We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
Elote en vaso, also know as Esquites or Mexican Street Corn in a cup, is one of my very favorite Mexican dishes for so many reasons. It’s crunchy, creamy, savory, tangy, and oh so delicious! This is an explosion of all the classic Mexican street corn flavors but served in a cup for easier eating.
Table of Contents
What Is Elote in a Cup?
“Elote en vaso” directly translated, means “corn in glass (or cup).” It is also commonly called “Esquites” (pronounced: es-kee-tes). This tasty treat hits all of the same notes as Mexican street corn: sweet corn mixed with creamy mayo, tangy lime and chili seasoning, and topped with a sprinkle of queso fresco and cilantro. But this dish is made in individual casserole cups instead of on a skewer—so you can enjoy it anywhere! We know you can’t get enough of sweet, delicious corn.
This recipe makes it easy to customize your Mexican Street Corn by using any toppings you like best—and since they’re all available in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores, they’ll stay fresh until you’re ready to eat them!
I like to serve this as a side to all my favorite Mexican Dishes along with my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice, and Best Guacamole Ever.
Ingredients for Elote in a Cup
- Sugar: Just a couple of tablespoons. Trust me it’s a game changer!
- Frozen Corn: See below for tips if you want to use fresh corn on the cob for this recipe.
- Mayonnaise: Best Foods (or Hellmann’s) is my favorite!
- Sour Cream: You can also substitute plain Greek yogurt.
- Lime Salt: This is optional. But it tastes so good! If you can’t find lime salt, use fresh lime juice or stir in a crystalized lime packet.
- Cotija Cheese: Queso fresco or Mexican crema works great too!
- Fresh Cilantro: Add a tablespoon of chopped cilantro, or more to taste.
- Chili Powder: Just a dusting of chili powder can also be used as a beautiful garnish.
- Fresh Limes: Garnish with one lime cut into wedges.
- Tajin (optional): Use Tajin powder in place of the lime salt and chili powder. Tajin is simply a mix of lime powder, chili powder, and salt so it can easily be used a a substitute for these ingredients.
How to Make Elote in a Cup
- Prepare the Corn: Bring water and sugar to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Add frozen corn kernels to boiling water and simmer 3-5 minutes or until the corn is cooked and tender.
- Make the Dressing: The dressing is everything! Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, salt, and lime salt in a bowl. Mix well.
- Combine Dressing and Corn: Drain the corn well and let it cool about 3 minutes. Add sriracha to the dressing, use less for a more mild dressing and more to make it spicy. Stir well until combined.
- Divide and Garnish: Divide the corn into four cups and garnish with cheese or quest fresco, cilantro, a dash of chili powder and a lime wedge.
Tips and Suggestions
A lot of you have written in some tips and suggestions you have for this recipe, so we want to share those with our readers as well. Here are some more ideas to spoon on more flavor!
- If you want to go all-out and actually grill FRESH corn for this recipe, you absolutely can. You can use our recipe for Grilled Mexican Street Corn, or our Grilled Corn on the Cob, or use the kernels from fresh, perfect corn on the cob recipe.
- Use a grill pan or the outdoor grill. After grilling or boiling the corn, you can use a sharp knife and cut the kernels into a large bowl and follow the rest of the recipe below as directed. You can also roast the corn husks in the oven.
- Give it more of a sautéed flavor by cooking the corn in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little garlic and vegetable oil or butter. If you like a little char, cook the corn in a non-stick skillet without oil until it becomes lightly charred.
Where to Find Mexican Street Corn in a Cup
The first time I ever had Elote en Vaso was in Quintana Rio Mexico, near Tulum. The corn was grilled fresh and served in a paper cup with the rest of the ingredients. It seemed like such a simple dish but the flavors were out of this world! A few years later when I was at Disneyland I was thrilled to find the dish at the Cozy Cone Restaurant at Disney’s California Adventure. Since then, I have been so excited to see these corn cups on the menu at many of my favorite Mexican restaurants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Elotes is grilled Mexican Street Corn on the Cob. Esquites is essentially the same thing, it is the same seasonings and flavors but served with the corn kernels cut from the cob and served in a cup.
Yes. They are the same thing. They are both Mexican-style street corn served in a cup or glass.
We use 9 ounce plastic cups to get four servings from this recipe.
READ MORE: 75+ Cinco de Mayo Food Ideas
Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn Cups)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 pound frozen whole-kernel corn
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- lime salt, to taste (optional)
Toppings
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco
- ¼ cup cilantro
- chili powder
- 1 lime wedges
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over high, bring water and sugar to a boil. When water is boiling, add corn and cover with a lid. Simmer corn for 3-5 minutes or until corn is cooked through and tender.
- While corn is simmering, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, salt, and lime salt in a small bowl.
- When corn is done cooking, drain well and return to pan. Allow to cool for about 3 minutes.
- Add sriracha-mayo mixture to the corn and stir until well combined.
- Divide corn into 4 individual cups.
- Top with cheese or queso fresco, cilantro, a dash of chili powder, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Reduced-calorie option: Try reduced-fat mayo or even Greek yogurt instead of regular mayonnaise if you are looking for a lower-calorie creamy mayo sauce alternative.
- Cotija alternatives: Cotija cheese can sometimes be difficult to find, so queso fresco is a good alternative. Cotija crumbles nicely and has a nice, salty flavor. It is similar to Feta cheese, but is a little more dry and crumbly, which makes it great for sprinkling on your favorite Mexican dishes.
- Street Corn Salad or Dip: If you want to add a little more substance to this corn mixture to serve as a Mexican street corn salad or even as a dip with tortilla chips, you can always add some additional ingredients. Try adding grilled sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion, lime zest, scallions, avocado, grilled zucchini, chopped jalapeño peppers, serrano peppers (if you like a little heat), chopped red onions, and/or sautéed onion.
- Carne Asada Corn Salad: Serve over greens and some carne asada for a delicious and hearty Mexican corn salad.
- Add a kick with some chopped jalapeños, a dash of hot sauce, or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for those who love the heat.
- Add some Tajin: Stir in Tajín and a hint of hickory, so it tastes like it would straight off the grill. If you add Tajin, remove the chili powder and lime salt (its essentially the same thing).
Nutrition Information
Storing the Leftovers
Storing leftover elotes in a cup is a breeze!
- First, make sure they’re completely cooled down to room temperature.
- Then, transfer them into an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Or cover with foil or plastic wrap. Place the container in the refrigerator, and your corn should be good in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- If you’re thinking about freezing them, well, you’re in luck! These corn cups freeze quite well. Just place them in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag, leaving a bit of space at the top for any expansion during freezing.
- Keep them frozen for about 4-6 months. When you’re ready to enjoy your leftover Mexican street corn, a quick reheat in the microwave, oven or on the stovetop is all it takes to bring back that deliciousness.
Classic Elote (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)
Love elote in a cup but want to try the read deal on the cob? Sometimes you just can’t beat Mexican street corn fresh off the grill on a wooden skewer. If you have a little more time and want to try the classic, try our Grilled Mexican Street Corn recipe! We walk you through, step-by-step, how to make Mexican street corn the traditional way!
More Delicious Corn Recipes
Can’t get enough delicious corn in your life? Same here! That’s why we’ve gathered together some of our favorite corn recipes you can try:
Crockpot Creamed Corn
Korean Corn Cheese
Corn Chowder
Sweet Corn Cake
Chipotle Corn Salsa
Grilled Corn Salad
Creamy Corn Dip
Husband and I loved this. Now we don’t need to go to the taco truck to get some!
So glad you liked it! Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good taco truck but I’m with ya, it is SO nice just making it at home!
Your page sucks because it is overrun with ads plus pop-up ads. Doesn’t matter how good your recipe might be when your page is so difficult to navigate.
Sorry our page is so difficult to navigate for you. We don’t have control over what ads pop up and where but we try to make suggestions to our ad team to make it a good experience for the user. We will forward your concerns to them. In the meantime feel free to use the “jump to recipe” link at the top of the post and then use the “print” option to avoid seeing ads.
It’s amazing! I’m not a corn fan and previously turned my nose up at Mexican corn. I had a friend give me some and it was amazing. I’m now preparing it myself😍❤️I make it on Sunday and eat it throughout the week as a side with chicken. I eat it warmed.
Can I make ahead and keep warm in my mini slow cooker until ready to serve?
Sure!
how far in advance can this be made and is it suppose to be served hot?
It is served cold and it will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days!
To be honest, I’ve never actually had elote (not for lack of wanting to either). But if it tastes anything even close to this, I’m SO glad I have a recipe for it because I want this ALL the time. I made it today alongside some chili lime shrimp tacos and copycat chipotle black beans for Cinco de Mayo, and I legit wanted eat the entire bowl.
Sooooo bomb!!!! I add Trader Joe’s Elote seasoning for extra flavoring, but its delicious as is. My go-to meal using this recipe is esquites with grilled chicken. Thank u for sharing this lovely recipe with all of us!
We served this at our county fair and it was a BIG hit. It is the best. Lots of flavor.
Wow! That is quite a compliment! I’m glad it was a success!
I used the suggested lime salt, Tajin and chili powder as my spices (in addition to cilantro of course). I made it in bulk for a grad party. Prepped ingredients the day ahead (broiled some of the corn for the charred element) and assembled it morning of, keeping in fridge until served. Did not put in cups. Have had the recipe requested at least five times since the party.
This is ok, but doesn’t taste authentic. Definitely doesn’t need sugar. But like any recipe, I follow directions the first time and then make it the way I want.
I made this last fall for a shower and everyone loved it. I’m making it again this weekend and just read where it is supposed to be served cold…I must of missed that when I made it. I served it warm last time and it was very good. Is it better cold?
Either way is totally fine.