Traditional Mexican Esquites with Epazote
Esquites Tradicionales con Epazote
The cup-version of elote, sold in every Mexican plaza after dark. Sweet corn kernels simmered with onion, butter and fresh epazote, then served hot in a cup topped with mayonesa, queso, chile en polvo and lime — to be eaten with a spoon while the broth steams.
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
1 Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 3 epazote leaves
- 30 g butter
- 1 1/2 liters water
- 1 tbsp dehydrated chicken bouillon (optional) or salt to taste
- Lime juice, to serve
- Mayonesa, to serve
- Queso fresco or cotija, grated, to serve
- Chile en polvo (Tajín or chile piquín), to serve
2 Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Sweat the chopped onion until translucent.
- 2
Add the corn kernels and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 3
Pour in the water, add the epazote leaves, and add the chicken bouillon (or a generous pinch of salt).
- 4
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the kernels are tender.
- 5
Turn off the heat. Optionally remove the epazote leaves.
- 6
Spoon the hot esquites with some of their broth into cups or small bowls.
- 7
Top each cup with a squeeze of lime, a spoonful of mayonesa, grated queso and a dusting of chile en polvo. Serve immediately with a spoon.
💡 Tips from the Kitchen
- →
Don't skip the epazote — it's what makes esquites taste like esquites and not just corn soup.
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For deeper flavor use the corn cobs to make a quick broth, then strain and use it instead of water.
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Serve the broth too — many vendors include a splash so you sip it after the kernels are gone.