Esquites Recipe (Mexican Street Food With Corn)

Esquites is a tasty, inexpensive Mexican street food dish made from grilled corn on the cob and traditional seasonings. Even if you are far from the streets of Mexico, you can recreate this authentic Esquite recipe right at home in the comfort of your kitchen!

In México, a significant amount of our street food is made up of vegetables, fruits, and grains. We love to have the following:

• Baked sweet potatoes
• Fruit salads with cream (like this recipe for bionico)
• And, of course, corn!

Corn can be prepared in many ways, like fire-roasted, boiled, steamed, made into a cake, or with just the kernels served in a bowl or cup, like in this recipe.

Jump to:

• Frequently Asked Questions about Esquites
• Corn Kernels With Serrano Peppers
• How To Make Esquites Recipe: Step By Step Tutorial
• More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Photo Courtesy of León Felipe Guevara Chávez

These pictures were taken at the beach in my hometown. The cart vendor sells corn on the cob and Esquites (also known as Trotelotes or Troles).

Frequently Asked Questions about Esquites

Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions I want to answer about esquites.

What do esquites mean?

Esquites are one of Mexico's most popular snacks on street foods. It's characteristically Mexican in flavor and is a tasty treat that can be found at many fiestas, sold along the beach, or in city squares and markets.

Traditional corn kernels are boiled in water with water and epazote leaves. The word Esquite comes from the Nahuatl word “ Ízquitl” (toasted corn grain on a hot comal). Nowadays are found all over the country and sold by street vendors. The array of toppings depends on the city and taste, from the traditional like mayo, lime, and chili powder to Cheetos and chicken feet.   

What's the difference between Elote and esquite?

So what makes Esquite different from Mexican corn on the cob (commonly called Elote or Mexican street corn)?

Elote is when you take a husk of corn, peel back the husks, and grill it. Then, you spread on a few teaspoons of cream or mayo, add a bit of lime juice, and sprinkle on cotija and some seasoning. An Elote is also cooked, steamed, or boiled without removing the husks and served with cream, mayo, lime juice, and a mix of kosher salt and ground hot dried pepper.

Esquite is essentially the same thing, except the kernels are in a cup rather than on the cob. In this particular esquite recipe, I cook the kernels alongside serrano pepper and epazote for an even smoky flavor. But you can skip the serrano and the Epazote and use the ground hot dried pepper instead.

How do you store your Corn Esquite?

After cooking and cooling the corn kernels, store the leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge. To reheat, place them in a pan for a few minutes until warm. The corn kernels will last for about three to four days. 

Corn Kernels With Serrano Peppers

Every cook might make their esquite a bit differently, but this is my version perfected over years of cooking. If you make yours differently, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish.

• Fresh-cut corn kernels
• Mexican sour cream (or mayonnaise)
• Unsalted butter
• White onion
• Fresh epazote (chopped)
• Cotija cheese (or farmer's cheese)
• Serrano pepper
• Ground chili (or cayenne pepper)
• Lime wedges

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking Tips:

• To enjoy the best experience of this treat. Freshly cut right off the cob will always be the best option to make this esquites recipe.

• If you want to cook this recipe during a time of the year when fresh corn is not available, you can use canned corn or even frozen kernels. The results in flavor and texture will not compare to using fresh corn. But if there is no other option, use only 2-½ cups of kernels since fresh corn kernels are bigger.
• Crema (aka Mexican sour cream) works very well in this dish. If you aren't able to find it, I suggest using a 50-50 mix of regular sour cream and mayo for tang.
• Chopped fresh epazote and serrano pepper are both optional, but I highly recommend them as they will boost the flavor profile of this dish.

How To Make Esquites Recipe: Step By Step Tutorial

This corn recipe is super easy to make. Here is how you make it:

• In medium-high heat, melt the butter in a skillet. Once melted, add the chopped onion and cook until transparent.

• Add the corn and epazote (if using), serrano pepper, and water.
• Stir and cover to cook, stirring occasionally. It will take between 6-8 minutes to cook.

Tip: Check for doneness and do not overcook. Corn kernels should be firm.

• Season with salt and serve in cups.

• Top with cream and/or mayonnaise and cheese. If you don’t want to use the serrano peppers and use cayenne or chile powder instead, then add it at this point.
• Serve warm with some lime wedges and salt to taste.

Enjoy!

What To Serve With Esquites

Esquites are delicious on their own, but if you want to serve them as a side dish, I recommend serving alongside a steak such as this carne asada recipe. Esquites also taste very good with tacos, such as tacos al pastor.

More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for homemade esquites, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

• Mexican Cream Of Corn Soup
• Fried Corn Empanadas With Cheese
• Sweet Corn Tamales With Pork Filling
• Easy 4-Ingredient Corn Bread
• Avocado, Tomato, and Corn Salad

I hope you make this recipe for Mexican corn esquites! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

📖 Recipe