Esquites (Mexican Street Corn in a Cup)
Sweetcorn kernels sautéed with butter, onion, chilli and epazote, served in cups with mayonnaise, lime, crumbled cheese and chilli powder. The spoonable version of elotes.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soften the onion and chilli
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and serrano chilli and cook, stirring now and then, for about 3 minutes.
- 30 g butter
- ¼ white onion
- 1 serrano chilli
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, chilli smells fragrant
Cook the corn
Keep the pan over medium heat. Add the sweetcorn and salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- 600 g sweetcorn kernels
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: corn starts to turn golden in places
Add the epazote and water
Add the and water, cover the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- 2 sprigs
- 100 ml water
✅ Done when: corn is tender and sitting in a little juicy broth
Serve in cups
Spoon the hot corn and some of its broth from step 3 into 4 cups. Top each one with a spoonful of mayonnaise, the juice of ½ lime, crumbled and chilli powder to taste, then eat with a spoon.
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 limes lime juice
- 60 g cheese
- to taste chilli powder
Soften the onion and chilli
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and serrano chilli and cook, stirring now and then, for about 3 minutes.
- 30 g butter
- ¼ white onion
- 1 serrano chilli
✅ Done when: onion is soft and translucent, chilli smells fragrant
Cook the corn
Keep the pan over medium heat. Add the sweetcorn and salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- 600 g sweetcorn kernels
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: corn starts to turn golden in places
Add the epazote and water
Add the and water, cover the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- 2 sprigs
- 100 ml water
✅ Done when: corn is tender and sitting in a little juicy broth
Serve in cups
Spoon the hot corn and some of its broth from step 3 into 4 cups. Top each one with a spoonful of mayonnaise, the juice of ½ lime, crumbled and chilli powder to taste, then eat with a spoon.
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 limes lime juice
- 60 g cheese
- to taste chilli powder
The Story Behind the Dish
The name comes from the Nahuatl word izquitl, meaning toasted corn. Corn has been central to Mexican life for thousands of years, and esquites are one of its simplest, most popular forms.
Today they're sold from steaming pots on street corners and in parks, especially in the evening.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Creamy, tangy, salty and spicy all at once, esquites are pure Mexican comfort in a cup.
💡 Fun Fact
In Mexico City, esquites are sometimes topped with tuétano (bone marrow) or fried chicken feet for an extra-rich version.
Central Mexico
19.43°N, -99.13°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!