🌽 Esquites
Esquites are a Mexican street snack of corn kernels cooked until tender, then mixed with mayonnaise, lime juice, crumbled cotija cheese and chili powder. The result is creamy, tangy, salty and gently smoky. They are sold warm in cups from street carts and eaten with a spoon.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 lime
- 40 g cotija cheese, crumbled
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- Salt
Method
- Boil the corn in salted water for 5–7 minutes until tender, then drain.
- While still warm, stir in the mayonnaise and the juice of half the lime.
- Divide into cups and top with cotija, chili powder and cilantro.
- Serve with lime wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Use 1 tbsp mayonnaise instead of 2 — 1 tbsp mayonnaise ≈ 90 kcal.
- Add extra lime and chili for flavour without extra calories.
- Keep it to one cup as a side rather than a full meal.
History
Esquites are a close relative of elote, corn on the cob with similar toppings, and are typical of central Mexico. The name is generally traced to the Nahuatl word for toasted corn, and today they are a fixture of street stalls across the country.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →