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Mexican Corn Dip

Mexican corn dip (elote dip) made in a skillet with charred corn and a creamy, tangy base. Finished with cotija, chili powder, and fresh lime so it tastes like street corn in dip form.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen (thawed)
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
cream cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
cotija cheese
  • 1 cup cotija cheese crumbled, divided
chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder plus extra for garnish
smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
lime juice
  • 2 tbsp lime juice fresh
jalapeño
  • 2 tbsp jalapeño finely diced
salt
  • salt to taste
fresh cilantro
  • fresh cilantro for garnish
tortilla chips
  • tortilla chips for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the corn kernels and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred on one side.
  2. Stir the corn and continue cooking for 2 more minutes to develop more browning and heat through.
Make it creamy
  1. Reduce heat to medium, then stir in the softened cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated.
  2. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, half the cotija, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, jalapeño, and lime juice, then stir until everything is creamy and heated through.
Season and serve
  1. Taste and season with salt, then transfer to a serving bowl or serve directly from the skillet for immediate bubbling at the edges.
  2. Top with the remaining cotija, a dusting of chili powder, and fresh cilantro, then serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Notes

Pro tip: thaw frozen corn completely and pat it dry so it chars instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet over low heat until creamy. Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy dairy can break. For a lighter swap, use light sour cream and reduced-fat cream cheese (texture will be slightly less rich but still creamy).