanese mayonnaise (called Kewpie that comes in a squeezy bottle) also works well.
2. Using freshly grated parmesan cheese is key to ensure loads sticks onto the corn without it being too "parmesany" and salty. The store bought grated parmesan will create a thick and heavy layer of parmesan which overpowers the corn. If you only have perforated parmesan, rather than rolling the corn in the parmesan, sprinkle it on.
3. If you don't have a small food processor, either double the recipe so you can make it in a regular size food processor or blender. Alternatively, you can ground the chipotle in adobo into a paste using a mortar and pestle or as a last result, chop the chipotle as finely as you can, then mix through the remaining ingredients. Use 1 tsp extra of sauce if you use this method as you'll leave some on the cutting board / mortar and pestle.
4. Chipotles in Adobo Sauce is dried chipotles in a dark red flavoured sauce. It comes in a can and can be purchased at Harris Farm Markets (Australia) for around $3. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a month.
The amount used creates a medium level spicy sauce. It won't blow your head off! Feel free to reduce if you are concerned.
5. This recipe is adapted from this Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Mayonnaise Recipe from NYT Cooking.
6. This definitely does not taste like it only has 138 calories a serving!
Grilled Mexican Corn Chipotle Adobo Mayo Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 94gCalories: 138cal (7%)Carbohydrates: 18.1g (6%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 6.9g (11%)Saturated Fat: 2.5g (16%)Cholesterol: 10mg (3%)Sodium: 294mg (13%)Potassium: 175mg (5%)Fiber: 2.5g (10%)Sugar: 3.2g (4%)Vitamin A: 500IU (10%)Vitamin C: 4.1mg (5%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

 

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80 Comments

  1. Cv says

    March 11, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    2 stars
    Corn was dry, flavours didnt work as i had expected. Not sure what went wrong I usually love Nagi’s recipes.

    Reply
  2. Tash says

    September 20, 2022 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    Soooooo yummy!! A lot of people asked for the recipe when I made these for a lunch. I served alongside mac and cheese, Chang’s noodle salad, pulled pork and potato salad.

    Reply
  3. Becky Murphy says

    June 7, 2022 at 11:58 pm

    Your recipes look great. Looking forward to trying several.

    Reply
  4. Kyra T says

    October 21, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    5 stars
    Whoa 😮One word DELISH! Wish I had of known about this place in Narrabeen when I was in Sydney last month- would of definitely tried the original because this was seriously damn good! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

    Reply
  5. Patricia says

    October 9, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi
    you never cease to delight me!
    I had this corn at that very restaurant in Narabeen a while ago, Food was amazing! And they were kind enough to tell me how they made it and I put it into a file on the PC. and I have made it since then.
    The PC died suddenly and I lost the recipe, so here it is again, so thank you big time!
    Also I am happily in the throes of planning a family dinner for Sunday, which will be my first real cook up after a recent spell in hospital. All good.
    I will be making this corn, your Asian slaw, the chicken skewers with the pineapple and the coconut rice amongst other things for 10 people and a tres leches cake for dessert. I have made one with crushed pineapple under the cream on the top of the cake. Bit of a theme?
    So thank you for giving me my cooking mojo back!
    I never tire of looking at photos of Dozer. Love that boy!

    Reply
    • Patricia Witham says

      October 15, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      Just an update
      I absolutely love this recipe. The corn was fabulous and popular. And the chipotle mayo is stunning
      I used it again tonight on pan toasted tortilla with leftover slow cooked shredded brisket, undressed slaw, shredded salad greens
      My oh my. It’s so versatile and a keeper thank you!

      Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 9, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      Wahoo, sounds amazing Patricia, I hope you have a great dinner!

      Reply
  6. Clare says

    September 6, 2018 at 11:51 am

    5 stars
    I found this recipe while going through your blog (I love your recipes so much I just scroll through looking for food inspo and admiring your gorgeous creations). My first thought was oh, maybe I can recreate the delicious corn from Mexicano! Then I saw that you are from the northern beaches (I’m from Narrabeen) and this where you took your inspiration from!! To say i’m happy about this is an understatement! Have you tried their chocolate margaritas?? Probably my favourite restaurant next to Sunset Sabi. Have you been? I need to try and recreate their cheeseburger gyoza. I can’t wait to try this recipe as every single thing you make is amazing 🙂

    P.S. I love dozer, if you ever have some random female excitedly run up to you and/or Dozer you know that will be me haha!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 6, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      NO WAY!!! You’re a local? I LOVE hearing from locals!!! Mexicano is still the BEST Mexican in Sydney, in my personal opinion! I see the owner around, he’s a good guy. I haven’t tried the margaritas – possibly the ONLY one I haven’t tried!! Sunset Sabi?? I will go! I love getting good restaurant recommendations for around this area! And YES come and say hi to me if we ever run into each other! Good chance I’ll look bed raggled with flour all down my front or yoghurt in my hair (really, I’ve been caught out several times) and/or yelling at Dozer for doing something naughty / eating something random off the streets!!

      Reply
  7. Isaiah Appel says

    August 12, 2016 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    Um…This was as awesome as Jesus. I had my first Mexican style corn in Tx on a street corner and this recipe is good notch or two above. My wife and I loved it so much I made it for my “foodie” In-laws and gained major points. I ended up making a vat (just a 16oz jar actually) of the Chipotle Mayo/sauce. It actually works great for my lunch sandwiches, but I grill the corn often enough I didn’t want to keep remaking the stuff.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 15, 2016 at 9:20 pm

      Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Isaiah, thanks for coming back to let me know! N x

      Reply
  8. Kristen @ The Endless Meal says

    May 31, 2015 at 7:37 am

    5 stars
    This reminds me of Mexican street corn, only better! Pinned!!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 31, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks Kristen! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Karen says

    May 29, 2015 at 9:04 pm

    Just polished off a cob of this amazing goodness. I’ll never boil corn by itself again. Thank you Nagi

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:17 am

      Karen!! I’m SO happy you enjoyed it!! Isn’t it amazing?? Well, I can’t take credit. All credit goes to Mexicano restaurant for giving me the idea!! 🙂 Happy weekend Karen! Hope you have a great one – N x

      Reply
  10. Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says

    May 29, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    Yes, yes and YES! I love Mexican corn, this looks incredible Nagi!!!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:16 am

      Thanks so much Jessica!! I know, Mexican corn is AWESOME! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Bam's Kitchen says

    May 29, 2015 at 4:39 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi, if I served this to my boys they would eat this first and then ask for seconds, maybe thirds. Don’t you just love that extra flavor that grilling adds to the corn ?! I sure wish we could find proper tender and sweet corn here in Hong Kong. The stuff here in Asia is about as tender as cow feed. Not that I have tasted cow feed, mind you, but you get the point. Will have to give this recipe a go when I am back in the Western world. Sharing and pinning, of course!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:15 am

      You know, I never thought about that….I am pretty sure corn is not common in Japan either! How interesting!

      You sure about the cow feed? Go on….tell! I accidentally ate dog biscuits once. SERIOUSLY. They shouldn’t make carob covered dog biscuits – dangerous!

      Reply
  12. Whitney says

    May 29, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    I absolutely love Mexican street corn! India also has a street corn, bhutta. Love it!

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 30, 2015 at 6:14 am

      Ooh!! I didn’t know! I’m going to look it up right away! 🙂

      Reply
      • Whitney says

        May 30, 2015 at 6:52 am

        Girlfriend, just don’t look at my post about it. Ha! It was when I first started blogging and didn’t care about my pictures! =p

        Reply
  13. Amy Spadaro says

    May 29, 2015 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    Nags!
    I’m glad you mentioned the Margaritas we got stuck into that night at Mexicano 🙂
    Was a delicious outing all round!

    Xx

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 9:05 am

      Well, well….hellooooo!!! See, I kept my word. No photos of you “signalling boats” from the sun lounge or demonstrating downward dog or doing your roots or leaving PERSONAL ITEMS of clothing all around the house…. he he he!! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Mila Furman says

    May 29, 2015 at 7:21 am

    Yes…yes YES!!!! God this is amazing!!!! I had corn like this once at a party and I was in love!!! And now I have been reinspired by you to recreate this!!!! Dear god it looks like heaven!!!! Thank you for this… I now have a drool spot on my keyboard.

    Reply
  15. Ai Ping | Curious Nut says

    May 29, 2015 at 7:00 am

    I’d drive one hour just for laksa too.. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:38 am

      You’re my kind of person!! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Helene D'Souza says

    May 29, 2015 at 12:54 am

    5 stars
    The dish and the sauce look like perfect summer time party material. And because it’s hot I think Indians and especially my family would enjoy this completely, however we will need to keep this until next season, after the rains, and then I will make your corn and sauce for them.

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:30 am

      You know, I never thought about corn in India….I actually don’t know any Indian dishes with corn in it…I don’t think?? In Australia corn is available year around. Not in India?

      Reply
  17. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    May 28, 2015 at 11:30 pm

    5 stars
    Now THAT’S corn. I’ve always been a corn purist. Put corn in boiling water, take off heat and leave it for 10 minutes until dinner’s ready, add butter and salt and eat.

    Until I just saw this. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:28 am

      Corn is so good, it doesn’t NEED anything else. But when you do add something to it…..oh my oh my!!! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Bobbi from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen says

    May 28, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    Being from San Diego I totally get what you are saying about elotes. I was obsessed with it and ate it as often as possible right off the little street vendor carts! I have a recipe for it on my blog PLUS an Elotes Pasta Salad. However, THIS looks so frickin’ amazing!! I have got to give it a try. I am nervous that my beloved elotes will get bumped down the line as it did on your list LOL

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:28 am

      Don’t get me wrong! I will gorge myself on Elotes regularly if I had street vendor carts where I live!! I’m sure I wouldn’t bother making these if I could. But because we don’t even have the right cheese here in Sydney, I can’t make anything close to the real Elotes!!! This is only yummier to me because it has more flavour in it because of the sauce. 🙂

      Reply
  19. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

    May 28, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    5 stars
    This looks amazingly delicious 🙂 I would never expect to find really great Mexican in Australia– I’ve had some pretty so-so Tex Mex there! I’ve never been to Sydney though– I have friends in Melbourne, where I can attest to some of the best Asian food I’ve ever had– and I’ve lived in Asia for 6 years now.

    Corn is such a great summer food– or here in the tropics, a year-round food that the American in me will always label “summer.”

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:24 am

      Hey Michelle! You got it bang on – Australia does AMAZING Asian food, I guess because of proximity and we have such a diverse culture which is one of the reasons I LOVE Australia so much! But Mexican is definitely not something that is done well 🙂 But it’s gradually changing!! We need to get more authentic ingredients imported though. Like the cheese! Kills me that we don’t even have cotija here. Where in Asia do you live?

      Reply
      • Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine says

        May 29, 2015 at 10:36 pm

        Now I am living in Malaysia– was in Korea before.

        Another reason Australia’s Asian is better than Asian-Asian? YOUR FRESH PRODUCE! Holy cow. That is one thing I don’t like about living with Asia– it’s so hard to get fresh, nice produce. I am in heaven when I’m in Aus and even small cafes bring out fresh micro greens and beets and roasted veg…

        Reply
        • Nagi | RecipeTin says

          May 30, 2015 at 6:19 am

          True! There is a wider variety here….but there are so many pros for living in Asia too!! i mean – Korea? You’re SO lucky!! Korean food is ALL the rage right now thanks to David Chang. I would love to spend a decent chunk of time in Korea. And Malaysia…come on! Some of the BEST food in the WORLD!! You are sooooooo lucky…… N x

          Reply
  20. Krista Bjorn says

    May 28, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    I just love the Mexican dishes you share here. 🙂 They’re so close to what I know and love from my years in California. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi | RecipeTin says

      May 29, 2015 at 7:23 am

      Thanks Krista!! Some of the best Mexican I’ve ever had was in LA. I can’t wait to go back soon! 🙂

      Reply
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