Street Corn Steak Kabobs
With every passing day, it seems to stay lighter for longer and I am chomping at the bit to get out of this house and enjoy some nice weather! I am so over the snow and cold! If you’re in the Midwest, I’m sure you resonate with this more than you would like to! That’s why I decided to make these Street Corn Steak Kabobs on my grill pan! It gave that summery, grilled vibe that I was dreaming of – and I didn’t have to get frostbite for it! That chili-lime steak marinade added so much flavor to the sirloin! That juicy corn, the cotija crema – I mean, this meal was unbelievable! It almost brought me to a 75-degree day, bopping around the farmer’s market! What a dream.
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So, what’s the scoop on kabobs? Where did they come from?
Kabobs were first created in the Middle East and were especially prominent in the regions we now know as Iran, Iraq, and Turkey! The word “kebab/kabob” actually means “to roast!” The earliest versions of kabobs were pretty simple, just meat that was roasted over a fire on a metal or wooden skewer! They were perfect for travelers, soldiers, and nomads who needed a simple-yet-protein-packed meal that was portable!
The skewer became the signature staple of the kabob and over time, people began to pan-cook and even stew them as well – which made them more versatile when open flame cooking wasn’t always practical! Like for me, freezing in the Midwest Arctic right now!
Today, we are still enjoying these flavorful sticks of meat – and with a ton of variety to choose from! There’s endless room for creativity when it comes to kabobs! Almost every cuisine has their own versions!
Did you know?
Just like the kabob, street corn is also typically cooked over an open flame! In Mexico, street corn is referred to as “elote” which literally means “tender cob.” It’s also one of Mexico’s oldest and most loved street foods!
And that tasty, iconic cotija cheese that’s featured on street corn is actually named after a town – Cotija, Michoacán! Isn’t that cool?! This cheese is loved so much in Mexico, it’s often referred to as the “parmesan of Mexico!”
What ingredients do I need to make Street Corn Steak Kabobs?
For the chili-lime steak marinade:
Olive Oil
Garlic
Lime
Cilantro
Chili Powder
Paprika
Cumin
Black Pepper
Salt
For the cotija crema:
Mayo
Sour Cream
Cotija Cheese
Lime
Cilantro
Chili Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
For the street corn steak kabobs:
Sirloin Steak
Corn
Red Onion
Olive Oil
For serving:
Cotija Crema
Cotija Cheese
Cilantro
Lime
Tajin
What equipment do I need to make these?
- Grill Pan
- Tongs
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Grill Skewers
- Whisk
- Juicer
- Zester
- Silicone Brush
- Meat Thermometer
How do I make them?
To make the chili-lime steak marinade:
To get started on this recipe, the first thing you’ll want to do is get the steak marinade made, prep the steak, and get that marinating in the fridge while you work on the other components! It’s only going to need about 30 minutes of marinating time since there’s lime juice in it! You don’t want to let it go much over this, because it can cause the meat to break down too much, and it’ll become mushy!
Wash the cilantro and lime, then juice and zest the lime and mince up the cilantro. Peel the garlic and mince.
Add those to a large mixing bowl or Tupperware along with all remaining ingredients for the marinade. Whisk to combine and set the bowl to the side until ready to use.
Next, get out your sirloin and trim the fat off of it. You don’t have to get it all but do the best you can! Some little bits left will render down and add flavor. Next, cut it up into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
Add the steak to the marinade and use your hands to toss and coat. Massaging that marinade in there really helps to penetrate the meat with those flavors! Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Now let’s get started on making the cotija crema!
To make the cotija crema:
Get out all of your ingredients for the cotija crema, then wash the lime and cilantro. In another mixing bowl, zest the lime and squeeze some juice from it. Mince up the cilantro and toss it into the bowl. Crumble the cotija cheese in and add remaining ingredients.
Whisk to combine, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the street corn steak kabobs:
Peel the red onion and chop it into chunks. Shuck the corn, trim the ends off, and cut the ears into 2–3-inch rounds.
At this point, our steak should be done marinating! So now we can build our kabobs! Get out a plate and the skewers and start building the kabobs as follows – corn + onion + steak.
Repeat with all remaining ingredients! Don’t be tempted to toss the corn and onion in the marinade either, discard it once you’ve used up all of the steak!
Now, let’s start charring these babies! In a grill pan on medium high heat, add some of the olive oil needed for the kabobs! Use a silicone brush to brush it around the pan and in those grooves. Add the kabobs to the pan and cook for several minutes, using a tong to turn every so often.
Work in batches to cook the kabobs, brushing on more olive oil as needed, until all of them are charred and steak is cooked to a perfect medium rare (or however you like it!) I used my meat thermometer to puncture through a piece of steak to get a feel for the cook. A medium rare to medium is what we usually like to have here at home, so I know once I’m between 135-145 F, I’m good to go!
If you want to cook them closer to a medium to medium well, consider turning the heat down towards the end of the cook time so that way you don’t overcook the other ingredients but can still get that nice char on there!
To serve:
Serve street corn steak kabobs hot with some chilled cotija crema drizzled over the top, a sprinkle of tajin, more crumbled cotija cheese, lime wedges, and cilantro! Enjoy!
Tips:
- You could totally grill these too! Just follow the same instructions, and don’t forget to brush the oil on the grill grates! You may need to decrease the cook time by about 2-3 minutes!
- These weren’t too spicy or anything! They were super family friendly! My 4-year-old was stoked to eat these, and we even chopped them up for baby brother!
- For a different spin on these you could try drizzling on my Cilantro Lime Crema!
Craving more Mexican inspired food? Try these!
Looking for more of those grilled vibes?
Street Corn Steak Kabobs
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chili-lime steak marinade:
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- Juice and zest from 1 lime
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Cilantro minced
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For the cotija crema:
- ½ cup Cotija Cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup Mayo
- 3 tbsp Sour Cream
- Zest from 1 lime + 1 tbsp juice from it
- 1 tsp Cilantro minced
- ¾ tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
For the street corn steak kabobs:
- 1 ½ lbs Sirloin Steak
- 4 Ears of Corn shucked, ends trimmed, cut into 2–3-inch rounds
- 1 Red Onion cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
For serving:
- Cotija Crema
- Cotija Cheese crumbled
- Cilantro minced
- Lime wedged
- Tajin
Instructions
To make the chili-lime steak marinade:
- Add all ingredients for the chili-lime marinade to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl to the side. Now let's get our steak prepped and marinating!
- Get out your sirloin and trim the fat off of it. You don't have to get it all but do the best you can! Some little bits left will render down and add flavor. Next, cut it up into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
- Add the steak to the marinade and use your hands to toss and coat. Massaging that marinade in there really helps to penetrate the meat with those flavors!
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Don't exceed that! Now let's get started on making the cotija crema!
To make the cotija crema:
- Add all ingredients for the cotija crema to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the street corn steak kabobs:
- At this point, our steak should be done marinating! So now we can build our kabobs! Get out a plate and the skewers and start building the kabobs as follows – corn + onion + steak.
- Repeat with all remaining ingredients! Don't be tempted to toss the corn and onion in the marinade either, discard it once you've used up all of the steak!
- In a grill pan on medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Use a silicone brush to brush it around the pan and in those grooves.
- Add the kabobs to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, using a tong to turn them every 2-3.
- Work in batches to cook the kabobs, brushing on more olive oil as needed, until all of them are charred and steak is cooked to a perfect medium rare (or however you like it!) Use a meat thermometer to puncture through a piece of steak to get a feel for the cook. A medium rare to medium is what we usually like to have here at home, so I know once I'm between 135-145 F, I'm good to go! If you want to cook them closer to a medium to medium well, consider turning the heat down towards the end of the cook time so that way you don't overcook the other ingredients but can still get that nice char on there!
To serve:
- Serve street corn steak kabobs hot with some cotija crema drizzled over the top, a sprinkle of tajin, cotija cheese, lime wedges, and cilantro! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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These look delicious! Perfect for summer.
Thank you!
The steak was incredibly tender and paired so well with the charred corn. The zesty street corn topping added the perfect creamy finish. They were definitely the star of our cookout!
We loved this one too! So glad you liked it!