Roasted Cajun corn on the cob is easy to make in the comfort of your home. Perfectly baked (or grilled, boiled) corn is dipped in a creamy-cajun-mayo sauce, sprinkled with salty crumbled cheese, and is the best choice for large summer parties.
If it’s summer where you are now, then the season of corn has probably started by now. And there are tons of ways you can eat this delicious vegetable during this season.
Of course, my go-to is a delicious and easy-baked corn recipe which is similar to Mexican street corn on the cob (my version of it, though!).
Mexican recipes rank very high in our family, we love practically anything from appetizers such as Tostadas, dinner recipes such as Creamy Chicken Enchilada to our side dishes Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, or Lime Cilantro Rice.
There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner + table of contents below for those who like to get straight to the recipe. And for you who like to get full info with tips and tricks, read on!
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Ingredients
The corn is baked in the oven and the recipe is easy and quite straightforward with plenty of room for adjustment. There are few ways to cook corn, but baking or boiling, in my opinion, gives the best flavor. Plus not everyone has a grill and I’ll explain how you can get very similar results just using the oven and a grill pan.
BUT that being said, grilling the corn does give a beautiful char and smoky flavor that even a grill pan won’t be able to do. If you are a newbie it may require some trial and error before finding your best way to cooking it.
Let's quickly go through some of the essential ingredients first.
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- Corn - any type of corn on the cob will do, yellow or white, your call. But white corn is mainly used in Mexico.
- Cajun - feel free to adjust the amount if feels too spicy or simply don’t add it to the mayo mix later. But I found the ratio in this recipe works great and I’d say it's rather mildly spicy, (even kids can eat) and for adults, I always add a small bowl of extra spices on the side. I specifically choose cajun as my main spice here, as in my opinion, it works very well with corn dishes. This is obviously not a Mexican seasoning and feel free to use other spicy spices for a more authentic version.
- Sour cream and mayo - they both add lightness and creaminess to balance off the spicy flavors from the cajun spice.
- Onion and garlic powder - optional, but does give a little extra flavor and combined with corn and mayo does complete the dish well.
- Cotija or feta cheese - If you can’t get cotija, feel free to use crumbled feta, parmesan or finely grated cheddar instead.
Instructions
Oil and spices. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, half of the cajun spice, half of the smoked paprika spice, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper to taste.
Place each cob on a piece of foil. Brush generously with the mixture. Wrap in foil.
It is fine if you have extra oil-spices mixture left, you'll use any leftovers once the corn is done, right before covering it with the mayo sauce.
Bake. Transfer the corn to a baking pan and bake in oven for 30 minutes at 425 F. If you like the corn to be softer, remove it from the oven after 30 minutes, brush it with more oil-spices mixture and bake another 20-25 minutes.
While it is baking, prepare the mayo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, leftover cajun, and paprika (feel free to double the quantity of spices for extra flavor and bright red color!), lime juice (or squeeze it later directly on the corn as needed), salt, and pepper to taste.
Take the corn out from the oven, let cool slightly and brush with leftover oil mixture (optional), and finally brush mayo mix all over the corn.
Optional step. If you want to get the corn slightly charred without using a grill, a grill pan would be a great option here. Transfer the baked corn directly to a lightly greased grill pan and let all the sides grilled until the desired result, don't overcook it though! For this, I'd recommend boiling the corn for about 7-10 minutes less.
Toppings. Top with crumbled feta or cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, cajun. Serve warm!
Tips
There are few ways how you can cook corn:
- How to Boil corn - For the stove, add the cobs, salt to taste into a large pot and fill up with water until it fully covers the vegetables. Corn on the cob boil time: Well, I know people do this differently, but my way is to take it to a boil and then simmer on medium low for 10-15 minutes. Taste test for doneness and seasoning. Optional: After the corn is cooked through, rub with butter or vegetable oil and grill until slightly charred (grill pan can also be used here).
- How to Bake corn - rub the cobs with oil and place the corn on a sheet pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 min at 425 F (220 C). If you like the corn extra soft then let it bake for another 25 minutes.
- How to Grill corn - Soak the corn in warm water for 15-20 minutes, oil the grates and place the cobs directly on the grill until all sides are slightly charred (about 20 minutes.
- Corn on the cob calories - as you already understood one Cajun corn on the cob can be quite high in calories due to the seasonings, creamy sauce and extra toppings. The corn itself is about 100 calories depending on the size obviously, but usually it's around that number. You can reduce calories for this particular recipe by using less or no mayo, or using homemade mayo instead, yogurt and avoiding cheese or using a low calorie cheese option. Or simply brushing the corn with less creamy mixture will be healthier.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Cajun corn as an appetizer or as a side dish for many other Mexican style recipes, such as:
Tacos, Steak Fajitas, Tostadas, Easy Shrimp Fajita, Chicken Enchiladas With White Sauce, White Bean Chicken Chili or Easy Vegan Chili and more.
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Simple Guacamole Recipe (3 ingredient)
Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada
Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe
Baked Chicken Taquitos
Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Or serve this along with other Mexican side dishes such as:
Want to make it a full meal? Start your dinner with a little aperitive like this mouthwatering Skinny Watermelon Margarita or serve Spicy Watermelon Basil Margaritas (Frozen) for dessert!
FAQ
Elotes or Mexican Corn on the cob can be eaten with any other Mexican recipe such as Tacos, Fajitas, Tostadas, Nachos, Chilis. Will work great with a steak too. Read my full recommendations above in this post.
Corn on the cob is an American classic and popular Mexican street food that is called Elote. It is boiled or grilled and served on a stick (or in my version, baked!) or with the husk as a handle. Dipped and topped with creamy sauce, cheese and more spices if needed.
I hope you'll enjoy this easy Cajun Corn recipe and if you make it, please let me know down below in the comments or by tagging @theyummy_bowl under your picture on Instagram.
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Easy Mexican Side Dish Recipes
Cajun Corn On The Cob (Boiled, Baked, or On The Grill)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 ears of corn husked
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoon mayonnaise i used vegan mayo
- ⅓ cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- 1 ½ teaspoon cajun spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- ½ cup feta or cotija crumbled
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chipotle or chili powder optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Oil and spices. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, half of the cajun spice, half of the paprika spice, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper to taste.
- Place each cob on a piece of foil. Brush each corn generously with the mixture. Wrap in foil. It is fine if you have extra oil-spices mixture left, you can brush the corn later, right before brushing with the mayo sauce.
- Transfer the corn to the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 425 F. If you like the corn to be softer, remove it from the oven after 30 minutes, brush it with more oil-spice mixture and bake another 20-25 minutes.
- While cajun corn on the cob is baking, prepare the mayo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, leftover cajun and paprika, lime juice (or squeeze it later directly on the corn as needed), salt, and pepper to taste.
- Take the corn out from the oven, let cool slightly and brush with leftover oil mixture (optional) and finally mayo mix all over the corn. (If you want to get the corn slightly charred without using a grill, a grill pan would be a great option here. Transfer the baked corn directly to a lightly greased grill pan and let all the sides grilled until the desired result, don't overcook it though!).
- Top with crumbled feta or cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, cajun spice. Serve warm!
Video
NOTES
- How to Boil corn on the cob - For the stove, add corn on the cob, salt to taste into a large pot, and fill up with water until it fully covers the corn. Take it to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for 10-15 minutes. Optional: After the corn is cooked through, rub with butter or vegetable oil and grill until slightly charred (grill pan can also be used here).
- How to Bake corn on the cob - Rub the corn with oil and place it on a sheet pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 min at 425 F (220 C). If you like the corn extra soft then let it bake for another 25 minutes.
- How to Grill corn on the cob - Soak the corn in warm water for 15-20 minutes, oil the grates and place the cobs directly on the grill until all sides are slightly charred (about 20 minutes).
PRIVATE NOTES
Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as a story!
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Easy cajun corn on the cob!
Excuse me with all my respect to you, this is a pure Mexican recipe: the whole idea and everything else is from Mexico, you added paprika and the people of Mexico added more things. Please do not appropriate our Mexican gastronomy.
There is a lot of us that will defend and make a protest when anyone try to STEAL the credit and not mention that any particular dish or recipe is MEXICAN!
thank you so much Patricia! I usually never will say that it is a particular exact recipe from cuisine from around the world because it is always MY version of it and people get offended if I do call it Mexican or Russian and etc. But I have now again learned, many people, many opinions.