Whether it’s served melty hot or crunchy cold, this easy Mexican corn dip made with roasted green chiles, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, and chile powder will seriously have you considering the double chip dip.
This recipe is brought to you by Kettle Brand
Mexican Street Corn, in Cheesy Dip Form
This Mexican corn dip is one of my go-to chip dip recipes that always delivers. It’s based on the popular Mexican street corn known as elote (or more aptly named in this stripped-off-the-cob salad-esque-form, as esquites). It’s light, it’s fresh, and it’s primo with chips.
But there is one problem with this dip. And it’s that I can’t decide whether I like this chip dip best served crunchy and cold, or if I like this Mexican corn dip best hot, melty, and cheesy.
But what a good problem to have, because this corn dip is positively delish either way.
Heidi’s Tip: Both Fresh and Frozen Corn Work!
Fresh corn. When using fresh corn on the cob, the easiest way to add flavor is to grill the corn straight in its husk like I show here. I cook the corn for just 5-7 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. Then, use a serrated knife to cut it from the cob and you’re ready to roll. When using corn on the cob, the rule of thumb is one ear of corn yields ¾ cup corn.
Frozen corn. When fresh corn isn’t available, frozen corn works perfectly fine too. Once thawed, frozen corn tastes closest to fresh, compared to canned. Before adding the frozen corn to this dip I thaw it for about 3 minutes on HIGH in the microwave.
Making This Mexican Corn Dip Takes Just 15 Minutes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Make the sauce. Like so many things, the secret is in the sauce. Or in this case, the creamy but not gloppy base that brings this dip together. To evenly distribute the saucy ingredients, mix together the following before adding the corn:
- roasted green chiles
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- fresh lime juice
- chile powder
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- cilantro
- cotija cheese
- Fold in the corn. Frozen or grilled both work equally well, so use what you have.
- Stop there or make hot 🔥 With the addition of just one more ingredient, you can have an ooey gooey hot Mexican street corn dip instead of a fresh and crisp chip dip. What’s it going to take? CHEESE! Stir in 1 cup of a good quality shredded Mexican cheese blend to the corn dip, then bake in an oven-safe serving dish for 20-30 minutes.
Heidi’s Tip: If I’m in a rush, I’ll microwave the dip for 4-5 minutes to give it a head start before popping it in the oven for 10 minutes or so to brown and melt the top.
My Favorite Chips for Dipping
I compare my elote corn dip to the cheerleader who’s lifted high through the air, and I compare my chip to the base that has to be strong and robust enough to hold them.
Enter: Kettle Brand potato chips.
Kettle Brand potato chips are kettle cooked for extra crispness, crunch, and maximum flavor. In fact, there are 24 (!!) different flavors and several different cuts.
Yet with all these flavors available, Kettle Brand sticks to basic, real ingredients with potatoes cooked in batches in an oil-filled kettle instead of on a conveyor belt. This style of cooking produces chips that are far from the cookie cutter variety, making them imperfectly perfect.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Mexican Corn Dip Recipe (Hot or Cold)
Ingredients
- 3 cups corn kernels , (1 pound) fresh or frozen
- 1 4 ounce can roasted chiles*
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro , chopped
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (optional; only if making this a hot dip)**
Instructions
- Heat the frozen corn in the microwave for 3 minutes or until warmed. If using corn on the cob, grill the corn in its husks for 4-5 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Cut the corn from the cob and discard the cobs.
- Add the corn to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix the chiles, mayonnaise, sour cream, chile powder, garlic powder, kosher salt. Fold in 1 ½ tablespoons of the cilantro and half of the cojija cheese. Fold the mayonnaise mixture into the corn. Garnish with the rest of the cotija cheese and cilantro. Sprinkle with a few dashes of chile powder and serve with Kettle Brand potato chips.
To Serve Hot:
- Before garnishing the corn dip, fold in 1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese. Spoon into an oven-proof serving dish. Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 20 minutes or until the dip is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Garnish with the remaining crumbled cotija and chopped cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredient Swaps
- Roasted chiles: Substitute 1 ½ tablespoons seeded, minced jalapeño.
- Sour cream: Use full fat Greek yogurt or Mexican crema instead. Avoid using low fat yogurt or sour cream as it will be runny and make the mayo mixture extra thin.
- Cilantro: Use chopped green onion or finely minced parsley.
- Cotija cheese: A good substitute for cotija cheese is feta cheese or queso fresco. Queso fresco is a younger, softer, and creamier than cotija with a less spunky flavor that can be found in the Mexican section of your grocery store’s refrigerated aisle.
More Cheesy Chip Dips to Make
- The Best Clam Dip Recipe EVER
- Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
- French Onion Dip
- Cheesy Texas Trash Dip
- Queso Dip
- Hot Crab Dip
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This post is sponsored by KettleBrand. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Fatima
Can you make this dip a night in advance?
Yes! If serving it hot, warm it up before serving!
Denise
Please make the recipe shorter. I could barely follow it. A picture & the recipe that’s it
Denise
This recipe is way too long to read. Try & simplify the way it’s written .
Thanks for the suggestion Denise. Hope you like the dip.
Sabrina
these ingredients are each ingredients that I’m trying to avoid but am allowed one day each week for stuff like this, so saving it for corn, chips (yes love kettle chips), mayo and even sour cream, thank you