Mexican Street Corn in a Cup (Esquites)

This Mexican Street Corn in a Cup also known as Esquites are so fun to make and are sure to be a hit at your next party or bbq!

The first time I ever had Mexican Street Corn Cups was at a food and wine festival. I thought to myself, what a genius idea! Turns out this has been around for many many years! Guess I’ve been out of the loop!

I love making Mexican Street Corn, but I find it to be a bit messy when eating it. So putting it in cups is perfect when you’re serving it at a party or bbq.

Everyone can just grab their own personal cup!

Mexican Street Corn Cup Ingredients

• 4 ears of Corn
• 2 Tbs EVOO
• 2 Tbs Mayo
• 2 Tbs Butter room temperature
• 2-3 Tbs Cotija Cheese crumbled
• Tajin seasoning
• Limes for garnish

How to Make Mexican Street Corn in a Cup

There are a variety of ways to make Esquites. The base is corn kernels obviously. You can grill the corn or choose not to, totally up to you. 

I prefer mine grilled, so that’s what I did for this recipe.

1. Pre heat grill to med/high heat, about 400 degrees.
2. Remove husks from corn.
3. Brush corn with EVOO.
4. Place corn on the grill and cook 10-15 minutes turning occasionally.
5. Remove corn and let cool.
6. Place corn cobs over a large bowl and cut the corn off the cob with a knife.

The most common ingredients to add to the corn are Mayo, Lime, Mexican Crema, and Chili Powder. But as with anything else you can make your own substitutions which is what I did!

I mixed mine with Mayo, Butter, Cotija Cheese, and Tajin Seasoning.

Cotija Cheese can be hard to find sometimes. Some stores have it near the deli area where they carry the really good cheese. I’m lucky to live near a small Mexican market, so I get mine there. 

If you can’t find it anywhere you could substitute it with Feta.

Now if you are unfamiliar with Tajin Seasoning, you are in for a real treat! My best friend introduced it to me this year, and I’m so thankful she did!

Not only is it good in this recipe, but now I use it to season almost all my veggies! It has a nice blend of chili and lime flavor, more lime than chili. If you want more heat just add some Chili Powder!

If you like this recipe then make sure you try my Mexican Street Corn Salad as well!

If you try this recipe let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, rate it, share it on social media, or take a picture and tag it tastefulventure on Instagram!

I LOVE seeing what you guys cook up.

Cheers!

*This post first appeared on Tastefulventure on June 2021 and has recently been updated with new information and media to benefit the reader.

Mexican Street Corn in a Cup (Esquites)

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This Mexican Street Corn in a Cup also known as Esquites are so fun to make and are sure to be a hit at your next party or bbq!

• Author: Sara
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

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• 4 ears of Corn
• 2 Tbs EVOO
• 2 Tbs Mayo
• 2 Tbs Butter room temperature
• 2–3 Tbs Cotija Cheese crumbled
• Tajin seasoning
• Limes for garnish

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Instructions

1. Pre heat grill to med/high heat, about 400 degrees
2. Remove husks from corn
3. Brush corn with EVOO
4. Place corn on the grill and cook 10-15 minutes turning occasionally
5. Remove corn and let cool
6. Place corn cobs over a large bowl and cut the corn off the cob with a knife
7. Add mayo and butter, mix into the corn
8. Mix in the Cotija cheese
9. Sprinkle with a little bit of Tajin, mix, taste and add more if desired
10. Spoon into individual cups
11. Garnish with a lime
12. Enjoy!

Notes

Tajin is a blend of mild chili peppers, lime and sea salt. I don’t use exact measurements for it in this recipe, because honestly you just need to add enough to your liking. Start with a few sprinkles, mix, taste and go from there!

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