Grilling is one of my favorite things to do when we’re at home.
When we go camping, grilling becomes mandatory, but grilling sides as well as entrees gets a little bit tricky. I don’t want to pack tons of extra spices, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces, but I do want our meal to be well-rounded.
Enter Campfire Mexican Street Corn.
You can find this recipe all over the internet, in many shapes and forms, and this version is my own preferential variation on the traditional recipe. It involves fewer ingredients and is easier to prepare over the variable temperature of the campfire, which is a MUST for campfire food.
Corn on the cob – of any kind – is also perfect for camping because of it’s relatively shelf-stable nature, as well as the fact that it’s pretty much handheld. No utensils are really necessary as long as you let them cool, and the cobs that remain are perfectly biodegradable.
My version goes perfectly with a margarita (if you’re at home) a flavored beverage (like Mike’s) or even a beer. Their flavor is really strong, so if you prefer a milder strength, you can back off on some of the ingredients.
This corn grills perfectly alongside meat (like these steaks) that you are cooking because the cooking time is much longer than most vegetables. Then, immediately after it comes off the grill piping hot, you will slather it will cilantro and mayo. Once it cools a bit you’ll sprinkle it with lime, Parmesan cheese, and chili powder. Together, these flavors make up the essence of Mexican food – an explosion of flavor in your mouth.
Every time we make this corn, it gets devoured faster than you could imagine. Usually, it’s gone before the meat is. Hopefully, you’ll love this corn as much as we do!

Servings | ears |
- 6 Ears of Corn
- 3/4 cup Mayo
- 2 cups Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated is great, but green can is fine too
- 2 fresh Limes juiced
- Chili Powder to taste
Ingredients
| ![]() |
- Husk the corn, but if you don't have those handy little corn ends with you while you're camping, leave the ends on the corn so you have something to grab them by. Grill the corn over the campfire until it starts to get slightly charred, turning every few minutes to avoid burning it.
- While the corn is cooking, mix the mayo, sour cream and cilantro. Take the corn off the fire and generously slather it in the mayo mixture. Let the ears cool for a few minutes, then sprikle with lime juice, generously sprinkle with Parmesan, and then finish off with a it of chili powder.
Oh wow! This looks and sounds fabulous (and you’ve shared it just in time for lake season!
Thanks so much for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely evening.
This looks absolutely delicious!!! Just planned a camping weekend in June and I am pinning this for the trip!! Yum!
This corn looks so yummy! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
My kids adore corn! I can’t wait to try this recipe out. Just wanted to let you know that I’m featuring it at our weekly link party. http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2016/06/6-recipes-for-campfire-cooking-grilling.html
Gretchen…Even though summer is almost over, we still continue to grill and I think we will have to give this recipe a try. Thank you for sharing at Monday’s Musings. 🙂
Just wanted to let you know you’re featured on Inspire Me Monday! This corn looks wonderful – I’m liking how you adapted it for cooking in a campfire. 🙂
Hi. This sounds delicious !! I can’t wait to try it. We’re taking our cows to high country next weekend and I’ll be cooking meals for the cowboys over a campfire. When you say to put the corn over the fire, do you wrap them in foil or just throw them on the grate and keep turning them ?? Thanks in advance for your reply 🙂