I’ve never been much of a corn on the cob kind of girl. Don’t get me wrong, I do love me some corn – a handful of kernels mixed into a filling for tacos or sprinkled on top of a baked potato, but plain old platters of cobs offered up at backyard barbecues? No thanks. I’ll usually take a piece (to be nice), quickly be sooo over the endless gnawing, and spend the rest of the afternoon trying to bum dental floss off of someone, anyone! Enter this vegan take on classic Mexican street corn, with the perfect storm of flavors to finally turn me into a corn on the cob lover.
Unlike one note corn on the cob, this stuff is spicy, garlicky, fresh, salty, smoky and just a bit sweet. The corn cobs are brushed with garlic oil then grilled until they’re golden and juicy. Next comes a generous slather of sriracha spiked cashew mayo (which, surprise! is actually the same recipe I use for cashew sour cream. Hooray for versatile vegan sauces) and a dusting of chili powder. Cilantro, lime zest, and sea salt are minced into a southwestern take on gremolata, and layered on next. The final touch is a sprinkling of cashew parmesan – I always use Minimalist Baker’s version – which adds a hint more garlic, a cheesy tang from nutritional yeast, and more salty goodness.
This veganized version of Mexican street corn is sure to bust any traditional corn on the cob induced boredom. In fact, it’s addictive. Make a double batch for your next barbecue (you should probably make this Potato and Green Bean Salad with Dill Ranch Dressing too), and prepare for guests to request second and third helpings. Forget about the floss.
- 5 ears of corn, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil*
- 1 cup packed cilantro
- 4 limes
- chili powder
- ¼ cup cashew mayo/sour cream
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons cashew parmesan from Minimalist Baker
- sea salt
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush corn generously with garlic oil and cook until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes, turning corn frequently to ensure its browned on all sides. Corn can also be cooked on a grill or under a broiler.
- While corn is cooking, use a microplane to grate lime zest over cilantro (roughly 2 heaping tablespoons). Add a generous pinch of sea salt (roughly ¼ teaspoon) and chop the mixture until the cilantro is very finely minced.
- Add sriracha to cashew mayo and whisk to combine.
- Once corn is cooked, brush each cob with a generous amount of sriracha mayo mixture. Sprinkle with chili powder, then roll in cilantro lime mixture. Lay on a platter and sprinkle with cashew parmesan.
- Corn can be served warm or at room temperature.
Check out my Barbecue Ranch Tempeh Burgers for more summer meal inspiration.
“I’ve never been much of a corn on the cob kind of girl.” Ah we are opposites! I grew up on the stuff. So good!
But it just sounds so boring in comparison to your “grown-up” version packed with flavour. Yum! I hope I see this at my next bbq =)
This definitely is a grown up version of corn on the cob, LOL! Thanks, Kimmy.
This takes corn on the cob to a whole new level! Love all these layers of flavor – definitely worth the need for dental floss 😉
Yes, floss is a must with this one!
I’ve never really been a corn on the cob person either! But if it was like this, thats a different story! So much flavor on these cobs!
Right?! Former corn on the cob haters unite.
I haven’t made this yet, but I plan to tomorrow. This recipe is just what I was looking for.
I am a not strictly vegan but I’ve started to stay away from animal products.
I also wanted to compliment our web site (I’m on mobile). It’s simple and beautiful.
Thanks so much, Mathew! Love that you’re trying to swap out animal products for vegan options. You’ll have to let me know how the corn turns out for you.
Made this for my family on Memorial Day and it was as MAJOR HIT to say the least 🙂 Makes for great leftovers if you shave off any extra corn from the cob.
So glad your family enjoyed the corn, Heidi! And I agree about the leftovers, we’ve tossed the kernels in next day clean out the fridge type veggie bowls and they’re always delicious.
My grandma asked for the recipe after trying! SO good ☺️