How to Make Mexican Corn Salad: Easy Esquites Recipe

Esquites are cups of Mexican corn salad topped with fresh lime juice, mayonnaise, butter, cheese, and chile powder or hot sauce. In Mexico and parts of the U.S. such as Texas, street vendors often sell these corn cups (aka elote en vaso, or “corn in a cup”) side by side with elotes, or grilled corn on the cob. At home, esquites make a refreshing side dish for tacos, quesadillas, or tamales.

Make this popular Mexican street food snack at home in three easy steps.

1. 1. Cut the kernels off the cob. Esquites are traditionally made with elote blanco (Mexican white corn), but you can use sweet corn if it’s not available. (Use frozen corn or canned corn when fresh corn is not in season.) Husk the ears of corn and cut off the base and tip of the corn. Invert a small bowl within a large bowl and stand the corn up on top of the inverted bowl. Use a knife to scrape the corn kernels off the ear into the large bowl.
2. 2. Cook the corn. In a pot over medium-high heat, combine corn with chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegan version), water, and a few sprigs of epazote (a Mexican herb), and cook until corn is tender. Do not discard the liquid. Alternatively, sauté the corn in a pan with onion and garlic.
3. 3. Assemble the esquites. For a more traditional experience, serve esquites Mexican-style in small individual-size cups topped with crema, mayonnaise, crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and jalapeño peppers or cayenne pepper for heat. For a potluck or picnic appetizer, transfer all the corn to one bowl. Add enough reserved cooking liquid to coat, and top with your favorite toppings. If you don’t have Mexican crema, substitute sour cream; feta cheese and parmesan are good substitutes for Mexican cheese.