Esquites (Mexican Street Corn in a Cup)
Equipment
- Esquites is Mexican street corn served in a cup — sautéed corn cut off the cob, topped with a creamy mayo-crema sauce, cotija cheese, chili powder, and fresh lime.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter softened
- ⅓ cup onion diced (optional)
- 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper seeded and diced (optional)
- ⅓ cup water
- 4 ears corn husked and cut from the cob (about 3 cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 5 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream
- ⅓ cup cotija cheese shredded, or queso fresco
- Chili powder Tajín, or hot sauce, to taste
- 1 lime quartered
Instructions
- Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and pepper, then sauté until tender. Add the water and corn. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season with black pepper and a little salt, then divide among 4 cups. In each cup, add 1 heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1 heaping tablespoon of Mexican crema (or sour cream). Stir to combine. Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and chili powder to taste. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Yield is 4 individual cups, with a serving size of 1 cup. White corn is traditionally used in Mexico, but yellow corn works, or substitute about 3 cups of frozen corn to enjoy it year-round. Cotija is traditional, but finely grated parmesan or queso fresco can be substituted. If you prefer a lighter cup, scale back the mayonnaise and crema to taste. Make-ahead: cook the corn and onion mixture, cool, and store covered in the fridge; prep toppings separately, then rewarm the corn in a skillet before assembling. Freezing: cook the corn, cool, and freeze up to 6 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove before adding toppings.