Street Corn Beans

Creator notes

This twist on a classic combines the creamy, tangy flavors of traditional street corn with the hearty goodness of beans. You can toss everything in the mayo dressing for an even coating, but drizzling allows Orcas' beautiful, spotted pattern to shine through. – Jackie Young, @cookwithjackie

Why This Recipe Works

What makes this dish so successful is how it takes the beloved flavors of Mexican street corn (elote), creamy mayo, tangy lime, salty cotija, spicy chili powder, and combines them with hearty beans to create something more substantial and satisfying. The result is a dish that's both familiar and new, working equally well as a side dish or light main course.

Jackie's note about drizzling rather than tossing is both practical and aesthetic, it "allows Orcas' beautiful, spotted pattern to shine through," making the dish as visually appealing as it is delicious.

The Star: Orca Beans

Let's talk about Orca beans and why they're perfect for this street corn-inspired preparation. These stunning black and white spotted beans (named for their resemblance to orca whales) are small, dense, and have a rich, almost meaty flavor.

What makes Orca beans ideal for street corn beans is their striking appearance that deserves to be showcased (hence the drizzling suggestion), their firm texture that holds up to charring with corn and tossing with dressing, and their rich flavor that stands up to bold Mexican seasonings.

When cooked with corn cobs, lime zest, and guajillo chiles, then combined with charred corn and street corn toppings, these beans become a colorful, flavorful dish that's perfect for summer gatherings.

Cooking the Beans with Aromatics

The beans cook with thoughtful aromatics that complement the final street corn flavors: corn cobs (adding sweet corn flavor to the beans themselves), strips of lime zest (citrus brightness), bay leaf (herbal depth), onion (savory foundation), guajillo chiles (mild, fruity heat), and butter (richness).

This flavoring from the start ensures the beans themselves are delicious before you even add the corn and toppings. It's layered flavor building, a Jackie Young signature approach.

Once cooked, remove the aromatics and drain well. Transfer beans to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat with additional paper towels to remove moisture. This drying is important, you want the beans dry so they char properly with the corn and don't make the final dish watery.

Charring the Corn

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears of corn) and cook undisturbed for 8 minutes. This is key, don't stir. You want the kernels to char on one side, developing sweet caramelization and slightly smoky flavor.

Charring transforms the corn from sweet to deeply flavorful, adding the slightly smoky quality that makes street corn so appealing.

Once the kernels have charred, add the dried beans and butter. Mix until the butter melts and evenly coats the corn and beans. Remove from heat.

The Mayo Dressing

The dressing is what makes this taste like street corn. Combine mayonnaise, full-fat Greek yogurt (for tang and to lighten the mayo slightly), zest and juice of one lime, freshly cracked black pepper, and salt.

Taste and adjust seasoning, the dressing should be tangy, creamy, well-seasoned, and bright. The yogurt adds a slight tang that's more complex than mayo alone, while the lime provides essential brightness.

This mayo-yogurt combination is lighter than pure mayo but still creamy enough to feel indulgent.

The Plating Strategy

Transfer the beans and charred corn to a quarter or half rimmed baking sheet for serving. Jackie notes this "enables even topping distribution", the flat surface allows you to spread everything in a thin layer so every portion gets toppings.

Drizzle (don't toss) the mayo dressing over the top. This technique lets you see the beautiful beans rather than coating everything uniformly white. It also means people can mix as they serve themselves, getting as much or as little dressing as they prefer.

The Toppings

Top with the classic street corn toppings:

• Cotija cheese: Crumbly, salty, aged Mexican cheese (feta is a reasonable substitute but cotija is ideal)
• Cilantro leaves: Fresh, bright, essential Mexican herb
• Ancho chili powder: Mild, fruity dried chile with subtle heat
• Tajin: Reduced sodium chili-lime seasoning blend (or other chili-lime seasoning)
• Cayenne: Additional heat for those who want it

These toppings create the authentic street corn flavor profile, creamy, tangy, salty, spicy, fresh.

 About Elote

This dish is inspired by elote, Mexican street corn that's grilled, slathered with mayo or crema, rolled in cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder, and finished with lime. It's popular street food throughout Mexico and increasingly common in the U.S.

By adding beans and deconstructing the toppings into drizzles and sprinkles, Jackie has created something that captures elote's spirit while being easier to eat (no corn stuck in your teeth!) and more substantial (beans add protein and satisfaction).

The Visual Appeal

Jackie's point about letting "Orcas' beautiful, spotted pattern to shine through" reflects attention to visual presentation. Orca beans are genuinely striking, black and white spots create visual interest that would be hidden if everything were tossed together in a uniform coating.

This dish looks as good as it tastes, making it perfect for gatherings where presentation matters.

Summer Perfect

This is quintessential summer food, fresh corn at its peak, bright flavors, something you'd want to make for a backyard barbecue or potluck. The combination of charred corn, beans, and street corn toppings feels festive and seasonal.

Versatile Serving

While listed as a side dish, this could easily be a light main course, especially served with tortilla chips for scooping. It also works as:

• Taco filling (spoon into warm tortillas)
• Salad topper (over greens for a Tex-Mex salad)
• Burrito bowl component (with rice, avocado, salsa)
• Quesadilla filling (add cheese and griddle)

The base combination is versatile enough for multiple applications.

Make-Ahead Components

The beans can be cooked ahead and refrigerated. The dressing can be made a day in advance. The corn should be charred close to serving for best flavor and texture. The assembly happens just before serving.

This makes it manageable for entertaining, prep components ahead, then quickly assemble before guests arrive.

A Twist on a Classic

Jackie's description as "a twist on a classic" is accurate. This takes something familiar (elote) and makes it new by adding beans and presenting it differently. It's respectful of the original while creating something distinct and possibly even more satisfying.

Street Corn Beans

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Whatsapp

Category

Side Dish

Cuisine

Mexican-Inspired

Creator notes This twist on a classic combines the creamy, tangy flavors of traditional street corn with the hearty goodness of beans. You can toss everything in the mayo dressing for an even coating, but drizzling allows Orcas' beautiful, spotted pattern to shine through. – Jackie Young, @cookwithjackie

Featured bean: Orca 

Other beans to try: Southwest Gold or Southwest Red

Ingredients

The beans

• ½ lb dried Primary Beans Orca beans

• Suggested flavorings: corn cobs, strips of lime zest, bay leaf, onion, guajillo chiles, and butter

The rest

• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears corn)

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise

• 3 tbsp full-fat Greek yogurt

• 1 lime

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 4 oz cotija cheese

• ⅓ cup cilantro leaves

• 2 tsp reduced sodium Tajin, or other chili lime seasoning

• 1 tsp ancho chili powder

• ¼ tsp cayenne

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

1. Prepare the beans: Cook beans according to the Primary Beans cooking guide with the suggested flavorings. Once beans are cooked through, remove aromatics and drain well. Transfer beans to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and gently pat with additional paper towels to remove moisture.

2. Char your corn: Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook, undisturbed, for 8 minutes. Once kernels have charred, add beans and 2 tbsp butter. Mix until butter has melted and evenly coated corn and beans. Remove from heat.

3. Make the mayo dressing: Combine mayo, Greek yogurt, zest and juice of one lime, a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

4. Plate and top: Transfer beans and corn to a quarter or half rimmed baking sheet for serving (this enables even topping distribution). Drizzle mayo dressing over the top followed by cotija, cilantro, ancho chili, tajin, and cayenne.