Can we both agree that Mexican street corn (also known as elotes Mexicanos) is the single most exciting way to eat Canada’s third most grown crop? Yep, I’m talking about corn!
We’ve become so used to cooking recipes that name corn as just another topping, but it rarely gets the spotlight, you know? This humble vegetable always contributes itself to dishes like salads, salsa, pizza toppings, and more, going unnoticed and staying in the background.
But not this time. Oh, no! In today’s Mexican street corn recipe, we let corn take center stage. The sour cream and oozing melted cheese on Mexican street corn tops plain corn-on-the-cob any day (quite literally).
This Mexican street corn flatbread pizza will blow your mind in ways you never knew possible. It's vibrant, it’s tangy, and lends a little bit of spice from a dash of cayenne pepper.
The sweetness of the corn is enhanced with other secondary ingredients such as garlic, lime, sour cream, cheese, and mayonnaise.
Who knew these tiny vegetables could be so darn tasty? And with this hearty homemade flatbread? Oooh, it just gets better. Let’s get started before I start getting hungry.
Recipe Ingredients
The authentic elotes recipe uses some very specific ingredients like cotija cheese and crema sour cream. However, the goal here (and with most of my recipes) is to make delicious food easy for home cooks, so it was really important for me to use ingredients that were highly accessible.
The substitute ingredients I’ve used in this Mexican flatbread pizza can be easily found in your nearest supermarket. They are:
- Corn - We will char 1 ½ cups of corn kernels in a hot skillet. We are looking for a smoky burnt flavor. For this recipe, you can use fresh, canned, or frozen corn. Fresh corn and canned corn kernels will promise juicier bites for sure! If you are using frozen corn, be sure to thaw it first before heating it up in the skillet. Again, pick the most accessible option for you.
- Flatbreads - All of this Mexican street corn goodness will go onto crispy flatbread, our pizza crust for this recipe. Follow my quick and easy flatbread recipe (you can bake it in the oven before preparing the elotes ingredients). Alternatively, simply purchase 2 large pieces of store-bought flatbread crusts.
- Shredded marble cheese and feta cheese - The authentic elotes recipe calls for cotija cheese. However, shredded marble/cheddar cheese and feta make a good substitute. This divine combination, when melted and oozing on the flatbread, is what makes this plate of street corn look so inviting.
The corn is then accompanied by this incredible Mexican street corn sauce. It is a mixture of:
- Garlic cloves - Garlic will lift all the flavors in this recipe with its grounded umami taste. Without it, the sauce would taste incomplete!
- Lime - Mexican recipes always have an element of zest, and this street corn pizza is no exception. Let’s try using freshly squeezed lime juice or lemon juice for this recipe!
- Cayenne pepper and salt - Cayenne pepper packs a tiny bit of spice to make this recipe a little more interesting. And of course, we will need salt to season the sauce.
- Sour cream - Most Mexican street corn recipes call for crema, which is thinner and has added salt. If you manage to get your hands on crema, that’s great! I find that sour cream does the trick just as well.
- Mayonnaise - I love a good creamy mayonnaise (in moderation!), especially if it’s a jar of Hellmann’s.
- Fresh chopped cilantro - Cilantro is an optional garnish, but I highly recommend it as it balances out the creaminess with a light and fresh aroma.
After you have prepared all your ingredients, the next bit is as easy as pie. The Mexican street corn is ready to be assembled, and off it goes into the oven!
Simply spread the cream sauce over the flatbread, layer on the cheese, and generously sprinkle the charred corn. Then, bake it in the oven (preheated to 400°F) for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Keep an eye on it as the pizza crust turns a beautiful golden brown, and the smoky charred corn perks up, claiming its main role in this dish. Yummy yummy get in my tummy!
Other Delicious Toppings
Your friends and family are going to LOVE this elotes flatbread pizza! Serve it for your next Cinco de Mayo, game day, or any Mexican fiesta.
If you’re expecting guests with different palates and preferences, you may want to serve a few more condiments so that they have the choice to garnish their own pizza. Below are some tasty options that taste great on flatbread pizza, and won’t take up too much time to prepare!
- Mexican pizza - Make a Mexican pizza topping. Mix canned refried beans with taco meat, a hot sauce like Tabasco, avocados, onions, and tomatoes, together with salsa.
- Chili con carne - Get a can of chili con carne and cook it over a stovetop, mixing in some ground beef, jalapeno, and peppers.
- Pico de gallo - A vegetable salsa that’s zesty and refreshing, it makes a great dip for flatbread. Check out my easy recipe here!
See the full recipe card below and follow these simple instructions to make this Mexican flatbread pizza.
Mexican Flatbread Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 flatbreads from my flatbread recipe or store bought
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (best quality such as Hellmann's Real)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large lime freshly juiced
- pinch cayenne pepper
- pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups charred corn can be frozen, fresh or canned
- 1/2 cup of shredded marble cheese
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- Fresh chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- Make my quick and easy flatbread recipe and par-bake as instructed. Or purchase two store-bought flatbread crusts.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and place flatbread on top.
- In cast iron skillet on high char corn.
- In a bowl combine sour cream, mayo, garlic, lime, salt and cayenne pepper. Then spread sauce evenly between the two flatbreads.
- Divide shredded cheese between flatbreads in even layer.
- Divide corn evenly between flatbreads and top with crumbled feta cheese.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes. Once golden brown, remove from the oven and top with optional cilantro.
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