Cinco de Mayo Street Corn (Printable Version)

Flavor-packed quesadillas with roasted corn, melted cheese, and smoky chipotle crema for a festive Mexican-inspired meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
02 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
03 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
05 - 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

→ Dairy

06 - 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
07 - 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, plus extra for garnish
08 - 1 cup sour cream, divided

→ Spices & Pantry

09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 - 8 medium flour tortillas
15 - 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
17 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
02 - Add diced red onion and jalapeño to the skillet. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Lay out 4 tortillas and evenly distribute half of the Monterey Jack cheese over each. Top with the corn mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place the remaining tortillas on top, pressing gently to secure.
05 - Heat a clean skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese is completely melted.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges. Drizzle with chipotle crema and garnish with extra Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The charred corn edges give you that street vendor taste without leaving your kitchen smelling like smoke for a week.
  • Chipotle crema is the kind of condiment that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished their first bite.
  • Everything comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can pull off something fancy on a Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Don't skip the charring step—it's the difference between having corn in a quesadilla and having that street vendor taste that made you want to make this in the first place.
  • If your quesadillas seem to be browning too fast before the cheese melts, turn the heat down and cover the skillet with a lid for the last minute of cooking.
03 -
  • Press down gently on the quesadillas as they cook, but don't flatten them into submission—you want them crispy on the outside and still slightly fluffy inside.
  • If Cotija is truly impossible to find, the second-best move is to use a combination of feta and Parmesan, which gives you back some of that salty, crumbly texture.
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