This is a recipe for Mexican Street Corn in a Cup (esquites) with whole kernel sweet corn, mayonnaise, and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips served in a bowl or cup.

Mexican street corn in a cup is a twist on the traditional dish that is usually served on the cob after being grilled. The grilled on-the-cob version is called elote in Spanish, which means “corn.”

Esquites is the off-the-cob version served as a salad in a bowl.

Esquites are also typically boiled in a large pot, sometimes with a broth.

They’re served with chopped onion, fried green chile, chicken, and topped with lime juice and mayo or sour cream, cotija, chile, and salt.

Both elote and esquites are Mexican street-fare that have become popular and trendy all over the world.

Here in Iowa, it is served at the Iowa State Fair at the Corn Stand where you can find a variety of corn in a cup versions:

Chinese Sweet Corn Cup: Chinese barbecue pork, walnuts, sesame seeds, Chinese five-spice sauce, shredded daikon radish, and crispy wontons
Mexican Street Corn Cup: Pork chorizo, chayote cheese, mayo, lime juice, cilantro, sour cream, and chili powder
The Duke Corn Cup: Smoked sausage, BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, pork rinds, and chives
Iowan Street Corn Cup: Pork sausage, cheddar cheese, mayo, butter, lime, and chili powder

Easy Mexican Street Corn in a Cup Ingredients

Whole Kernel Sweet Corn (I used canned corn, but you can of course grill or boil corn on the cob and cut the kernels off.)
Butter
Mayonnaise
Chili Powder
Cotija Cheese
Lime
Crispy Tortilla Strips

If you have difficulties finding cotija powdered cheese, the closest thing to another powdered cheese is Parmesan.

How do you make Mexican street corn in a cup?

This recipe is using canned corn but grilled or boiled corn on the cob can be used too. Simply cut the kernels off the cob in a vertical fashion.
I recommend using 3-4 ears of corn or two 15.25 oz cans of whole kernel sweet corn. One medium-sized ear gives about ¾ cup of corn kernels.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn and stir until heated through.
Remove from the heat and stir in mayonnaise.
Squeeze fresh lime juice over each serving, followed by tortilla strips, sprinkles of cotija cheese, and chili powder.

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