Mexican Street Corn Dip is a great alternative to salsa. This cheesy dip is full of spicy and savory flavor, and is perfect with tortilla chips. It’s easy to make, incredibly flavorful, and perfect for sharing with friends and family.
If you want more unique ways to use corn, try my Black bean and corn dip or they delicious Sweet corn cakes.
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Why this Elote Dip Recipe is a Keeper
This totally delicious Mexican street corn dip brings a ton of flavor to your next snack or side dish. It’s the perfect dip, inspired by Mexican cuisine, with the smoky flavor of roasted corn on the cob. If you love Mexican food, here’s a few reasons why you might also like this absolutely delicious recipe as an appetizer or a side dish:
- 20 Minute Dip: The beauty of this dip is that it only takes 20 minutes to make this Mexican corn dip recipe.
- Delicious Flavor: Lime juice, chili peppers, seasonings, and cotija cheese all help give this Mexican street corn dip recipe a fresh, vibrant taste.
- Special Occasion Worthy: This elote corn dip is perfect for Cinco de Mayo parties and get-togethers.
How Should I Serve this Dish?
Serve this elote dip in a nice serving dish, with a bowl of chips nearby so that guests can dip them. You can also serve it with vegetables, crackers, pretzels, and more.
Street Corn Dip Ingredients
- Chili in Adobo: You can probably find chili peppers in adobo sauce in the Hispanic section of your local grocery store.
- Corn: Fresh corn is preferable, but you can also use canned corn in this delicious dip.
- Crumbled Cotija Cheese: This crumbly Mexican cheese has a tangy, salty flavor. If you can’t find it, you can use feta cheese to make this side dish dip. Crumble the cheese to top the dip.
- All Purpose Seasoning: Try making your own all purpose seasoning.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Corn Salsa
- Remove Corn Kernels: If you’re using fresh corn, remove the kernels and wash before you make the dip. You can also cook the corn ahead of time, too.
Pro Tip for this Favorite Corn Recipe
Roasting in the oven can also add a smoky flavor and caramelize the sugars. You can also char the corn in the skillet, too.
How to Make this Baked Mexican Corn Dip Appetizer
These are the basic steps for making corn dip. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Prep the Dip
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the Ingredients
Add cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, chili in adobo, chili powder, All Purpose Seasoning, and 1 cup of the Colby jack cheese to a large bowl. Use a mixer to combine. Then, add the corn and remaining ingredients on top and use a spatula to stir.
3. Bake the Dip
Transfer the dip mixture to the baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Serve the dip hot.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Grilled Corn Dip
- Storing Mexican Corn Dip: Cover leftover dip and store in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat the dip in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
- Using Leftovers: Leftover dip should be good for 1-3 days.
Variations and Substitutions for Corn Salad Cheese Dip
- Spicy Corn Dip: Make a dip with diced jalapeños, smoked paprika, Tajin seasoning, hot sauce, or serrano peppers for extra heat.
- Slow Cooker: This recipe for Mexican corn also works in the slow cooker.
- Herby Corn Dip: Increase the amount of cilantro and add other herbs like oregano or thyme.
- Use Frozen Corn: If sweet corn is out of season, you can make this corn recipe with frozen corn instead of fresh summer corn.
- Sour Cream and Mayonnaise: You can use mayo and sour cream to make this Mexican street corn dip creamier.
- Shredded Cheese: Add more cheese, such as Monterey jack, pepper jack cheese, or cheddar. You can also use pre-shredded cheese, such as a Mexican blend.
Warm Corn Dip Recipe FAQs
If you love this Mexican corn recipe, make sure to give this recipe a rating and leave a comment. You can get the recipe in the card below. See our page for more of our favorite corn recipes, as well as our favorite Mexican inspired recipes.
This dip cannot be frozen, as freezing will ruin the texture.
This dip uses sour cream and three kinds of cheese. You can try a sour cream substitute and vegan cheese alternatives, but the dip probably won’t taste the same.
Making this dip vegan requires substituting many of the ingredients. I would recommend trying a different dip instead, or trying this elote salad without the cheese.
Expert Tips for Making Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Corn on the Cob: Opt for a fresh, sweet ear of corn for the best flavor. If fresh corn isn’t available, look for frozen corn that hasn’t been pre-cooked. Grill the corn for more flavor.
- Quality Cheese: Make this recipe with high-quality cheeses like Cotija and feta for a rich, creamy flavor.
- Toppers: Top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.
- Pairing Ideas: Pair with margaritas, Mexican beer, or a glass of white wine.
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Video
Equipment
- 9×9 Baking Dish
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
- 1 teaspoon Chili in Adobo, minced
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- 2 cups Shredded Colby Jack Cheese, divided
- 30 ounces Canned Corn, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup Cotija Cheese
- ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, minced
- ⅛ cup Red Onion, finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream garlic, lime juice, chili in adobo, chili powder, All Purpose Seasoning and 1 cup of the Colby jack cheese to a large bowl and use a mixer to combine.
- Add the remaining Colby jack cheese, corn, cotija cheese, cilantro and onion to the bowl and use a spatula to stir until fully combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese has melted and the mixture is bubbly.
Christina’s Notes
- Corn on the Cob: Opt for a fresh, sweet ear of corn for the best flavor. If fresh isn’t available, look for frozen corn that hasn’t been pre-cooked. You can also use canned corn kernels, but this may not be as good.
- Quality Cheese: Make this recipe with high-quality cheeses like Cotija and feta for a rich, creamy flavor.
- Pairing Ideas: Pair with margaritas, Mexican beer, or a glass of white wine.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
We love honest feedback, but to keep reviews helpful for everyone, we reserve the right to remove star ratings if it is clear the recipe has not been made, if the comment does not provide meaningful input, or if significant substitutions or alterations were made. Please note that ratings should reflect the original recipe as written to avoid confusing other readers.
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
This is my new favorite dip. I made it as directed and it was really good. I like Blue Corn Chips but we had White and Yellow Chips for Dips too. I will save it now for future parties. ❤️