Craving elote but short on time? Our street corn flatbread is a tasty mash-up of all the craveable flavors of Mexican street corn and a flatbread pizza. We skip grilling the corn and use store-bought naan so this recipe is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes.
Mexican street corn flatbread cut into pieces on a baking sheet, garnished with fresh cilantro and surrounded by lime wedges, a bulb of garlic, and a prep bowl filled with elote seasoning.

If you enjoy the flavors of elote, you’ll love our street corn flatbread! This recipe captures all the delicious elements of Mexican street corn – sweet corn on the cob, rich crema, zesty lime, smoky and spicy chili powder, tangy queso fresco, and herbaceous fresh cilantro – but reimagines them all on a convenient flatbread base. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the taste of street corn in an easy-to-eat format.

Notes from the MGC Kitchen

We love Mexican street corn, but we wanted a way to enjoy all those irresistible smoky, creamy, and vibrant flavors in a satisfying meatless main dish. This vegetarian flatbread recipe is the perfect answer for busy weeknights because it comes together in a flash with minimal prep work. It’s surprisingly filling without feeling heavy, too.

A simple side salad is all you need to complete this meal. But if you’re craving a protein boost, feel free to add in some grilled chicken or shrimp seasoned with a touch of our leftover elote spice blend for an extra burst of flavor.

A labeled, overhead view of the ingredients for Mexican street corn flatbread including flatbread, corn kernels, elote seasoning, queso fresco, lime, and cilantro.

Key Ingredients

This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.

  • FRESH CORN: We recommend using fresh, sweet corn for this flatbread. When shopping, peel back the husk slightly to check that the kernels are brightly colored and free from wrinkles or blemishes. Once you bring the corn home, it can be stored in the husks for up to two days. Place the ears in plastic bags and store the bags in the refrigerator (preferably in the vegetable crisper). We pre-cook the corn in the microwave so the flatbreads only take about 10 minutes in the oven.
  • STORE BOUGHT FLATBREADS: We use Stonefire Naan Artisan Flatbreads, which are the perfect size for this recipe. They come two to a package, weighing about 14 ounces total. Of course, you’re welcome to use any flatbread you like, but these are a delicious canvas for the street corn-inspired toppings.
  • SOUR CREAM: While most elote recipes only use mayonnaise, we prefer to lighten up our mixture by using both sour cream and mayo in a 1:1 ratio. The sour cream adds a little extra tang that complements the lime beautifully.
  • MAYONNAISE: Mayonnaise adds a rich and creamy flavor and helps the corn and other toppings to adhere to the flatbread.
  • LIME JUICE AND ZEST: The vibrant flavor of fresh lime juice and zest is essential in recreating the classic flavors of Mexican street corn. It’s also a much-needed addition of acidity to cut through the richness of the sour cream-mayonnaise mixture and the cheese.
  • SHREDDED MOZZARELLA: Mozzarella is definitely not part of a typical street corn recipe, but it’s a great melting cheese that helps all the toppings stick to the flatbread without overpowering the other flavors.
  • ELOTE SEASONING: We choose to mix up our own elote seasoning blend, which can be used to flavor grilled corn as a side dish, or to season grilled chicken or shrimp to serve on a summer salad. However, there are several store-bought varieties of elote seasoning you can use instead. Just give it a taste to assess the spice level and adjust the quantity in this recipe accordingly to your desired amount of heat.
  • QUESO FRESCO: Queso fresco is a soft, crumbly cow’s milk cheese with a little bit of tang and saltiness (similar to feta). We like to add the crumbled queso fresco to the flatbreads after baking for a bit of fresh, milky flavor. Many street corn recipes use cotija cheese instead, which you can certainly substitute here if you prefer. You can even try a combination of both, if you like!
  • CILANTRO: Fresh cilantro adds a pretty pop of color and some herbaceousness that offsets the creaminess of the flatbread.
  • CREMA: Mexican crema is similar to sour cream, but it has a thinner, more pourable consistency, which is exactly why we like to drizzle some over the finished flatbread just before serving. Most recipes for crema use buttermilk or heavy cream, but we like half and half to lighten it up just a touch.

How to Make Street Corn Flatbread

This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.

PRE-BAKE THE FLATBREADS: Preheat the oven and brush both sides of each flatbread with a little olive oil. Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake for about six minutes.

COOK THE CORN: Lightly rinse each ear of corn in its husk under cool running water to remove any dirt. Pat dry with paper towels and arrange the ears directly on the microwave turntable, leaving a little space between them. Microwave on high for 10 minutes.

MAKE THE ELOTE SEASONING: Combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl. Measure out 3/4 teaspoon of elote (or more to taste) for this recipe, and save the rest for other recipes. The elote seasoning can be stored in your pantry for up to one year in an airtight container.

CUT THE CORN OFF THE COB: Remove the corn from the microwave and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut off the stem end, grab the husk at the top, and squeeze until the corn cob slides out. Cut the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a bowl.

MAKE THE STREET CORN TOPPING: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and zest. Mix in half of the corn kernels and stir to combine.

Rectangular flatbread topped with fresh corn, mayo, sour cream, queso fresco, mozzarella, and elote seasoning, on a baking sheet, ready for the oven.

TOP THE FLATBREAD: Spread half of the sour cream and corn mixture over each flatbread, then sprinkle with the mozzarella, the remaining corn kernels, and the elote seasoning.

MAKE THE CREMA (OPTIONAL): Whisk together the sour cream, half and half, lime juice, salt and minced garlic until well combined. You want a slightly runny texture so that the crema is easy to drizzle. You can drizzle with a teaspoon or transfer the crema to a plastic squeeze bottle.

BAKE AND SERVE: Bake until the flatbreads are crisp and the corn is slightly browned. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then top with the crema drizzle (optional), as well as the crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Cut into squares and serve.

NOTE: Although we like to finish the flatbread with a fresh drizzle of crema and serve with lime wedges, these are both completely optional. The flatbread is plenty creamy with vibrant lime flavor if you omit them.

Uncut flatbread on a baking sheet along side a pizza cutter, topped with mozzarella cheese, corn kernels, queso fresco, chopped cilantro, seasoning blend, and drizzled with crema.

More Flatbread Pizzas to Try

We love store-bought naan flatbreads because they let you skip a lot of prep work and have a delicious main dish on the table in 30 minutes or less. Naan bakes up beautifully, and just like traditional pizza dough, it offers a tasty blank canvas that’s ready to be customized with your favorite toppings. Here are two more flavor combinations to inspire your next flatbread pizza night!

Thai Chicken Naan Pizza

This Thai-inspired naan pizza is topped with chunks of tender chicken, shredded carrots, green onions, fresh cilantro, mozzarella cheese, and an easy-to-make peanut sauce that pulls it all together.

Naan Pizza with Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp

Combining ready-made and fresh ingredients, this naan pizza is topped with prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic reduction.

An overhead view of four pieces of Mexican street corn flatbread drizzled with crema, next to lime wedges, the wheel of a pizza cutter, and a sprig of cilantro.
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Uncut flatbread on a baking sheet along side a pizza cutter, topped with mozzarella cheese, corn kernels, queso fresco, chopped cilantro, seasoning blend, and drizzled with crema.
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Street Corn Flatbread

Craving elote but short on time? Our street corn flatbread is a tasty mash-up of all the craveable flavors of Mexican street corn and a flatbread pizza. We skip grilling the corn and use store-bought naan so this recipe is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of corn, in husks
  • 2 rectangular flatbreads, 1 pkg – 14.1 ounces total
  • Olive oil
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 3/4 teaspoon elote seasoning, or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges to serve, optional
  • Crema to drizzle, optional

Elote Seasoning

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Crema (Optional)

  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon half and half, or heavy cream
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush both sides of each flatbread with a little olive oil and arrange them on a sheet pan. Pre-bake for 6 minutes, remove them from the oven, and set aside.
  • Lightly rinse each ear of corn under cool running water to remove any dirt. Pat dry with paper towels and arrange the ears directly on the microwave turntable, leaving a little space between them. Microwave on high for 10 minutes. (If you prefer, prepare the corn by steaming, boiling or grilling.)
  • While the corn cooks, combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, sugar, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt to make the elote seasoning. The remaining seasoning can be stored for up to a year in a tightly sealed container in your pantry to be used in other recipes.
  • Remove the corn from the microwave and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut off the stem end about 1/2 inch past the actual stem, grab the husk at the top, and squeeze until the corn cob slides out. Cut the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and zest. Mix in half of the corn kernels, stir to combine, and spread half of the mixture over each flatbread.
  • Top each flatbread with half of the shredded mozzarella, followed by half of the remaining corn kernels.
  • Sprinkle each flatbread with elote seasoning and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F, until corn is lightly browned.
  • While the flatbreads bake, combine the sour cream, half and half, lime juice, salt and minced garlic to make the crema drizzle (optional). To make drizzling easier, you can transfer it to a plastic squeeze bottle, or simply use a teaspoon. Set aside.
  • Remove the flatbreads from the oven and drizzle with crema, if desired. Then top each with the crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Slice into squares and serve with lime wedges for an extra burst of fresh lime flavor.

Notes

About the corn: As noted in the ingredient list, we recommend using fresh, sweet corn for this flatbread. When shopping, peel back the husk slightly to check that the kernels are brightly colored and free from wrinkles or blemishes.
Once you bring the corn home, it can be stored in the husks for up to two days. Place the ears in plastic bags and store the bags in the refrigerator (preferably in the vegetable crisper).
The recipe gives instructions for microwaving the corn in the husks, but you could also boil, steam, or grill it if you prefer. Check out our complete guide to cooking corn on the cob for those options.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 1176mg, Potassium: 469mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1918IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 232mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Lynne Webb and Erika Pitera, creators of MyGourmetConnection in the kitchen, working on a soup recipe for the website.

About Us

We’re Lynne and Erika, a mother-daughter duo passionate about creating recipes that bring flavor and variety to your kitchen in a simple, approachable way.

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