If you love all the bold flavors of Mexican street corn, this cream cheese corn dip is about to be your new go-to easy appetizer. Fresh summer corn, smoky spices, cream cheese plus two more cheeses, and a squeeze of lime come together in a hot, melty dip that’s made for scooping.
It’s everything you love about elote and esquites, just in cheesy dip form. Trust me: This is one of those recipes you'll come back to again and again.
I love that this dip is perfect for just about any occasion — a Cinco de Mayo celebration, a backyard cookout, or fall game days. It feeds a crowd, can be made ahead of time, and celebrates sweet summer corn in the best way.
Plus, it’s one of those dishes that somehow manages to steal the show no matter what else is on the table. I even bake it right in the same skillet I sauté the corn in. (One less dish to wash? Yes please!) And, I serve it straight from the oven with plenty of Frito's. Easy peasy!
If you plan on serving this dip for a party, I know you'll need some drink ideas. Keeping the Mexican vibes going, you may want to opt for one of my margarita recipes like these key lime margaritas, strawberry margaritas with rum, or frozen coconut margaritas with mango.
Add some more festive dips to the mix and it's guaranteed to be a good time. My guacamole with pico de gallo, 10-minute cheese dip, and layered taco dip are all great appetizer options that will be perfect alongside this cheesy corn dip recipe.
Have I convinced you to make this dip yet? Thought so. Let's do it!
Jump to:
Mexican Street Corn, Elote, and Esquites
If you are unfamiliar with Mexican street corn, it's a traditional street food, and you can find it two different ways. Elote is grilled or boiled corn on the cob, and esquites is corn cut off the cob.
For elote, the cooked corn is slathered with a mixture of crema (similar to sour cream) and mayonnaise, rolled in grated Cotija cheese and spices, and then sprinkled with lime juice.
Esquites is corn that's cut off the cob and mixed with the crema, mayonnaise, Cotija, and lime juice and served in a cup.
I first had street corn at Cafe Habana in New York City when I was living there during culinary school. Now, whenever I see elote or esquitas on a restaurant menu, I have to order it. The combination of corn plus the spices, tangy lime, and creaminess of the cheese make it one of my favorite Mexican side dishes.
If you haven't tried it yet, I bet you'll love it too. This dip is a great way to get a taste, or make my smoked Mexican street corn for another version.
Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this creamy corn dip recipe:
- vegetable oil
- fresh corn
- yellow onion
- garlic
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- regular cream cheese
- pepper Jack cheese
- Cotija cheese
- mayonnaise
- limes
- fresh cilantro
- kosher salt (optional)
- corn chips or tortilla chips
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, cut the corn off the cobs.
- Then, cook the corn, onion, and garlic in hot oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Next, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, ½ cup of the pepper Jack cheese, the Cotija, lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro in a bowl with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Finally, fold the corn mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Return to the skillet and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. If desired, broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the top is browned. Remove from the oven and serve with corn chips.
Hint: I use the same skillet to bake the dip in as I do to sauté the corn. Less dishes to cleanup is always my favorite hack.
Hint #2: This is a great make ahead appetizer. Follow the instructions all the way up until the step for baking. Cover the dip with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Increase the cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes if you're going straight from the fridge to the oven.
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some suggestions:
- Fresh corn - If sweet corn isn't in season, frozen corn is a great option. Or, canned corn (especially fire-roasted) works great too.
- Yellow onion - Swap out a white onion, Vidalia onion, or red onion if you'd like.
- Pepper Jack cheese - Monterey Jack cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, or other mild melting cheese like mozzarella cheese are great substitutes for pepper Jack.
- Cotija cheese - Cotija cheese is a hard, salty cheese perfect for grating or crumbling. If you can't find it, Parmesan, Asiago, and feta cheeses are perfect swaps.
Variations
Check out these additional ways to change up this cream cheese corn dip recipe:
- Spicy - The peppers in the pepper Jack cheese plus a little kick from the cayenne already give this dip a little heat. To make it spicier, increase the cayenne pepper or add your favorite hot sauce.
- Deluxe - Top with diced avocado and even crumbled bacon to to make this the ultimate hot Mexican corn dip.
- Cold Corn Dip - This dip is equally delicious served cold instead of bubbly hot.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this delicious dip:
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- Bundt pan
- dry measuring cups
- cheese grater
- hand mixer
- cast-iron skillet or oven-proof skillet
Storage
Store leftover cream cheese corn dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
For the best results, I recommend refrigerating leftovers instead of freezing them. Technically, you can freeze this dip. But note that once thawed, the dip may be looser in texture.
Tasty Tip
Want to know my secret for preventing the fresh corn kernels from bouncing around on the counter when you cut it off the cob? Use a Bundt pan! Rest the corn cob on the center tube of the pan and cut down the sides of the corn, allowing the kernels to fall into the cavity. Easy peasy.
Frequently asked questions
I find the best (and easiest) way is to let it sit out at room temperature for about an hour.
Yes! If you forget to soften it, the microwave is perfect. Zap it (removed from the silver wrapper) for about 30 seconds.
It's not. Tajín is a blend of chilis, dehydrated lime, and sea salt. The seasoning used for elote, or street corn can be chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, and other spices.
Yes! It's a great substitute for the Cotija.
Mexican street corn is usually rolled in a mixture of Mexican crema and mayonnaise before it gets sprinkled with Cotija cheese and spices.
They are both versions of Mexican street corn, but elote is corn on the cob slathered with crema, mayonnaise, spices, and Cotija cheese and sprinkled with fresh lime. Esquites is the corn cut off the cob and mixed with all of the same flavors as street corn.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Mexican corn dip recipe:
🍽Get the recipe
Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip with Cream Cheese
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- Bundt pan
- dry measuring cups
- cheese grater
- hand mixer
- cast-iron skillet or oven-proof skillet
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided
- ½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Corn chips (I like Frito's scoops)
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs. (I use a Bundt pan--see hint in the post above.)
- Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or oven-proof skillet. Add the corn, onion, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixture until creamy. Add the mayonnaise, ½ cup of the pepper Jack, Cotija, lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro and blend until creamy.
- Fold the corn mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Return to the skillet and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining pepper Jack cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until the dip is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- If desired, increase the oven temperature to broil and cook for 2 more minutes or until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly and garnish with lime wedges and cilantro, if desired. Serve with chips.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Leave a Reply