elote

American  

[e-loh-tay] / ɛˈloʊˌteɪ /

noun

elotes plural

1. a Mexican and Central American street food consisting of grilled corn on the cob coated in mayonnaise, crema or sour cream, cotija or other cheese, lime juice, cilantro, and spices.

2. any variety of maize which, when harvested young, produces ears of corn to be eaten on the cob.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• elotes
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elote elotes

If you love elote as much as I do, go ahead and swirl in a bit of mayo.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025

According to the lawsuit, he took inspiration from elote, a traditional Mexican street food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

Another item that delivered sticker shock: the elote street corn cup, a small cup of dressed-up corn, for $13.89.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

And the ensuing scenes — of Rich landing his hot idea, inspired by the Mexican street corn elote — charm as intended.

From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2023

It is so with every stage of growth of the maize plant, chilote, elote, and maizorca.

From The Naturalist in Nicaragua by Belt, Thomas

Between performances, attendees can eat Mexican street foods like La Pisca’s roasted corn elotes and esquites, a mix of corn, cotija cheese, mayonnaise and lime juice served in a cup.

From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024

Or fresh-cut strawberries covered in a thin layer of cream or even elotes loco, the popular street snack that puts a fright wig of condiments on a humble ear of corn.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 8, 2021

You get it in the Southeast Asian take on elotes, grilled cobs of corn spread with coconut cream.

From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2021

Vendors also are selling piggy banks in the shape of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, as well as raspados, elotes, diablitos and tejuino.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2021