If you’ve spent any time in Southern California, you know the joy of hearing “Elote elote!” outside your window as the elotero comes down the street. My order is always one esquite with chili. This recipe was born of my desire to introduce my friends who live outside of California to the joys of street corn. Elote is a classic, but this recipe is a bit easier and can be made with frozen corn for ultimate convenience.
Start out by preparing the corn. I used frozen, so I just put a bowl of corn in the microwave and defrosted it. If you’re using fresh corn, you would just need to cut it off the cob and boil it for about 3 minutes. Then drain, and you’re ready to assemble. It really is that easy!
Everything goes in a large cup or jar, starting with the corn, mayonnaise, butter, and cotija cheese. For the toppings, I always do a squeeze of lime and a mix of chili powder and cayenne pepper. You can also use Tajin for a less spicy, but just as flavorful, variation.
As soon as you take a bite of this creamy, spicy, and sweet dish you’ll understand the hype for the local elotero in every LA neighborhood. Give this a try for a side dish or snack you’ll come back to over and over again.
Esquites Recipe
Cook Time
10 min
Serves
1
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup cotija cheese
- ½ tsp chili powder
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Juice from ¼ lime
Steps
1
Prepare the corn by defrosting in the microwave (if frozen) or boiling for 3 minutes (if fresh).
2
Stir in mayonnaise and butter until the corn is coated.
3
Add cotija, chili powder, a dash of cayenne, and the juice from ¼ lime.
4
Mix well. Add more lime, chili powder, or salt if needed.
5
Enjoy warm.
