Mexican street corn, or elote, is arguably the best way to eat corn! It’s the most perfect combination of flavors and textures- charred sweet and crunchy corn smothered in a tangy, creamy sauce with a little heat from chili powder and nuttiness from the cotija cheese. I love it. It just screams summer.
Buuuuttt it’s not summer right now, far from it. It’s nearly February and all I can think about are soups, stews, braises, etc… just all the hearty, comforting, belly warming cold weather staples that I love! However, not being in exactly the right season has certainly not stopped me from having serious cravings for street corn!
Corn chowder jazzed up with some delicious elote flavors is a perfect marriage of two delicious classics, all in one pot!
Here’s what you need:
A couple departures from traditional street corn:
Fresh corn isn’t exactly in season, so I use frozen corn. It’s not quite the same and I am missing the nutty char that I get from the grill but it will have to do.
I also added chorizo. Again, not traditional, but I love the depth and richness it brings to the chowder. Plus the smoky spices add a bit of that char flavor that I’m missing from the grilled corn. If you don’t care for chorizo or you don’t want meat in your chowder, just leave it out. It will still be delicious, but you may need to add a bit more spice.
First, brown the chorizo.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven to medium. Add the chorizo and brown it for a few minutes, using a wooden spoon to break it up.
Next add the onion, jalapeño and garlic.
Sauté with a pinch of salt until tender.
Add butter and flour to make a roux.
Stir constantly to avoid little clumps of flour from forming. Sauté for a couple minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
This includes the corn, potatoes, broth, spices and salt. Simmer until thick and the potatoes are cooked through, about 35 minutes. Check for seasonings and add more salt if needed.
Don’t forget the toppings!
Top your chowder with some traditional elote toppings like cotija cheese, fresh cilantro,Mexican crema or just sour cream if you can’t find it. Finish it off with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice!
Other recipes to try:
Mexican Street Corn Chowder with Chorizo
Ingredients
- 9 ounces ground chorizo
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups corn kernels
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the chorizo on medium for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns. Remove from the pan.Add the onion and jalapeño with a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes then add the garlic. Sauté another minute more. Add the butter and the flour and cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly.Add the corn, broth, potatoes, spices and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 35 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Finally stir in the cream. Garnish with sour cream, cotija cheese and cilantro.