Street corn nachos are happening!
I am absolutely a nacho person. All the way. I adore any and all sorts of nachos, except (and this is a big EXCEPT) the stadium or arena nachos that are just yellow rounds with yellow sauce scooped out of a big reheated can. No can do.
But all other nachos? I am in it for the long haul.
P.S. I have every and all dishes you could ever need right here for cinco de mayo tomorrow!
There is a local taco place near us that just opened. And while I’d love to say it’s amazing, they’ve messed up our order multiple times and the street corn nachos left… a lot to be desired.
So I took things into my own hands.
The combo in my brain just SOUNDED amazing. Cheesy, sweet, salty, savory, fresh – a dish like that checks all the boxes.
Plus, I am a sucker for anything with a mexican street corn vibe. Who isn’t?!
So let’s make it happen!
There are two ways you can go about the cheese in my opinion. First, throw all the cheese on the chips and stick the sheet pan in the oven.
OR.
The other option would be to make a quick little queso and drizzle it all over the nachos. It depends on how you like your cheese.
Melted and crisp, or creamy and queso-y?
Maybe I just go for the melted and crisp version because I spent so many of my tween years eating tortilla chips microwaved with cheddar on top. Can’t beat that.
When it comes to the corn, use what you can find. My ALDI usually has corn on the cob in the produce section, so that’s what I went with. Our local corn obviously won’t be great here in PA until late summer.
I grill the corn until just slightly charred and slice it right off the cob.
If corn on the cob isn’t an option, you can also use frozen corn. Just steam it is as usual and then make sure to drain it well. You definitely don’t want soggy, watery corn on your nachos, Trust me.
The rest is allll in the toppings. Cotija cheese, but if you can’t find it, you can surely sub in feta. Chopped cilantro, a mayo/sour cream drizzle and a big pinch of tajin (because, omg yum) or chili powder on top. Oh and a quick spritz of lime.
I LOVE IT.
All I want in life right now is a pile of cheesy chips!
Oh and I should add that Eddie is not a nacho person. Sure, he may grab a few if there is an appetizer for the table but he would never order them himself and especially not as a meal.
Well.
He nearly ate this entire sheet! It was actually kind of funny. I think he even surprised himself.
I win!
Street Corn Nachos
Yield: 2 to 4 people
These sheet pan street corn nachos are ridiculously easy and delicious! Grilled corn, chili, lime, tons of cheese and all the flavor you could dream of!
- 4 ears of corn, shucked (about 1.5 to 2 cups corn kernels, or one bag frozen!)
- 1 (9 ounce) bag of tortilla chips
- 8 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 lime, zest freshly grated
- 1/2 teaspoon tajin (or chili powder)
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- lime wedges for spritzing
- pickled onions, for garnish
Preheat your grill to the highest heat. Brush the corn with a drop of olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. Spread the chips out on the sheet. Cover the chips with the grated cheeses.
In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream and lime zest.
Place the corn directly on the grates. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning every few minutes.
While you grill the corn, stick the baking sheet in the oven. Bake the chips with cheese for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
When the corn is done, slice the kernels off the cob. I like to mix the corn with a sprinkle of tajin and cotija cheese while it’s warm. Sprinkle the corn all over the chips. Drizzle the mayo/sour cream mixture all over the nachos. Sprinkle the rest of the tajin (or chili powder) on next. Sprinkle on the cotija cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately with a spritz of lime.
However, this is all I need to eat. Forever.
