This Mexican Street Corn Dip recipe takes just 20 minutes and can be made ahead of time. Charred corn, cotija, cilantro, and a pinch of cayenne deliver the flavors of elote in a dip! This is perfect for your next party.
I consider myself lucky to live on the West Coast, surrounded by some amazing and authentic Mexican food, especially street corn. If you’ve never had real elote, then this Mexican Street Corn Dip is the perfect way to get a taste of the good stuff. I love the balance of smoky corn, salty cotija, bright lime, and just a touch of heat. I made sure, when testing this recipe, that it had it all! Treat yourself to a backyard happy hour with a cold tequila sunrise and a bowl of this delicious dip!
MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP
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The temperature keeps on rising, and my cravings are shifting to cooler bites to take the edge off the heat. This cold Mexican Street Corn Dip is the perfect appetizer to munch on during warmer days. Whether you are hanging out at home with the family or heading over to a friend’s house for a Cinco de Mayo party, this dip is a great bite to share with everyone!
Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This recipe is a game-changer!
Very easy to make and, without a doubt, the most delicious dip at any party! Charring the sweet corn takes this to the next level. – Holli
Table of contents
- Reader Review
- MEXICAN STREET CORN INGREDIENTS
- HOW TO MAKE THIS MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP RECIPE
- WHAT IS THE YELLOW STUFF ON ELOTE?
- WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH COJITA?
- PERFECT FOR MAKE-AHEAD
- MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP RECIPE
- STORAGE AND REHEATING
- FAQ
- TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS EASY MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP
- TRY THESE OTHER DELICIOUS APPETIZER RECIPES
MEXICAN STREET CORN INGREDIENTS
Fresh vs. Frozen Corn
If you’re able to spend a little extra time grilling the corn on the cob, I highly recommend it! The grilled corn flavor really makes this dip something special. If you can’t, it’s totally okay! Just cook 3 cups of frozen corn kernels in a dry pan over medium-high heat until they brown.
Cream Cheese
Use regular cream cheese and let it soften before mixing up this dip. This ensures you’ll have a smooth, consistent dip. Avoid whipped varieties as they will change the texture.
Cayenne Heat Level
Feel free to adjust the amount of cayenne pepper you use if you want a spicier or more mild dip.
Cotija Cheese
This soft and crumbly cheese has a mild flavor and is pretty easy to find nowadays. Some grocery stores have it separate from the other cheeses, so ask if you don’t see it.
Cilantro
You either love cilantro or you don’t! If you want to omit this ingredient, you can. Instead, consider adding some chopped onions for an extra crunch and acidity to your dip.
HOW TO MAKE THIS MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP RECIPE
- Char the corn on the grill or stovetop
- Mix the creamy ingredients to ensure they’re smooth and mixed well
- Add the remaining ingredients and give a good stir
- Chill in the fridge to let the flavors meld or serve right away if you just can’t wait!
Other Cooking Methods
If you don’t have a grill available, you can cook the corn on the stove. Place a non-stick large skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 3 cups of corn kernels and cook without any oil or butter. Stir occasionally so that the kernels darken.
Make Ahead
The best part? You can make this Mexican corn dip up to one day in advance of serving it. Talk about prep-ahead party happiness! Once it’s made, place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready, pull it out and serve!
WHAT IS THE YELLOW STUFF ON ELOTE?
Traditional elote, or Mexican street corn, is usually grilled corn cobs slathered with any combination of clarified butter, mayo, Mexican crema, or sour cream. In this recipe, I used the cream cheese and mayo to give that same flavor.
It’s then topped with cotija cheese, chili powder, or Tajin, squirted with a little lime juice, and sprinkled with some chopped cilantro. Delish! Feel free to garnish with some Tajin for an added bright flavor!
Authentic elote can vary depending on who’s making it. However, for the most part, the recipes are fairly similar, and the general outcome is always delicious! This easy Mexican Street Corn Dip captures all the goodness of an elote in an addictive and shareable appetizer.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH COJITA?
I love cotija cheese! It has a mild, creamy flavor and is easy to crumble with your hands. Typically, leftover cotija cheese will last in the fridge for at least a month, so I am able to use it all up on a couple of dinners over a week or two. It’s great on tacos, like Carne Asada Tacos
Mexican food is a favorite in our house, so I use this cheese to top off tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, or even nachos. Heck, I even put it on cauliflower!
Of course, cotija cheese is also amazing on elote and in this ultimate Mexican Street Corn Dip! If you can’t find it, Queso Fresco is a good substitute.
PERFECT FOR MAKE-AHEAD
This dip can easily be made the day before, making entertaining even easier. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container, and pull it out early to give it time to come to room temperature. I serve it with tortilla chips, but you could also use corn chip scoops, too.
*This post was originally posted on 05/22/2015.
MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP RECIPE
Ingredients
- 3 ears corn
- ¼ cup mayo
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces cotija cheese crumbled
- ½ cup cilantro chopped (plus more for garnish)
- Lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. (see note). Roast the corn on the grill until somewhat charred on all sides. Remove the corn from the grill and allow to cool so that you can handle it
- Once cooled, cut the corn kernels from the cob and set them aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and mayo together until smooth.
- Stir in the cayenne pepper and cotija cheese.
- Fold in the corn kernels and chopped cilantro.
- Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and place in the fridge until ready to serve, up to 1 day in advance. Garnish with more cilantro and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
STORAGE AND REHEATING
Leftover Mexican Street Corn Dip can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to serve, pull it out and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to come back to room temperature. Then give it a stir.
FAQ
Yes, you can place it in a skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid. Once the corn is defrosted, remove the lid and allow it to brown.
Absolutely! Making it ahead of time lets the flavors meld better, too. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Pull it out 10-15 minutes ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature, and give it a stir.
If you can’t find cotija cheese, feel free to use queso fresco. It’s slightly wetter than cotija, but will still give you the flavor profile you want.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS EASY MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP
Mixing Bowl: Whether I’m mixing up desserts or dips, these mixing bowls are always there for me!
Serving Bowl: Part of the fun of serving appetizers is the presentation, so I love being able to serve something delicious in a fun and festive bowl!
TRY THESE OTHER DELICIOUS APPETIZER RECIPES
- Ultimate Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Cheesy BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
- Roasted Corn and Jalapeno Dip
- Warm and Cheesy Crack Dip
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- More APPETIZER recipes…
Jimmy says
Aubrey
My wife an I went out last night to one of our favorite watering holes and they had a new item on the menu. Mexican street corn dip. Looks like the BBQ plate they had was great but people loved the side dish it came with, the street corn, so the owner made it its own menu item. Served with tortilla chips it was awesome. I had to make it at home so today we tried it with your recipe which seemed the closest to it.
We left out the cilantro which we aren’t fans of and added queso cheese.
Either you had them give you the recipe or they passed it to you but out of the park good. It’s now one of the new recipes we use on our cooking weekends
Thank you
Real Housemoms JK says
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much!
Holli says
This recipe is a game-changer!
Very easy to make and, without a doubt, the most delicious dip at any party! Charring the sweet corn takes this to the next level. (I did have to search the grocery store as Cotija cheese – it was in a completely different location from all the the other cheeses.)
Barb Mohr says
What is cotinga cheese? Could something else be used?
Julie K says
Cotija cheese could also be substituted for Queso Fresco or any other mild cheese you like (such as cheddar).
Audrey Kelly says
Aubrey,
I can’t wait to make this dip. It’s definitely my favorite of all my dip recipes and my first attempt to make it will be this Memorial Day weekend for my neighbors. Thanks for posting it so quickly. It’s always fun to try your new creations!
Kris says
This recipe sounds amazing but is there a substitute for Cotija cheese that I can use? I can’t find it locally.
Julie K says
Hi Kris! You could substitute Queso Fresco or any other mild cheese you prefer, like cheddar.
Winnie says
I used feta cheese as that’s what I had. I also used a piece of fresh jalapeño instead of cayenne pepper. Was delicious.