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Ready in only 15 minutes, these Mexican Street Corn Tostadas make for an easy lunch or quick dinner that’s also gluten free and vegetarian.
Table of Contents
Something pretty amazing happened this past week.
- These Mexican Street Corn Tostadas happened. Duh.
- I got a new kitty cat!
- One of my best friends got engaged.
- It’s almost Halloween and I’m pretty sure I know what I want my costume to be. (That’s if I actually find somewhere to wear my costume, but that’s besides the point.)
- There is no number five. I’m just getting a little carried away. I love numbered lists!
Okay, let me bring it down a notch and start from the top.
These Mexican Street Corn Tostadas.
Have you ever heard of or made Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)? Like the name suggests, Mexican street corn is usually sold in little food stands along streets in Mexico where there’s lots of tourists and pedestrians walking around.
It’s often sold on the cob or in a cup (called Esquites) and is slathered in mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder and herbs and spices. It may sound a little weird if you’ve never had it before, but trust me, as soon as you try it, you’ll get over it. It’s dammmmnnnn good.
Mexican street corn + refried beans + one crunchy tostada = heaven in my mouth.
Don’t know what a tostada is? I’ve got you. It’s basically a giant, round, thick tortilla chip that you top with whatever your little heart desires and you pick it up and eat it like a pizza. I mean, what doesn’t sound good about that? I purchased the tostadas at my local grocery store in the Hispanic foods aisle, but if you can’t find them there, you might want to go to an ethnic/Hispanic grocery store near you. OR check out Amazon. Because they’ve got it all. Here’s the brand that I recommend: these or these.
Moving on in my list – I got a new kitten late last week! Her name is Lucy, she’s about 5 to 6 months old and she’s black with a little white spot on her chest. She has so much energy and is very outgoing. She seems to have handled the transition wayyy better than Charlie did, at least in the beginning. Now, about 6 days in, Charlie and Lucy are becoming better friends every day. Charlie loves to lick Lucy and seems to be taking on a big brother/dad role. Love it.
Here’s a little video of all the cuteness.
Next, one of my best friends got engaged over the weekend! I’m super excited and happy for her. So nice to see huge smiles on the faces of people you love. 🙂
Lastly, I think I know what I want to be for Halloween. Even if I don’t have anywhere to wear my costume. Ready? I want to dress up as Linda from Bob’s Burgers! Wait – is that lame? Was that a let down? If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll know how perfect it is for me. I’m basically Linda. Linda is a cartoon version of me. She sings ALL the time about everything, the way she talks to her kids is how I picture talking to my kids one day and her and Bob’s relationship is definitely what me and John are like. Linda and I are seriously twins.
If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments below or snap a photo and tag me @isabeleats on Instagram. I’d love to see what you cook!
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Mexican Street Corn Tostadas
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- Juice of half a lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cotija cheese, plus more for topping
- 1 15-ounce can refried beans
- 8 tostada shells, store-bought or homemade
- chili powder to season for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add corn, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and 2 tablespoons of cotija cheese.
- Mix together with a spoon until the corn is evenly coated with all the ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat up the refried beans in a glass dish in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until fully heated through.
- To assemble, spread about 3 to 4 tablespoons of refried beans onto each tostada and top with a scoop or two of the street corn mixture.
- Sprinkle with some cotija cheese and a dash of chili powder.
- Eat up!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made these for dinner tonight and they were fantastic! Definitely adding them to the normal rotation 🙂
Aw, thanks Sarah 🙂
Your blog is a lifesaver. I moved out of my parents house 3 years ago without learning how to cook my mom’s authentic Mexican food and i regret it so much. Lately I’ve been feeling so sick of food that is non-Mexican so I had to call up my mom and ask her how to do certain foods. You have ALOT of the food she makes and other ones as well. It won’t be exactly like hers but it will be close and I’m so happy!! Now even though i don’t live with her anymore i can still eat real Mexican food!! Anyways, thank you for this blog! I will be making this tonight.
Oh my gosh, Elizabeth, thank you so much for all the kind words! It means so much. I moved out quite a few years ago as well so I totally know how you’re feeling. I was the same way! So I made it my personal goal to learn everything I can from my mom and my family about all the delicious food they make. I’m so glad I can share it with you and pass on some Mexican traditions 🙂
Tried these last night, so easy and so much flavor. Will definitely be putting these in regular rotation! I was curious if you know if I could use veganaisse as a substitute for my vegan son?
Thanks, Tracy! I’m so glad you liked it. I think you can definitely use veganaisse – that should be an easy substitute.
These are off the charts!! Total keeper. The sweetness of the corn with the freshness of the cilantro and zesty lime- fantastic combination of flavors! I cut corn off of a couple cobs and cooked it in a skillet for a couple minutes on med-high heat to give it that roasted flavor, but of course this lengthens the prep time. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them, Kelly! Fresh corn right off the cob definitely sounds amazing 🙂
I recently had the corn on the cob version and could have skipped the rest of the meal…it was so good! I never thought of using it from the can but will asap! Would make an awesome dip too with tortilla chips.
That’s such a great idea! It would make a great dip with tortilla chips! 🙂 I like where your head’s at, haha
If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of mayonnaise did u use?
Hi Crystal, I used Hellman’s light mayo. Nothing fancy.
I made these tonight. Our whole family loved them! Delicious☺ Thank you, Isabel!
Aw, thank you, Tina!
This was incredible! I didn’t have the chili powder, unfortunately. But they still turned out great. Even my very picky, die-hard-meat-eater, father, loved them!
I love a quick meal to make when I try home. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much, Casey! It’s one of my favorite easy meals 🙂
Mucho gusto, Isabel!!!
My family lives in Mexico now and street corn is indeed AWESOME!!!! We joyfully discovered it in a market for the first time about 2years ago. Street corn and chamoy apples are our favorite street snacks….aside from the ever present precut fruit covered with lime and salt!!! Seriously, street food in Mexico is the best!
This recipe is a great way to bring the fun street food flavors home!!! Thanks for posting!!!!
Aw, muchas gracias for this wonderful comment! My sister actually LOVES chamoy apples, too. I mean, pretty much all of the street food in Mexico is awesome. I haven’t been in quite a few years, but I can’t wait to go back.
So super quick, cheap, and delicious! The bright flavors of the cilantro and lime made for a perfect summertime dinner!
Thanks so much, Kari! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!