Skip to main content
Bon Appétit

Spicy Korean-Style Grilled Corn

5.0

(11)

Spicy KoreanStyle Grilled Corn on paint speckled trey
Photograph by Peden + Munk, Food Styling by Diana Yen, Prop Styling by Hannah Ferrara

Summer wouldn’t be complete without charred corn on the cob, and elotes, grilled Mexican street corn, is among the best. This version gets a hit of gochujang to bring up the spicy-funk factor. After the corn comes off the grill, it gets slathered in a gloriously drippy gochujang-mayo-crema sauce and finished with salty crumbles of Cotija cheese. Sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy, this dish hits every note on the spectrum. A squeeze of tangy lime juice ties it all together.

All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable oil (for grill)

¼

cup crema mexicana or sour cream

¼

cup mayonnaise

1

Tbsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

Zest of 1 lime

1

Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1

garlic clove, finely chopped

2

Tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro, divided

½

tsp. ancho or chipotle chile powder, plus more for serving

Kosher salt

4

ears of corn, husked

¼

cup crumbled Cotija cheese

Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Stir ¼ cup crema mexicana or sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), zest of 1 lime, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, 1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro, and ½ tsp. ancho or chipotle chile powder in a small bowl to combine. Taste sauce and season with kosher salt if needed.

    Step 2

    Grill 4 ears of corn, husked, turning occasionally, until kernels are charred in spots and tender, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

    Step 3

    Using a brush or spoon, slather each ear with about 2 Tbsp. sauce. Sprinkle corn with more chile powder, then top with ¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese and remaining 1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over and any remaining sauce alongside.

Explore Bon AppétitDinnerLunchSideEasyQuickGrillingCornVegetableAncho ChileChileCotijaCheeseVegetarianGluten-FreeNut-FreeSummer
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Spicy Korean-Style Grilled Corn?

Leave a Review

Reviews (11)

Back to Top

  • Wow! The best street corn recipe we ever made! Our family and friends are hooked on this. They can't get enough!

    • Don Donaldson

    • Raleigh, NC

    • 8/28/2022

  • Delicious flavor bomb! My husband ate double his usual serving :) The we had some extra sauce leftover and used it as a dip for tortilla chips. Then we licked the bowl clean. Then I considered going back and making more!

    • SpatulaCity123

    • Los Angeles

    • 7/30/2022

  • This was delicious. Subbed Parmesan for the cotija as I couldn’t find at my market. Just the right amount of spiciness. We will be making this again!

    • Lin

    • Barnegat Light NJ

    • 7/25/2022

  • 5-star Mouth party!!! Everything delicious all at once!! Sweet, salty, spicy, creamy, crunchy!!! Sooooo good! Don’t skip on the Cotija, lime or cilantro. Even my picky 11 year old liked it (went light on the sauce for him)!

    • TallFork

    • Naples, FL

    • 7/17/2022