Mexican Street Corn In A Cup

Elote In A Cup is a less-mess way of serving Mexican street corn with all its toppings. This DIY fiesta dish is a guaranteed crowd pleaser for everybody from the guy who wants it blazingly spicy, to a kid who just wants a plain cup of corn.

Make An Elote Bar For A Party!

With over 300,000 page views, our Mexican Street Corn Salad is one of the most popular recipes on this site. People have left reviews along the lines of “I loved this recipe and brought it to a party where everyone else loved it too.”

‌However, we’ll be the first to admit, it’s actually somewhat polarizing for some parties! Some people think cilantro tastes like soap. Others can’t eat onions. Then there are those who think that even mild green chiles are too spicy.

Well, the hotel we stayed at in Mexico last month actually offered a *DIY* elote bar as part of their daily buffet. Super fun, and super easy to do at home. Read on to learn how to build a DIY bar and let everybody make their own Mexican corn in a cup.

For those who just want corn, they can stop after that first bowl in the buffet line. But the ones who like it spicy can add green chiles or jalapeños or hot sauce (or all three!). The ones who want it creamy can add some homemade elote dressing. The ones who want to skip the onions can pass those right on by.

In the end, everybody get the exact elote cup that they want, and everybody is happy!

What Is Elote?

Elote is a popular Mexican street food made with grilled or roasted corn on the cob. The corn is typically slathered with a creamy mixture of mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and spices, and sprinkled with cheese. It’s a perfect side dish or appetizer for any fiesta.

Elote In A Cup Ingredients

This section contains affiliate links. A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• corn – if fresh corn is in season we’ll definitely use fresh sweet corn kernels cut from their cobs, but if not, canned corn or frozen corn is a great substitute. We like to saute the corn in a bit of butter to make it a little browned, but if you’re in a time crunch, use fire-roasted canned or frozen corn and you can skip that step entirely!
• red onion and/or green onion – you can offer either/or, or both.
• fresh cilantro – a must-have for the best elote cup!
• limes – it’s easiest to offer small lime wedges as garnish so people can grab some and squeeze them into their cups. You’ll also be using limes to make the elote sauce.
• cotija cheese – cotija is a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that is a classic sprinkle for this dish, but can be hard to find in some areas. Queso fresco (which is milder and creamier) or feta cheese (also salty and crumbly) works if you can’t find cotija.
• Monterey Jack cheese – a good extra cheese option for people who aren’t into salty/crumbly cheeses.
• diced green chiles – adds a mild heat to this elote in a cup recipe without being as hot as jalapeno.
• fresh jalapeños or jarred or homemade Pickled Jalapeno Peppers – for those who like heat!
• hot sauce – another way to intensify the spiciness for those who are so inclined. Cholula, Tapatio, Valentina or homemade red hot sauce, even – choose your own adventure!
• mayonnaise – we don’t mean Miracle Whip. We’re talking Hellman’s mayo, Duke’s or something comparable.
• sour cream – adds a tangy flavor to the elote sauce. You can also use Mexican crema for a more authentic experience, or plain Greek yogurt for a less authentic but still tasty experience.
• garlic – adds depth of flavor to the sauce.
• chili powder – provides a warm and earthy spice to the sauce for this Mexican street corn in a cup.
• plastic cups – not an ingredient, but we’ve found that 9 ounce clear plastic cups are really the perfect size for elote cups. You can also use regular glasses or glass jars if you don’t want to go the disposable route.

How To Make Elote In A Cup

1. SAUCE. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Refrigerate it at least 1 hour for best flavor.

2. CORN. Saute the corn in a large skillet in a little bit of butter until it is golden brown and delicious.

3. SET UP THE BAR. Arrange a big bowl of the corn mixture, the bowl of sauce, and all of other elote ingredients and toppings on a table along with plastic cups and spoons, and have guests assemble their own salad cups.

How To Serve Mexican Corn In A Cup

We like to have small plastic cups on hand for serving. This way, guests can add all of their desired toppings and then really stir up their salad. It’s harder to stir everything up when you have it on a plate with other food.

Place a spoon in the corn, a small ladle (if you have it) or spoon in the sauce, and then a spoon or fork in each topping bowl to keep everything sanitary.

Elote Toppings Suggestions

Beyond the topping ideas in the recipe card below, other options include:

• black beans
• cayenne pepper or Tajin seasoning
• pepper jack cheese
• diced tomatoes
• diced bell peppers
• tortilla chips, for scooping!

Mexican Street Corn In A Cup FAQs