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Grilled Steak Elote Tacos

Grilled steak elote tacos with charred steak slices and a creamy corn elote sauce. The tortillas are warmed on the grill, then topped with smoky corn, melted-cheese richness, and cotija for street-food style.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
resting 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 860
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Steak and seasoning
  • 1.5 lb flank steak or skirt steak
  • salt and pepper to taste
Corn elote mixture
  • 2 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup cotija cheese crumbled
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 jalapeño minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
Tacos
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • lime for serving
  • cilantro for serving

Equipment

  • 1 grill pan

Method
 

Preheat and season steak
  1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat until hot and ready to sear.
  2. Season the flank steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides, making sure the whole surface is coated.
Grill and rest
  1. Grill the steak for 6-7 minutes per side for medium-rare, keeping the heat high for a charred surface.
  2. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
Char corn
  1. Charr the corn kernels in a hot skillet until lightly blackened, about 3-4 minutes, stirring as needed for even charring.
Make elote sauce
  1. Combine mayonnaise, cotija cheese, Parmesan cheese, lime juice, and minced jalapeño in a bowl until smooth and thick.
  2. Fold the charred corn and fresh cilantro into the elote mixture so the sauce coats the kernels.
Slice, warm tortillas, and assemble
  1. Slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin pieces so each bite stays tender and easy to chew.
  2. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill or griddle until pliable with light spots, about 20-30 seconds per side.
  3. Fill each tortilla with sliced steak and top generously with the elote corn mixture.
  4. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges before eating.

Notes

For best char and juiciness, pat the steak dry before seasoning and avoid pressing it on the grill. Store leftover steak and elote corn mixture separately in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm steak gently so it doesn’t overcook. Freeze the cooked steak for up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge); the elote sauce is best not frozen because the mayo may separate. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise and swap half the cotija for reduced-fat cotija if you still want that salty, tangy finish.