Cinco de Mayo Street Corn (Printable)

A festive dish featuring roasted corn, melty cheese, and smoky chipotle crema for dipping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
02 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
03 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
05 - 1 lime, cut into wedges

→ Dairy

06 - 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
07 - ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese, plus extra for garnish
08 - 1 cup sour cream

→ Spices and Pantry

09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
12 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 - 8 medium flour tortillas

→ Chipotle Crema

15 - ½ cup sour cream
16 - 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
17 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
18 - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
19 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
02 - Add diced red onion and jalapeño to the skillet. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in fresh cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, chopped chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
04 - Lay out 4 tortillas and evenly distribute half of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese over each tortilla. Top with the prepared corn mixture, then sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Place the remaining 4 tortillas on top and press gently.
05 - Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges. Drizzle with chipotle crema and garnish with extra crumbled Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The corn gets charred just enough to taste almost grilled, even in a regular pan on your stovetop.
  • Cotija cheese adds this salty, crumbly texture that makes it taste authentically Mexican without any fussiness.
  • The chipotle crema tastes like you sweated over it for hours, but it's literally five ingredients whisked together.
  • It's vegetarian but so satisfying that nobody notices or cares.
02 -
  • Don't cook quesadillas on high heat or the outside burns before the cheese melts inside—medium heat is your friend, even though it feels slow.
  • If your filling is too wet from sautéing vegetables, it makes the tortilla soggy no matter how well you cook it, so drain any excess liquid before assembling.
03 -
  • Room temperature tortillas fold and cook way more evenly than cold ones, so pull them out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you start assembling.
  • Press the quesadilla gently with your spatula while it cooks—this helps the cheese distribute evenly and holds everything together as you flip.
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