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Grilled Steak Elote Tacos

Grilled steak elote tacos with charred, tender steak slices and a creamy corn elote topping. Finished with melted cheese, lime juice, and cotija for street-food style flavor in warm corn tortillas.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rest time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

flank steak or skirt steak
  • 1.5 lb flank steak or skirt steak
salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
corn kernels
  • 2 cup corn kernels
mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
cotija cheese, crumbled
  • 0.25 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
lime juice
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
jalapeño, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
corn tortillas
  • 8 corn tortillas
Lime and cilantro for serving
  • 1 Lime and cilantro for serving

Equipment

  • 1 grill
  • 1 grill pan
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Grill the steak
  1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat until hot. You should see strong heat coming off the surface.
  2. Season the flank steak or skirt steak generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Let it sit briefly while the grill finishes heating.
  3. Grill the steak for 6-7 minutes per side for medium-rare, then transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. The exterior should look charred and the center should still be pink.
  4. Slice the grilled steak against the grain into thin pieces. Keep slices even so they fill the tortillas cleanly.
Make charred corn elote
  1. Charr the corn kernels in a hot skillet until lightly blackened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally so more kernels blister and darken.
  2. Combine mayonnaise, cotija cheese, Parmesan cheese, lime juice, and minced jalapeño in a bowl. Mix until smooth and thick.
  3. Fold in the charred corn kernels and fresh cilantro until evenly coated. The mixture should look creamy with visible corn pieces.
Warm tortillas and assemble tacos
  1. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill or griddle. Heat until pliable and lightly marked, about 30-60 seconds per side.
  2. Fill each tortilla with sliced steak and top generously with the elote corn mixture. Spread it so the topping reaches the edges.
  3. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedge before serving, using lime and cilantro for serving. Add just before eating so the herbs stay bright.

Notes

Pro tip: char the corn kernels right before mixing so the elote stays creamy but still tastes roasted. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm steak and tortillas separately for best texture. Freezing is not recommended because the elote sauce can break when thawed. For a dairy-light swap, replace cotija and Parmesan with a smaller amount of crumbled feta or a dairy-free alternative that melts and seasons well.