Esquites

Esquites (Mexican Street Corn in a Cup)

A spoonable Mexican street snack of sweet corn kernels dressed with mayonnaise, lime, chilli and salty cotija. It is the off-the-cob cousin of grilled elote, traditionally served warm in small cups.

Prep

10 min

Cook

15 min

Total

25 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh corn kernels, cut from about 4 large cobs; frozen thawed is an acceptable substitute
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •1 small white onion, finely diced
• •1 clove garlic, minced
• •60 ml (¼ cup) mayonnaise, Mexican-style if available
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sour cream or Mexican crema
• •1 whole lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
• •3 g (1 tsp) chilli powder, preferably Mexican Tajín or a mild ground chile
• •2 g (½ tsp) smoked paprika (pimentón), optional, for a smoky note
• •80 g (¾ cup) cotija cheese, crumbled; feta is the closest substitute
• •5 g (¼ cup) fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt, to taste
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Heat the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until foaming. Add the diced onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant.
2. 2 Add the corn kernels and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kernels are tender and lightly charred in spots. You want them hot all the way through, with a few browned edges for flavour.
3. 3 While the corn cooks, whisk together the mayonnaise, crema, lime juice, chilli powder and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
4. 4 Transfer the hot corn to a mixing bowl. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the corn and fold gently until every kernel is glossy and coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. 5 Spoon the dressed corn into small cups or glasses. Top generously with crumbled cotija, a scatter of chopped coriander, and an extra pinch of chilli powder. Serve immediately with a lime wedge for squeezing over.
6. 6 Food safety note: serve hot and consume within 2 hours of preparation. Do not leave at room temperature for longer, as the dairy-based dressing is perishable.