Mexican Corn in a Cup (Elote en Vaso)

Mexican esquites served in a clear cup garnished with lime

Mexican Corn in a Cup (Elote en Vaso)

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Cast Iron, Cinco de Mayo, Family Friendly, Vegetables

Prep Time: 7

Cook Time: 8

Servings:

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Marilyn

Mexican corn in a cup is a delightful combination of crunchy caramelized corn kernels sautéed in butter and garlic and dressed with a creamy, slightly tangy sauce with flourishes of lime, cilantro, chili pepper and cotija cheese. Purely a dreamy corn salad in a cup.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups corn kernels 4 ears of corn or 16 ounces frozen corn
½ red onion, minced divided
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro about ½ of a bunch, divided
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder approximately
Kosher salt
⅓ cup crumbled cotija cheese or more to taste
2 limes

Instructions

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and heat until melted and bubbly.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the corn and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes or until caramelized and slightly charred in spots.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the corn to a large bowl. Set aside.
Reserve about 2 tablespoons each of the red onion and the cilantro. Stir the remainder of the red onion and cilantro, and the jalapeños into the corn.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chili powder and salt.
Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the corn, mixing well. Stir in the cotija cheese and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice until just combined. Add more lime juice to taste, if desired. Cut the remaining limes into wedges.
Spoon mixture into cups. Garnish with reserved red onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Variations:

Grilled corn: Grill the corn on the cob for a delicious smoky flavor. Slice the kernels off the corn and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Corn Salad: Serve the Mexican corn in a salad bowl instead of individual cups and let diners serve themselves.

Street Corn Quesadillas: Stir in ¾ of a cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend into the corn. Slightly dampen 2 large tortillas. In a hot skillet, add 1 tortilla and spread the street corn blend on top. Add the remaining tortilla, pressing slightly onto the corn. Flip the quesadilla and cook for up to 2 minutes or until lightly charred. Cut into wedges and serve with Pico de Gallo on the side.

Substitutions:

For simplicity, I like to use frozen corn kernels versus cutting fresh kernels off of the corn cobs. However, fresh corn kernels are great particularly when corn is in season. Use the tips in the recipe card for equivalent amounts of frozen kernels to cobs of corn.
For a spicier cup of corn, leave the seeds in the jalapeño.
Use Mexican crema in place of the sour cream. Mexican cream is less tangy than sour cream and has a higher content.
Omit the cilantro if don't have it on hand or you are among the people that don't like cilantro's taste. The esquites will still be delicious without it. If you still would like a leafy garnish, use flat leaf parsley.
Cotija cheese can be relaced with queso fresco. Queso fresco is not as salty or tangy as cotija but crumbles nicely and will add a nice flavor and texture.

Nutrition