The BEST Recipe for Esquites | Mexican Corn in a Cup
Esquites, or elote en vaso, is a very popular street food in Mexico, and with this quick and easy recipe you can make it at home! You're going to love the tender corn kernels simmered in a light broth and topped with tangy, creamy, spicy garnishes.
Servings: 4 small servings
Calories: 241kcal
Ingredients
- 4 whole ears of corn shucked
- 3 Tablespoons of butter
- ¼ small white onion roughly chopped
- 2 whole garlic cloves very thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 whole Serrano peppers roughly chopped (seeds removed for milder option)
- 1 whole sprig of epazote or sub with 1 teaspoon dried epazote
- 2 cups vegetable broth I used half a vegetable bouillon cube with water
- pinch sea salt fine texture
- 4 Tablespoon mayonnaise to taste (use vegan or regular)
- 4 Tablespoon cotija cheese use my vegan cotija or sub with queso fresco or in a pinch parmesan cheese may be used
- 2 limes freshly squeezed
- 4 teaspoons ground red chili pepper cayenne works great
Instructions
- Do watch the video guided visual instructions. Shuck the corn to remove all of the husks and the silk. Rinse to remove any extra silks, but if a few are left it won't hurt anything.
- Melt the butter in a hot pot, then add the onion and garlic and sprinkle a small pinch of the salt over them, sauté until soft. Next add the serrano and cook for a couple of minutes before adding all of the corn kernels. Sauté until the kernels begin feeling just a bit crispy.
- Now add the epazote, the broth and give the ingredients a good stir. This is completely optional, but I like to add a couple of the leftover corn cobs that have had their kernels sliced off, to the pot to give the broth extra flavor.
- Next cover the pot and bring to a boil, once boiled uncover and continue simmering until the liquid has halved and the kernels are nice and tender. Taste and adjust salt if necessary -- but remember you'll be adding cheese too which is a bit salty.
- Once the esquites are cooked you can allow to cool slightly then serve in small cups. This recipe makes enough for four small servings. Remove the corn cobs, if used, ad the sprig of epazote.
- Ladle some corn and as much broth as desired (it tastes really good, so do add it) into each cup. Top with some mayo, cheese, lime juice and ground chile pepper -- the amounts are to taste and not everyone likes everything, customize it to your taste.
Notes
*This recipe makes 4 small appetizer and size servings. You can easily double or triple the recipe for larger portions.
**Fresh epazote may be purchased a your local Mexican food market or you can buy dried online.
***The nutritional information may differ depending on the brand of products you use.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servings | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 858mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1210IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg
