Elote vendors in Mexico City char corn at 800°F using century-old metal comals passed down through families.
Mexican Street Corn Dip Appetizer
Kick off your next game night with a zesty Mexican Street Corn Dip that’s sure to steal the show! This creamy delight combines charred corn, tangy lime, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese for a flavor explosion that’ll have everyone reaching for more. Serve it with crunchy tortilla chips, and watch it disappear in no time!
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro - more for garnish (45-60 ml)optionalmore for garnish
- 2 cups corn canned or frozen (480 ml)
- 2 -3 jalapeño diced
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 onion diced
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup of cotija or queso fresco cheese (120 ml)optionalAny cheese you like
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature (227 g)
- 1/2 sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- Tortilla chips for serving
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper (2.5 ml)
- Tajin seasoning about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon according to your taste preferences. (7.5 ml)add according to taste
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice jalapeños, onions, and cilantro.
- 2
In a pan or skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions and jalapeños for a few minutes until soft on medium heat.
- 3
Add 2 cups of corn and mix.
- 4
Add cream cheese, breaking it apart and mixing.
- 5
Add sour cream, Cotija or queso fresco cheese, and mix.
- 6
Sprinkle salt, pepper, lime juice, and Tajin seasoning and mix.
- 7
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat until everything comes together nicely.
- 8
You can remove from the heat and add it into a serving dish or garnish and serve in the pan directly.
- 9
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or crackers.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Char your corn kernels in a dry cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes until 20-30% of kernels show black spots - this recreates the Maillard reaction flavors of authentic street corn grilling.technique4-5 minutes, 20-30% charred
- ✓Bring cream cheese to room temperature (65-70°F) before adding to prevent lumpy texture - cold cream cheese won't emulsify smoothly with the warm corn mixture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Add lime juice off the heat during final seasoning because citric acid will curdle dairy proteins above 140°F, creating an undesirable grainy texture.timingBelow 140°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of Cotija to cream cheese by weight - Cotija's 38% moisture content provides authentic tangy flavor without making the dip watery like higher-moisture cheeses.ingredient2:1 ratio, 38% moisture
- ✓Reserve 25% of your diced jalapeños to add raw at the end - cooking destroys capsaicin's volatile compounds, so raw jalapeños provide the bright heat punch that cooked ones lose.technique25% reserved raw
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Elote vendors in Mexico City char corn at 800°F using century-old metal comals passed down through families.
Mexican Street Corn Dip Appetizer
Kick off your next game night with a zesty Mexican Street Corn Dip that’s sure to steal the show! This creamy delight combines charred corn, tangy lime, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese for a flavor explosion that’ll have everyone reaching for more. Serve it with crunchy tortilla chips, and watch it disappear in no time!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro - more for garnish (45-60 ml)optionalmore for garnish
- 2 cups corn canned or frozen (480 ml)
- 2 -3 jalapeño diced
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 onion diced
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 1/2 cup of cotija or queso fresco cheese (120 ml)optionalAny cheese you like
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature (227 g)
- 1/2 sour cream
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- Tortilla chips for serving
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper (2.5 ml)
- Tajin seasoning about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon according to your taste preferences. (7.5 ml)add according to taste
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Dice jalapeños, onions, and cilantro.
- 2
In a pan or skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté onions and jalapeños for a few minutes until soft on medium heat.
- 3
Add 2 cups of corn and mix.
- 4
Add cream cheese, breaking it apart and mixing.
- 5
Add sour cream, Cotija or queso fresco cheese, and mix.
- 6
Sprinkle salt, pepper, lime juice, and Tajin seasoning and mix.
- 7
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat until everything comes together nicely.
- 8
You can remove from the heat and add it into a serving dish or garnish and serve in the pan directly.
- 9
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or crackers.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Char your corn kernels in a dry cast iron skillet for 4-5 minutes until 20-30% of kernels show black spots - this recreates the Maillard reaction flavors of authentic street corn grilling.technique4-5 minutes, 20-30% charred
- ✓Bring cream cheese to room temperature (65-70°F) before adding to prevent lumpy texture - cold cream cheese won't emulsify smoothly with the warm corn mixture.ingredient65-70°F
- ✓Add lime juice off the heat during final seasoning because citric acid will curdle dairy proteins above 140°F, creating an undesirable grainy texture.timingBelow 140°F
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of Cotija to cream cheese by weight - Cotija's 38% moisture content provides authentic tangy flavor without making the dip watery like higher-moisture cheeses.ingredient2:1 ratio, 38% moisture
- ✓Reserve 25% of your diced jalapeños to add raw at the end - cooking destroys capsaicin's volatile compounds, so raw jalapeños provide the bright heat punch that cooked ones lose.technique25% reserved raw