Street corn nachos are happening!
I am absolutely a nacho person. I adore all kinds of nachos—except the stadium-style nachos that are nothing more than round chips drowned in reheated yellow cheese. No thanks. For everything else, I’m in it for the long haul.
A local taco spot just opened nearby. I wanted to love it, but they’ve mixed up our order a few times and their street corn nachos were disappointing. So I decided to make my own.
So I took things into my own hands.
The combination in my head sounded incredible: cheesy, sweet, salty, savory and bright. It hits all the right notes. I’m a sucker for anything with a Mexican street corn vibe—who isn’t?
Let’s make it happen.
When it comes to cheese, there are two good options. One: pile grated cheese onto the chips and bake the sheet pan until the cheese melts and crisps. Two: make a quick queso sauce and drizzle it over the nachos for a creamy finish. Melted and crisp or creamy and saucy—either way is delicious. I tend to gravitate toward the melted and crisp version because I have fond memories of microwaved chips topped with cheddar as a kid.
For the corn, use what’s available. If you have fresh corn on the cob, grill it until lightly charred and slice the kernels off the cob. If fresh corn isn’t in season, frozen corn works—steam and drain it well so the nachos don’t get soggy.
The toppings are what make these nachos. Crumbled cotija (or feta if you can’t find cotija), chopped cilantro, a mayo and sour cream drizzle with fresh lime zest, and a dusting of tajín or chili powder bring that street-corn flavor. Finish with a spritz of lime and optional pickled onions for brightness.
I LOVE IT.
All I want right now is a big pile of cheesy chips.
Funny story: Eddie isn’t usually a nacho person—he’ll nibble at an appetizer but wouldn’t order nachos as a meal. He nearly devoured this entire sheet. I think he surprised himself. I win.
Street Corn Nachos
Street Corn Nachos
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Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, shucked (about 1.5 to 2 cups kernels, or one bag frozen)
- 1 (9 ounce) bag of tortilla chips
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon tajín or chili powder
- 1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (or feta)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for serving
- Pickled onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high. Lightly brush the corn with olive oil.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Spread the chips on the sheet and top evenly with the grated Monterey Jack and cheddar.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream and lime zest.
- Place the corn directly on the grill grates and cook about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until slightly charred.
- While the corn grills, bake the chips with cheese for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to crisp.
- Slice the kernels from the grilled corn. Toss warm corn with a sprinkle of tajín and some cotija if desired, then scatter the corn over the cheesy chips. Drizzle with the mayo-sour cream mixture, dust with more tajín or chili powder, sprinkle on the cotija and cilantro, and finish with a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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Honestly, this is all I need to eat. Forever.