Mexican Street Corn Nachos with Creamy Lime Sauce
These Street Corn Nachos are a cheesy nacho snack recipe made with crispy tortilla chips, charred corn, Monterey Jack cheese, cotija cheese, and a creamy lime sauce. They have all the delicious flavors of Mexican street corn piled onto a tray of warm, melty nachos.
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Street Corn Nachos are great for family movie nights, summer cookouts, potlucks, game day gatherings, and casual weekend get-togethers with friends. This can only be made in just 30 minutes, and they’re also perfect when you need a last-minute appetizer for a crowd.
Served it with a fresh salsa recipe and a homemade guacamole recipe for the ultimate snack spread.
How to Make Street Corn Nachos
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Pat the corn very dry with paper towels (this helps it char instead of steam).
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and toasted, about 7–10 minutes. Season with ¼ tsp chili powder and half of the lime juice. Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, salt, remaining chili powder, and remaining lime juice until smooth.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9×13” or larger baking sheet with aluminum foil.
5. Spread tortilla chips evenly on the pan. Sprinkle with half of the Monterey Jack cheese, then add the cooked corn, and top with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the chips are lightly golden around the edges. For a more golden, bubbly finish, broil for 30–60 seconds, keeping a close eye to prevent burning.
7. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the prepared sauce. Top with cotija cheese, red onion, and chopped cilantro.
Serve & Enjoy!
Serve immediately while chips are crispy and enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Pat the corn very dry before cooking. Removing excess moisture helps the corn char beautifully instead of steaming in the skillet.
- For the best flavor, allow the corn to develop some golden-brown spots while cooking. This adds the classic street corn taste to the nachos.
- If you have frozen corn, you can use that. Simply cook it straight from frozen without thawing first.
- Keep a close eye on the nachos if using the broiler. The cheese can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly.
- Add the creamy sauce after baking to keep the flavors fresh and the chips from becoming soggy too fast.
- Serve immediately after assembling for the crispiest chips and best texture.
- For extra toppings, you can add diced jalapeños, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, or extra cilantro.
- If serving for a party, prepare the corn and sauce ahead of time, then assemble and bake just before serving.
- Leftovers are best enjoyed fresh, as the chips will soften once the toppings are added.
Street Corn Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 11 oz bag corn tortilla chips
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups canned corn
- drained rinsed, and dried well
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp chili powder
- divided
- 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese
- shredded
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion or diced
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅛ tsp salt
- fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the corn very dry with paper towels (this helps it char instead of steam).
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and toasted, about 7–10 minutes. Season with ¼ tsp chili powder and half of the lime juice. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, salt, remaining chili powder, and remaining lime juice until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 9×13” or larger baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Spread tortilla chips evenly on the pan. Sprinkle with half of the Monterey Jack cheese, then add the cooked corn, and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the chips are lightly golden around the edges. For a more golden, bubbly finish, broil for 30–60 seconds, keeping a close eye to prevent burning.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle with the prepared sauce. Top with cotija cheese, red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Serve immediately while chips are crispy and enjoy!
