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Grilled Steak Elote Tacos

Grilled steak elote tacos with charred corn and a creamy, lime-jalapeño elote sauce. The steak is sliced against the grain and piled into warm corn tortillas for a street-food-style taco with melted cotija + Parmesan.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
rest 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

steak
  • 1.5 lb flank steak or skirt steak
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
elote sauce
  • 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
  • 1 Lime and cilantro for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Grill the steak
  1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Keep the surface hot so you get a fast sear.
  2. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Pat lightly so the seasoning adheres.
  3. Grill the steak for 6-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes.
Char the corn and make elote sauce
  1. Charr the corn kernels in a hot skillet until lightly blackened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally so the kernels char evenly.
  2. Combine mayonnaise, cotija cheese, Parmesan cheese, lime juice, and minced jalapeño in a bowl. Mix until smooth and thick.
  3. Fold in charred corn and fresh cilantro. The sauce should look creamy with visible corn throughout.
Assemble the tacos
  1. Slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin pieces. Keep slices even so each taco gets a balanced bite.
  2. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill or griddle. Heat just until pliable and lightly toasted.
  3. Fill each tortilla with sliced steak and top generously with elote corn mixture. Spoon extra sauce so it clings to the meat.
  4. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedge before serving. Finish right away for the best texture.

Notes

Pro tip: use skirt or flank steak only briefly on the grill and slice against the grain so the meat stays tender. Refrigerate leftover steak and elote sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days; reheat steak gently and stir sauce before using. Freezing is not recommended for the creamy corn sauce due to texture changes. For a lighter version, use light mayonnaise (or a 50/50 mayo + Greek yogurt mix) to keep the elote texture while reducing fat.