Easy Mexican street corn casserole is a fun side dish for taco night. Made with frozen corn and creamy queso fresco with a hint of lime, it's the refreshing veggie you need for a spicy meal.
I'm always looking for fun new side dishes to add to our taco dinners. If I don't have anything else on the table, my family will just plow through a mountain of tacos without a second glance!
But, the whole point of Taco Tuesday is to have a guaranteed family-pleasing easy dinner in the rotation. Side dishes for tacos need to be simple to prep so I don't forget to make them.
This creamy Mexican street corn casserole is practically perfect for a side dish.
It only requires 5 minutes of prep time, a short list of easy ingredients, and it bakes in the same amount of time it would take me to prep the remainder of the meal.
My version of this popular recipe is sized for a 9-inch square baking dish. It makes the perfect amount for our family of 4 as a side dish with some leftovers.
If you are feeding a bigger crowd, go ahead and double it for a 9 x 13-inch dish.
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What is Mexican Street Corn?
Mexican street corn is a popular way to serve cobs of corn coated in cheese and spices. This Mexican street corn casserole takes all the flavors of the corn cob and puts them in an easy to prep baked dish for your family.
This isn't anything like the creamed corn casseroles you may have tried.
Yes, there is a creamy base for the corn, but it is seasoned with fresh lime juice, chili powder, and a pinch of cayenne to give it a nice kick.
Fresh green onions are scattered over the top but you could use chopped cilantro for a more Mexican flavor if you prefer.
Ingredients
This casserole recipe was developed to be as easy for you to make on a busy night as possible:
- Frozen corn: Easy to keep on hand and find. You could substitute fresh corn sliced off the cob while it is at the peak of summer, but frozen corn is easy and delicious.
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Lime juice
- Chili powder
- Garlic salt
- Cayenne
- Queso fresco *See note below
- Green onions
Substitutes for Queso Fresco
The key ingredient for the Mexican street corn is the cheese. This recipe calls for queso fresco, also known as Mexican parmesan.
It is a fresh cheese that is sold in a solid block but crumbles easily when you pinch it.
I put off trying this recipe for the longest time because I couldn't find queso fresco at our local grocery store. Now that I have finally tried it, I love how it crumbles and the flavor it gives to the dish.
However, I wish I wouldn't have waited so long because there are a couple of perfect substitutes.
- Feta cheese: If you like the look of that freshly crumbled cheese on top of the dish, feta is the right cheese for you.
- Grated parmesan cheese: If your family doesn't enjoy the flavor of feta, a grated parmesan would be a perfect substitute for the cheese in this casserole. Mix some inside the corn itself but save some for sprinkling on the top as well.
More Side Dishes for Tacos
Looking for more dishes to add to your Taco Tuesday meal? Don't miss our favorite Mexican rice casserole and a homemade salsa.
Easy Taco Recipes
Looking for easy chicken tacos to serve for the main dish? Don't miss my Instant Pot chicken tacos and my Crockpot chicken tacos.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) bag of frozen corn thawed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle of salt & pepper to taste
- 2 oz crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a square 8-inch or 9-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together the corn, mayo, sour cream, and lime juice. Sprinkle the seasonings over the top and stir to combine. Crumble half of the queso fresco into the mixing bowl and gently stir to combine. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Crumble the remaining queso fresco over the top and sprinkle the green onions for garnish.
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Diane
I'm going to have to give this a try. And, for those who doubt the parmesan cheese option. We live in a very latinx neighborhood, and I often see street corn sprinkled with what we call "sprinkle cheese" (the stuff in the green can!)
Tiffany Dahle
Oh goodness, “sprinkle cheese”! I love that. Our family may have to adopt that term for it. Thank you for sharing with me!