Imagine slicing into a perfectly seared ribeye, tucking it into a warm tortilla, and burying it under a mountain of creamy, charred-corn elote topping that drips with cotija, lime, and smoky chili powder. This is the taco you make when you want to absolutely wow someone.
These Elote Ribeye Tacos combine two of the most crave-worthy things in Mexican-inspired cooking into one unforgettable bite. Ribeye is the ultimate taco steak, with enough marbling and beefy richness to hold its own against bold toppings, and the elote topping brings everything you love about Mexican street corn.
The whole thing comes together faster than you think, making it just as doable on a weeknight as it is at a backyard cookout. You do not need any special equipment or hard-to-find ingredients, just good quality beef, fresh corn, and a handful of pantry staples. Once you try this combo, regular taco Tuesday is never going to feel the same.
I have been getting Butcherbox meat delivery for many years now. I always use their ribeye steaks to make this recipe, because it’s a high-quality, delicious steak. ⭐️ Choose your free-for-life offer here.
Helpful Tips
- Rest your steak before slicing: After the ribeye comes off the heat, let it rest for at least five minutes before you cut into it. This keeps all those delicious juices inside the meat instead of running out onto your cutting board.
- Char your corn for real flavor: Whether you use a cast iron skillet, a grill, or your oven broiler, take the corn all the way to golden and slightly blackened in spots. That caramelized char is what makes elote taste like actual street food and not just a corn salad.
- Build your elote topping right before serving: The crema, cotija, and lime juice are best mixed into the corn just before you assemble, so the topping stays creamy and fresh rather than watery. A little chili powder on top right at the end adds the perfect finishing pop.
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Elote Ribeye Tacos
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- 8 oz Ribeye steak
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup Cotija cheese
- 1/4 cup cilantro minced
- 1 lime cut into 8 wedges
For the corn topping:
- 10 ounce can corn drained
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- Juice from 1/2 lime plus zest of that lime
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder mild to hot
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Season the ribeye steak.
- For the elote corn topping, mix together the corn, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, green onion, jalapeno, chili powder, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until the tacos are ready.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steak for about 4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 130° F. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.
- Top the tacos with the steak, elote corn topping, cotija, and cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge.
Nutrition
Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.