Street FoodEasyFree

Corn Cups with Chamoy (Esquites)

Name: Corn Cups with Chamoy (Esquites)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 80 g Cotija cheese (or feta); 1 cda Ground chile piquín; 2 ramitas Dried epazote; 600 g Sweetcorn kernels; 30 g Butter; 4 cdas Mayonnaise; 3 Limes; 2 cdas Valentina hot sauce; 4 cdas Chamoy sauce

20 min (5 prep + 15 cook) Easy 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Sautéed sweetcorn kernels with butter, chilli, mayonnaise, cheese, lime and chamoy sauce.

About this recipe

Esquites with chamoy are the cup version of elote preparado, one of the most popular Mexican street snacks at fairs, markets and streets. Tender sweetcorn kernels sautéed in butter with chile piquín, lime, mayonnaise, cotija cheese and the unmistakable chamoy - that sweet-sour, spicy and salty sauce made from pickled fruits - create a combination of flavours that is absolutely addictive. Simple, budget-friendly and deeply Mexican.

History & Origin

Esquites are a street snack of pre-Hispanic origin: their name comes from Nahuatl 'ízquitl' meaning 'toasted corn kernels'. Originally they were corn kernels toasted on a griddle or in a pot with water, epazote and lime - a simple preparation that made use of maize in its most direct form. With Spanish colonisation and subsequent culinary mestizaje, esquites evolved incorporating imported ingredients such as lime, cheese and mayonnaise. Chamoy is possibly the most modern and controversial addition: a Chinese-Mexican sauce (brought to Mexico by Cantonese immigrants in the 19th century) that mixes flavours that rarely coexist in Western cuisine - sweet, sour, spicy and salty simultaneously. In Mexico, this combination of contrasts is considered the quintessence of the perfect sweet-savoury snack.

Estimated cost

£5.20

Total cost

£1.30

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

290

Calories

Protein

35g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

480mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Prepare the corn: shell fresh sweetcorn ears or use thawed frozen corn (well drained). If using fresh corn, boil in salted water with epazote for 15 minutes, shell and set aside. If using tinned, drain and rinse well.
💡 Fresh or frozen sweetcorn kernels give better texture than tinned, but all three work.
2
Melt butter in a wide frying pan over high heat. Add the corn kernels in a single layer and leave to toast without stirring for 2-3 minutes to brown well on one side. Shake the pan, add salt and ground chile piquín to taste. Cook for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally.
💡 Browning in a dry pan with a little butter creates a smoky flavour that is the difference between mediocre and memorable esquites.
3
Serve the hot esquites in individual cups or bowls. Add in layers: mayonnaise, crumbled cotija cheese (or grated fresh cheese), fresh lime juice, ground chile piquín to taste, chamoy sauce and a few drops of hot sauce (Valentina or Cholula). Mix before eating.
💡 The layered presentation is part of the experience: each person can mix to taste and personalise the heat level.