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This spicy Mexican Street Corn Dip incorporates all the flavors of street corn into the creamiest corn-filled dip. Sweet summertime corn, mixed with chili powder, cream cheese, and mayo and served up dip-style with grilled corn, spicy chili butter, and salty crumbled Mexican cotija cheese on top. It’s quick to make and totally delicious, especially with tortillas chips on the side for scooping. A quintessential summer appetizer.
Continuing on with our unofficial appetizer week we’ve got ultra yummy street corn dip! You guys, look at me go with these appetizers. Dips are something I never share. I don’t know why because this corn dip is so delicious! It really needs to be on re-make all summer long.
This is a recipe I made purely out of a want and desire. As usual, I was frantically trying to get recipes together for a couple of weeks of travel. I knew I wanted to share some fun appetizers for the 4th. But I was getting tired of the usual Caprese type of app and wanted something completely different.
With our trip to Mexico quickly approaching, we were all craving Mexican food. So I made this dip to get us all excited. Now that our destination has been revealed, it feels very fitting for me to share this! Yes, in case you missed my stories on Instagram, Mexico is the family’s summer vacation destination! I’ll share more details on Sunday, but I flew from NYC to Puerto Vallarta yesterday and met my family in Sayulita. I’m excited to be here for the next few days!
However, this dip came to be long before I knew I was heading to Mexico. I was going to make my version of street corn, except that I wanted to make it into a dip! I love a good ear of grilled corn, but in my opinion, creamy dips are so much more fun. Especially when entertaining over the 4th.
This is the quintessential summertime dip and corn is the star!
Here are the details
The beauty of this dip is how quickly it comes together. It’s pretty simple, but there are a few steps that make my version of street corn dip a little more exciting. Or at least that’s what I like to think!
Everything starts with the spice mix. From what I’ve read about traditional street corn, or Elote, which is what it’s called in Mexico, it’s made by boiling corn with spices, then seasoning the warm corn with lime, mayo, and lots of chili powder. I took these flavors and put them into this dip.
For my spices, I used chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. I wanted to add a little smokiness and a little more kick to the flavors. You will use the spice mix both in the dip and for topping.
Cook the corn with onions and garlic, then add a dash of the spice mix. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream for major creaminess and simply cook everything together until it’s warmed. Having the dip warm is key, so keep this over low heat or warm in a crockpot (on the low setting) until ready to serve.
Next, the butter. Melt some butter together with the spices. Do you not skip this. The butter really, really flavors the dip in a wonderfully delicious way.
Finally, I mix the mayo with lime juice and put the dip together.
Spoon the dip into a wide, shallow bowl. Then add the grilled corn and spoon over dollops of the mayo. The mayo melts into the dip, just like it melts over the warm corn kernels. Then swirl in the butter.
Finish with so much crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Chips for scooping are a must!
I know this process may seem like a lot, but it actually comes together easily and quickly. Promise it will be so great for entertaining this summer!
And most importantly, this is just really good. The dip is so creamy with a spicy flavor, but not too much spiciness. And you can adjust the heat to your personal taste. The cheese and butter on top only make the dip even more delicious, really completing the dip experience.
This is one of those dips you’ll crave time and time again!
Looking for other summer corn recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Spicy Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp with Parmesan Corn Polenta
Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Creamed Corn
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn
Lastly, if you make this Mexican Street Corn Dip, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 282 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to your taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups corn (3-4 raw)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/3 cup olive oil mayo or use plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Mix the spices. In a bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt. 2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the corn, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the spice mix, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the corn is softened, 5 minutes. 3. Reduce the heat to low. Mix in the cream cheese until melted and creamy. Stir in the sour cream. Cook until warmed throughout. If desired, thin the dip with milk.4. In a separate skillet, melt the butter until golden. Mix in 3 teaspoons of the spice mix, plus a pinch of chili flakes and salt. Cook another minute, then remove from the heat. 5. Mix the mayo and lime juice with a pinch of salt. 6. Spoon the dip into a wide serving bowl. Top with grilled corn and drizzle the mayo and spicy butter over the corn. Sprinkle on the cheese and cilantro. Serve with lots of chips for scooping!
Hello!
I am confused about this ingredient: 2 cups corn (3-4 raw).
Are the two separate measurements distinguishing between canned/frozen corn and fresh corn off the cob?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Rachel,
Yes, usually 3-4 cobs of corn is equal to 2 cups. I hope this helps! xx
This dip was incredible! My boyfriend already is having me make it again. Due to corn not being in season I used canned and no one could tell the difference. If anyone wants an incredible and different dip that is also great for a budget then make this!
Hey Rachel,
Wonderful! I’m so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Merry Christmas!!🎄🎁☃️
Hi!
Question…I am unable to grill any corn so will be using all fresh corn and cooking it in the skillet as suggested above. Should I just combine the amount needed overall? For example to serve 15, it says 3.5 cups of raw corn and 1.88 grilled corn so maybe about 5-7 cups of raw corn?
Hi Alexandra,
You bet! That will work nicely for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Great, thank you!
Will this freeze well?
Hi Sarah,
So sorry, I probably would not recommend that for this recipe. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
A YouTuber called this recipe “complicated” and felt the need to “simplify” it. (She’s very OCD and ADHD admitting she can never just follow a recipe, attributing it to creativity instead of impatience.) So I needed to find the original recipe to judge for myself. I first discovered she claimed a few of “her” additions were in fact in your original recipe. I made yours. It was not only very easy to make, but also absolutely delicious. (Not remotely complicated or difficult.) A lesson that one should never take online disparaging at face value. We should each judge for ourselves and consider the motivation of the source of the criticism.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your feedback! xx
Any suggestions on how to make this crackpot friendly to take to a dip contest? Thank you
Hi Christy,
You can layer it all in the crockpot and cook on low, I’m sure that will be just fine for you to do. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Wondering if this would taste better the next day? Or should I just make it morning of my bbq?
Hi Suzy,
Either one:) If you want one less thing to do the day of, you can totally make it the day before! I hope you love this dip! xT
I haven’t made it yet but plan to soon. My one question is what cheese I can use as a substitute if I can’t find the Mexican cheese in your recipe.
Hey Mary Ellen,
Feta is also a great option to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
If made the day before, is it best to reheat in the microwave?
I would reheat on low in the oven:)
This recipe is straight up crack! You will be craving it for every get together. It is delicious.
Lol thanks so much, Shelley! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great day! xT
it was good, didn’t blow me away!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Glad to hear it was good! xx
Flavors are delicious! I ended up grilling all the corn as I love the grilled flavor. I had some homemade tomatillo salsa and added about 1 cup. This is delicious! Very addicting. I was bringing as an appetizer to go with a Downeast Lobster boil. It was a hit!
Hey Shana,
Awesome! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, love to hear that it was enjoyed! x
this recipe is one of the best i’ve ever tried! i made it for a dip party and everyone raved about it. i use canned corn so i always make sure to have some on hand when i’m craving this dip. i like mixing kewpie mayo, lime, and the left over seasonings to drizzle on top. 10/10
Thanks so much, Han! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and I appreciate you trying it! x