Elote Pizza
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Elote, a popular Mexican street food made with grilled corn served with mayonnaise, cotija cheese and lime makes up the tangy summer topping on this vegetarian pizza recipe. This recipe is inspired by a local Williamsburg Pizza slice shop, Vinnie’s, that serves Mexican-inspired sweet corn over a white pizza.
Elote Pizza
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Corn – I use fire roasted corn for additional smokey, flavor though canned or frozen corn can also be used in this recipe.
- Poblanos – Diced poblano peppers add additional flavor to this recipe without much heat. Poblanos are large and deep green in color. They’re less spicy than jalapeños, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville units.
- Pizza dough – Either make your own pizza dough using my simple recipe here, or use store bought dough. Find pre-made dough in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I also recommend checking if your local pizza spot sells their dough – a great way to support local restaurants! If using chilled pizza dough let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature prior to rolling it out.
- Mozzarella cheese – This white pizza has a base of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella has a higher water content and can become runny rather than gooey as it melts. Part-skim mozzarella makes for the cheese pull of your dreams!
- Cotija cheese – Cotija cheese is a type of hard, crumbly and salty Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a consistency similar to a cross between feta and Parmesan cheese. I use it to finish the pizza and add a contrast to the melty cheese. Find it in the cheese sections at large markets such as Whole Foods or Hispanic markets.
- Sour cream – Drizzle the corn pizza with a little sour cream or crema to finish it. The chilled creamy texture is a nice contrast to the hot slice of pizza. If using sour cream I recommend stirring in a little water to thin the mixture and make it easy to drizzle.
- Cilantro – Cilantro is added after the pizza is cooked as a garnish.
How to Make Elote Pizza
Step 1: Char corn and poblanos.
Place pizza stone on a grill or in the oven and heat to 500ºF (260ºC). Set the ears of corn and poblano pepper over a gas burner on high heat (or on the grill). Roast until the poblano and corn are charred all over, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Step 2. Cut corn and poblanos.
After roasting the poblanos, carefully peel off the charred skin, then remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper. Cut the kernels off the cob.
Step 3: Make elote mixture.
Add the pepper and corn kernels to a medium mixing bowl and toss with mayo, lime juice and garlic until combined and set aside.
Step 4: Roll out pizza dough.
Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, working one half at a time, press out each half of the dough into a 10” circle. The dough should be fairly thin. Generously spread cornmeal over the pizza peel then add the dough on top.
Step 5: Par-bake dough if using the oven or grill.
Work one pizza at a time. Use a pizza peel to slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Rub half the olive oil over the dough and cook until the crust is a pale brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes.
Step 6: Add topping and cook.
Top with mozzarella cheese and half the corn mixture. Return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly charred in spots and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes.
Step 7: Garnish and serve.
Garnish with the sour cream, chili powder, cotija and cilantro. Cut into slices and serve.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
How to make the pizza in an Ooni Pizza Oven
If making in a pizza oven there’s no need to par-bake the crust since it will get to a much higher heat than in an oven or on a grill (around 850ºF / 454ºC). Simply assemble the pizza toppings as noted in the recipe then bake in the Ooni Pizza Oven for 3-4 minutes, rotating with a metal pizza peel frequently. Then let cool slightly on a wire cooling rack before transferring to a cutting board to cut into slices.
How to reheat pizza?
With thin crust pizza like this, the bottom crust is important. I like to reheat my pizza first in a cast iron pan or skillet over medium-low heat until the crust is crisp, then broil in the oven on high until the cheese is bubbling and hot.
If you don’t have a pizza stone or peel
If you do not have a pizza stone/peel then prepare the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this elote pizza recipe, I recommend checking out these pizza ideas:
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Elote Pizza
Ingredients:
- 3 large ears sweet corn, shucked
- 2 medium poblano peppers
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound pizza dough
- Cornmeal, as needed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves
Instructions:
- Place pizza stone on a grill or in the oven and heat to 500ºF (260ºC).
- Set the ears of corn and poblano peppers over a gas burner on high heat (or on the grill). Roast until the poblano and corn are charred all over, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes.
- After roasting the poblanos, carefully peel off the charred skin, then remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper. Cut the kernels off the cob.
- Add the pepper and corn kernels to a medium mixing bowl and toss with mayo, lime juice and garlic until combined and set aside.
- Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, working one half at a time, press out each half of the dough into a 10” circle. The dough should be fairly thin. Generously spread cornmeal over the pizza peel then add the dough on top.
- Work one pizza at a time. Use a pizza peel to slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Rub half the olive oil over the dough and cook until the crust is a pale brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and half the corn mixture. Return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly charred in spots and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes.
- Garnish with the sour cream, chili powder, cotija and cilantro. Cut into slices and serve.
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