Esquites

4.95 from 17 votes

This Esquites recipe is my favorite way to enjoy fresh corn on the cob! It's Mexican Street Corn in a cup so it's flavorful, creamy, and such an easy snack or side dish that everyone loves! You can also use frozen corn to enjoy it year round.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 299kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Cost: 5

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon salted butter , softened
1/3 cup onion (50g), diced, (optional)
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper , seeded, diced, (optional)
1/3 cup water (79g)
4 ears corn* , husked, cut from the cob (about 3 cups)
salt and pepper , to taste
5 Tablespoons mayonnaise
5 Tablespoons Mexican crema , or sour cream
1/3 cup Cotija cheese (85g), shredded, or queso fresco*
chili powder , Tajin, or hot sauce , to taste
1 lime , quartered

Instructions

Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add onion and pepper then sauté until tender. Add water and corn. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender (about 5-8 minutes).
1 Tablespoon salted butter, 1/3 cup onion, 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, 1/3 cup water, 4 ears corn*
Season with black pepper and a little salt then divide among 4 cups.
salt and pepper
In each cup, add 1 heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1 heaping tablespoon of Mexican crema (or sour cream). Stir to combine.
5 Tablespoons mayonnaise, 5 Tablespoons Mexican crema
Sprinkle generously with grated cheese and chili powder, to taste. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top. Enjoy immediately.
1/3 cup Cotija cheese, chili powder, 1 lime

Video

Notes

Yield: 4 individual cups. Serving Size: 1 individual cup.

Corn: White corn is traditionally used in Mexico, but yellow corn can be substituted. You could also substitute 3 cups frozen corn.

Cheese: Cotija cheese is traditional, but if you can’t find it, substitute finely grated parmesan cheese.

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the instructions to cook the corn and onion mixture, allow it to cool, then keep it covered in a container in the fridge. The topping ingredients can be prepped and stored too. Before you serve it, just re-warm the corn in a skillet then continue separating it into cups and adding the toppings.

Freezing Instructions: Follow the instructions to cook corn then allow it to cool and store in a freezer safe container for 6 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge then heat on the stove in a pan before separating into cups and adding toppings.

Nutrition

Recipe Link

Recipe Video