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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.

3 Mexican Street Corn Tostadas on a wooden table.

Something pretty amazing happened this past week.

  1. These Mexican Street Corn Tostadas happened. Duh.
  2. I got a new kitty cat!
  3. One of my best friends got engaged.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.

A bowl filled with mexican street corn made from yellow kernel corn, mayo, cotija cheese, red onions and cilantro.

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.

A tostada topped with refried beans, mexican street corn and cotija cheese.

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.

Ready in only 15 minutes, these Mexican Street Corn Tostadas made with canned corn, cotija cheese and chopped cilantro make for an easy lunch or quick dinner that's also gluten free and vegetarian.

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. ๐Ÿ™‚

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.

A hand grabbing a mexican street corn tostada.

If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments below or snap a photo and tag me @isabeleats on Instagram. Iโ€™d love to see what you cook!

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4.75 from 106 votes

Mexican Street Corn Tostadas

Ready in only 15 minutes, these Mexican Street Corn Tostadas make for an easy lunch or quick dinner thatโ€™s also gluten free and vegetarian.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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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

Serving: 2tostadas | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 10g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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109 Comments

  1. Heather says:

    5 stars
    I just make the corn salad to accompany protein like shrimp skewers or grilled chicken and it’s phenomenal! I use fresh, raw corn in the summer for the best version of this recipe.

  2. Alysha says:

    5 stars
    Awesome! Perfect summer recipe. Thanks so much for all your amazing vegetarian recipes ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Karen says:

    5 stars
    These were delicious! And so easy! I will definitely make them again!

  4. Cyndi says:

    5 stars
    This is my favorite new recipe of the last five years. Delicious, easy, satisfying. I’ll make it often.

  5. Kathryn says:

    5 stars
    Iโ€™m obsessed with this. Iโ€™ve made it probably 5 times in the last two weeks!!! Soooo delicious, full of flavor, and easy! Iโ€™ve even put the corn mix on lettuce wraps and fajita bowls, itโ€™s really versatile!

  6. Meagan says:

    5 stars
    Super good vegetarian alternative to the traditional tostadas. Very happy to have found this site! Thank you!

  7. Leah says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! This has become one of my familyโ€™s absolute favorites. My son and husband have celiac, and my daughter is vegetarian. This is the perfect meal for our family. I serve it with Americas Test Kitchen Mexican rice. ๐Ÿ˜Šโค๏ธ๐Ÿ‘

  8. Hailee Barron says:

    5 stars
    THESE CAME OUT SOOOOOOOO GOOD. I highly recommend this recipe. Easy and delicious.

    1. Isabel says:

      Thanks, Hailee!

  9. Amber says:

    Can you make the corn mixture ahead of time and refrigerate it? And assemble the next day?

    1. Isabel says:

      Yes!

  10. GRACE STEWART says:

    5 stars
    I absolutely love these tostadas and have made them several times! They are one of my go to meals, and I have shared this on my Facebook page. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!