Mediterranean Street Corn
This Mediterranean street corn recipe is super simple to make and bursting with some of the best flavors of the region. Inspired by the Mexican street corn known as elote, this charred corn gets slathered with creamy Greek yogurt, tangy feta cheese, fiery red pepper flakes, and aromatic oregano to name just a few of the classic ingredients that make this recipe so irresistible.
Today I am excited to share this sensational street corn recipe with a Mediterranean twist. You are likely familiar with Mexican street corn recipes, and the Mediterranean version is quite similar. Rather than mayonnaise and cotija cheese, we make this recipe with Greek yogurt and feta cheese.
The chili powder gets replaced with oregano, sumac, and zaatar seasoning. Each recipe starts with mouthwatering, grilled corn and dresses it up with the flavors of each respective region.
Table of Contents
Make Mediterranean street corn anytime you have the grill fired up. It goes wonderfully with backyard classics like burgers, ribs, or grilled chicken.
If you want to keep the meal Mediterranean, try pairing your street corn with a recipe like this Mediterranean Grilled Chicken, Baked Greek Yogurt Chicken, or these Greek Lamb Meatballs.
- Corn on the Cob – Fresh, in-season sweet corn is my absolute favorite choice for this. Choose ears with bright green skins and fresh-looking silk poking out. During the winter months, fresh corn is less available. It won’t be exactly the same, but you can substitute frozen corn on the cob if needed.
- Greek Yogurt – Delivers its signature rich, creamy texture and bright tangy flavor.
- Olive Oil – Complex, delicate, nutty, and floral, no authentic Mediterranean dish is complete without it!
- Kosher Salt – Salt makes everything taste better but, in my opinion, it does something magical to corn! A dash of salt accentuates and harmonizes everything corn has to offer.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Adds fiery heat with a hint of fruitiness.
- Oregano – This robust, aromatic herb offers tones of sweet pepperiness and a slight mintiness.
- Lemon – Both lemon juice and lemon zest are used to brighten up this recipe with a blast of sour citrus flavor.
- Feta Cheese – This briny, crumbly cheese adds richness and a tangy, salty flavor.
- Lebanese Zaatar – This aromatic spice blend features sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, and salt. Look for it in the spice aisle at your supermarket or check out my recipe for a DIY version.
- Sumac – Adds a dazzling red color and a uniquely tangy, tart, and floral flavor.
- Prepare the Grill. Make sure your grill grates are cleaned and oiled. Set the grill temperature to high, or between 450 – 500 degrees F.
- Shuck the Corn. Leave a portion of the corn stalk as a handle as you remove the husks and silk from your ears of corn.
- Mix the Sauces & Seasonings. Use a small bowl to combine the Greek yogurt, salt, red pepper flakes, oil, oregano, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the feta cheese with the Lebanese zaatar and sumac seasoning.
- Grill All Sides. Grill each ear of corn for a total of about 12 minutes, rotating every 3 minutes to get each side. You want a slight char all over.
- Slather & Serve. Remove the grilled corn from heat and use a brush to slather each ear with the yogurt mixture. Follow that with a sprinkle of the spicy feta mixture and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
For the most consistent temperature and the most even cooking, leave the lid of the grill closed as much as possible. That way, the corn will bake as it is grilling and become nice and tender. Only lift the lid every few minutes when it is time to rotate the corn, then close it again immediately.
All that being said, if you don’t have a lid on your grill for some reason, you can still grill your street corn successfully. It might take a few more minutes due to heat loss but you will still have delicious charred results in 15-20 minutes. Keep rotating every 3-5 minutes, checking the kernels for tenderness.
If your Mediterranean street corn comes out chewy, you almost definitely overcooked it. When corn is cooked for just the right amount of time, the kernels will be plump and tender. However, too much time on the hot grill will cause the sugars in the corn to break down, leading to a mushy, chewy texture. Keep a close eye on your corn and remove it from the heat as soon as it looks done.
For this grilled street corn recipe, it is best to remove the husk and all the silks before cooking. That way, the flames can come in contact with the corn kernels, giving them that delicious, smoky, charred flavor.
For other purposes, you might prefer to keep the husk on. For example, you can also cook corn on the cob by soaking the whole ear, husk and all, in water and then transferring to the hot grill to steam inside its husk.
Feel free to experiment with different ways of cooking your corn, but definitely remove the husk when it comes to street corn.
Share this recipe on Pinterest!
Love this recipe? Share it with the world on Pinterest.
Subscribe to my Newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube for all my latest recipes and videos.
Mediterranean Street Corn
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob husk and silk removed
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 lemon juice and zest from half
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tbsp Lebanese Zaatar
- 1 tsp sumac
Instructions
- Heat grill to High (450-500°F). Clean and oil grill grates.
- Remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn leaving portion of stalk as a handle.
- Mix together the yogurt, oil, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and lemon juice and zest. In another small bowl mix together the feta, zaatar and sumac.
- Grill corn 3 minutes per side for a total of 12 minutes until slightly charred all over. Remove from grill and brush each ear of corn with yogurt mixture.
- Sprinkle and gently press the crumbled feta cheese mixture on all sides of each ear of corn. Serve warm with remaining sliced lemon to squeeze on top.
Video
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made these are was pleasantly surprised. Fun twist on the regular Mexican version and my first time having zaatar! It was a big hit and went well with your Mediterranean chicken on the grill, too.
So glad you enjoyed this one Stacey. Thanks for coming back to let me know!