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Mexican Street Corn Dip

This easy Mexican street corn dip is a fun take on traditional elotes. It takes the classic flavors of grilled corn, Cotija, cilantro, lime, and chilis. Then, transforms them into a cheesy, creamy, irresistible dip.

A bowl of Mexican street corn dip with tortilla chips.

Variations of Mexican street corn are my favorite way to enjoy the summer corn harvest. We love making traditional elote with Tajin as a snack or side dish. We sometimes make esquites to serve as a salad. And when we need a delicious and crowd-pleasing dip, we make the best Mexican street corn dip!

You can serve it cold or warm. You can easily double or half the recipe. Try it in chicken quesadillas or use it as a dressing for chicken salad. 

I’ve been making this dip for years. It always gets requested at parties. Kids and adults love it. It seems like every grocery store has some version of Mexican street corn dip in their deli now. I’ve tried versions from Publix, Aldi, Kroger, and even United Supermarkets deep in West Texas. They’re all fine. I mean, I really like corn dip. But no store-bought one has compared to my easy homemade recipe. 

This is so easy to make. After grilling the corn, cut it off the cob and stir everything together. And don’t worry, grilling corn is quick. 

I’ve covered a few variations and substitutions in the ingredients section. Just in case you have a hard time finding any of the ingredients. Don’t forget to check out the printable recipe card for the exact amounts and instructions! 

Ingredients

Corn on the cob, cilantro, paprika, cayenne pepper, Cotija, shredded cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, green chilis, oil, and lime mise en place ready to make corn dip.

Fresh corn on the cob or frozen fire-roasted corn

I love making this with sweet corn on the cob in summer. Grilling it yourself will give you the tastiest corn for making this dip. If you freeze corn on the cob from your garden, you can grill the frozen corn! Remember to scrape off all the yummy bits of corn, just like when making creamed corn.

If you don’t have corn on the cob, you can buy a 12-ounce bag of frozen fire-roasted corn kernels. Cook them according to the package directions. Then, cool and drain them before mixing them into the dip.

A Creamy Base

Sour cream and mayonnaise give this dip a creamy and tangy base and act as a carrier for all the yummy, bold flavors. Resist the temptation to add cream cheese to your Mexican street corn dip. Its texture takes away from the authentic Elotes flavor. 

Bold Flavors

The New Mexico style Hatch Green Chiles are my favorite canned green chiles for this dip recipe. You’ll need a 4-ounce can of them. Use hot or mild, depending on your taste. The canned green chiles will usually be in the Mexican food section at the grocery store.

Cilantro adds a bright and fresh flavor.

Fresh squeezed lime juice adds acidity to further brighten this dip. It provides contrast to the rich and creamy base.

Crumbled cotija cheese gives this dip an authentic street corn taste. If you can’t find it, you can substitute crumbled feta for a similar taste.

Use pre-shredded cheese in this dip. It works best since it doesn’t stick together. I use a Mexican-style four-cheese blend with Monterey Jack, queso quesadilla, and Asadero cheeses. Walmart’s Great Value sells it as Fiesta Blend. You can use shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese if you can’t find a Mexican blend.

Smoked paprika, cayenne powder, and salt give it a flavor boost! You can use regular paprika if you don’t have the smoked version. I highly recommend keeping a bottle of smoked paprika in your pantry. Don’t skip the cayenne. It’s not enough to make the dip hot. It just makes the flavors pop!

Variation: Make it Spicy

As written, this street corn dip is bold and flavorful but not very hot and spicy. Add a kick by increasing the cayenne to 1/2 a teaspoon and stirring in your favorite Mexican hot sauce. We love Tapatio and Valentina.

Homemade street corn dip.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Dip

Shuck the corn and remove all the silks.

Grill the corn until it has some char all around.

Grilled corn cut off the cob.

Cut the corn off the cob. Make sure to scrape all of the juicy bits of corn off.

Add everything to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

How to Heat It Up

Place in a microwave-safe dish and microwave in 30-second intervals until warm.

A bowl of Mexican street corn dip with tortilla chips.

How to Serve Street Corn Dip

  • With margaritas or beer. It’s tasty with tortilla chips and an ice-cold grapefruit margarita
  • It’s a great meal prep dish to make and keep for snacking throughout the week.
  • Make it for parties and potlucks.
  • Serve it with tortilla chips, Fritos scoops, or baked pita chips.
  • Use it as a filling for quesadillas or jalapeno poppers.
  • It makes a yummy topping for nachos. 
  • Use it as a dressing for chicken salad.
A bowl of Mexican street corn dip with tortilla chips.

More Ways to Use Fresh Corn

A bite of corn dip on a tortilla chip.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy the summer corn harvest? Let me know in the comments!

Print

Mexican Street Corn Dip

A bowl of Mexican street corn dip with tortilla chips.

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This irresistible Mexican street corn dip is loaded with Cotija, cilantro, and lime.

  • Author: Mandi
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: about 3 cups 1x
  • Category: Dip
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 ears of corn on the cob
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Mexican 4 cheese blend, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 4ounce can of green chiles, hot or mild
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika plus more for garnish.

Instructions

  1. Shuck the corn. Remove all shucks and silks, but leave an inch or two of the stalk. You can use it as a handle. Set the corn aside.
  2. Prepare the grill. Start with clean grill grates, then oil the grates while the grill is cold. To make it easy, dip a wadded-up paper towel in cooking oil, making sure it is not dripping. Hold the oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub the grates. Preheat the grill to medium-high with the lid shut. Aim for about 400℉. 
  3. Rub the corn with a thin layer of oil. Grill it over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Continue to grill until all sides have a nice layer of char. Remove from the grill and allow it to cool.
  4. Stand an ear of corn on a cutting board. Secure the corn with one hand and run a sharp knife vertically down the corn to remove the kernels. Rotate and repeat until all the kernels are removed. Then, run the blunt side of the knife down the corn cob to remove the juices and remaining tender bits of corn. Repeat with the remaining ears.
  5. Add the cut corn and all the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. 
  6. Sprinkle with extra smoked paprika or Tajin and serve.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

If you can’t get corn on the cob, substitute a 12-ounce bag of frozen fire-roasted corn. See the ingredients section of the full recipe post for more information on substitutions and variations of this recipe.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: about 2 tablespoons
  • Calories: 73
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 134.6 mg
  • Fat: 5.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.1 g
  • Fiber: 0.7 g
  • Protein: 2 g
  • Cholesterol: 8.6 mg

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