Ketchup and mustard are classics, but at your next cookout, switch things up by topping your hot dogs with elote—Mexican street corn—for a fresh, flavorful twist.
Let's Put Mexican Street Corn on a Hot Dog!
Elote, or Mexican street corn, has been all the rage the last few years. I already have an Elote Creamed Corn recipe on the blog—but I wanted more. With cookout season on the horizon, I started wondering: what if I tried putting elote on a hot dog? Would I love it… or just miss my ketchup and mustard?
As you might guess (since I’m writing about it), I ended up loving it. The creamy, tangy corn was the perfect contrast to a juicy, beefy hot dog. We always go 100% all-beef in my family—it’s a must.
So, are you ready to rethink how you top your hot dogs? Let me show you how to make this delicious twist.
This post includes affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to get at the grocery store to make this recipe.
- Corn - Fresh corn will always be the best choice, but if you can’t find any or seriously doubt the quality, then go with frozen corn. I don’t suggest buying corn that has already been shucked and wrapped in plastic. I’ve worked at grocery stores, and often that corn is the one that doesn’t look as good on the outside anymore—the stuff we pulled from the display. As far as the fresh corn grows, you can use either white, yellow, or bi-color. I have a blog post that talks about the differences in colors of corn.
- Shallots - One average shallot is the perfect size for this recipe. You can use half an onion instead or just one small onion. If you bought shallots a while ago and aren't sure if they are still good, read my post on How to Tell if a Shallot is Bad.
- Mayonnaise - You don’t need a lot; use whichever brand you prefer.
- Crema - This is Mexican sour cream. It’s usually thinner, making it more pourable. I like to mix it into the Elote and also put some on top of my hot dogs. You usually find it with the Mexican cheeses in the grocery store. It may be with the regular sour cream as well.
- Cilantro - Some people think cilantro tastes like soap. If that’s you, feel free to skip it. I love the stuff, so I don't mind adding a lot of it.
- Cotija cheese - This is an aged Mexican cheese that, when young, has a texture similar to feta; when aged longer, it’s more like parmesan. It’s crumbled before adding. The cheese I used in this recipe was from Don Froylan, a Mexican cheese shop in Salem, Oregon. Theirs was more moist than most I have had and was more like Feta than Parmesan.
- Limes - I add lime juice to the elote and have lime wedges available if you want to squeeze more on top.
- Smoked paprika - Look for smoked paprika made from peppers that were actually smoked—not paprika with smoked flavoring added. My favorite is the Smoked Paprika from Burlap & Barrel.
- Pickled peppers - You can either buy your favorite pickled peppers from the store or pickle them yourself. When I made this recipe, I took an Anaheim pepper, cut it into rings, and placed it in a mix of equal parts vinegar and water with some salt added. I let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours in a glass jar.
Tips
I like to keep the corn on warm, while the hot dogs are cooking and then make the Elote at the last moment so that it's warm when I serve it. You also could serve it at room temperature,
If you had planned to grill your hot dogs and it's raining, cook them in the air fryer instead. You get some caramelization like you do on the grill.
Elote Topped Hot Dogs
Ingredients
- 3 ears fresh corn
- 1 shallot chopped
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Mexican crema
- 4 tbsp Cotija cheese
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 lime
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- salt to taste
- pickled peppers for serving
- extra lime, cilantro, and cream for serving
Instructions
- Remove the kernels from the corn cobs.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the chopped shallots
- Cook for a few minutes, until the shallots have softened and become translucent.
- Now add the corn and continue cooking until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add the corn and shallots to a mixing bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, crema, Cotija, cilantro, lime juice, and smoked paprika. Mix until well combined, then season with salt to taste.
- Cook the hot dogs using your preferred method.
- Place the hot dogs in the buns and spoon the elote on top. Serve with lime wedges, Cotija cheese, crema, and cilantro for garnish.
Leave a Reply