Looking for a fast and easy dip to impress at parties or a simple dinner? Try this Mexican inspired corn dip! This recipe celebrates the flavors of elote (Mexican street corn), riffing on them to make a tasty dip for eating with crunchy tortilla chips. The pops of sweet corn against the tangy lime, zingy green chiles and salty crumbled cheese is absolutely irresistible! It’s quick to put together with canned corn, though any type of cooked corn works too (especially grilled!). Serve it as a party dip or a simple side for tacos and you won’t want the bowl to end.
Ingredients in Mexican street corn dip
This Mexican corn dip is inspired by the flavors of Mexican street corn, aka elote or equites: corn that’s slathered in a creamy sauce made with lime and chili powder, coated with crumbly Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. (It’s up there as one of our top favorite dishes!) Elote is grilled corn on the cob, and esquites is corn kernels served in a cup with a spoon. This dip recipe is not authentic to Mexican cuisine, but it celebrates the flavors of these traditional dishes in a quick dip you can eat with tortilla chips. Here’s what you’ll need:
MayonnaiseGreek yogurt or sour creamLime juiceChili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and saltCanned corn (or cooked corn)Green onionRed pepperCilantroCanned green chilesCotija cheese or feta cheese
For the corn: use canned or cooked
This Mexican corn dip uses canned corn, which has great flavor (we recommend it versus frozen, which can taste rather bland). But if you have fresh corn on the cob on hand and want to cook it, even better! Here are a few easy methods for cooking corn:
Grilled: Grilled corn adds big flavor to this corn dip! Try Perfect Grilled Corn or Grilled Corn in Foil. Boiled: Go for the quick and classic method: Boiled Corn on the Cob. Roasted: Roasting is a hands-off method for cooking corn. Try Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob.
You can also microwave corn on the cob, but you can only cook up to 4 cobs at once. This recipe requires about 5 cobs, so it’s a less efficient method. We recommend microwaving when you want to cook 1 or 2 cobs.
Cotija cheese vs feta cheese
You might wonder: why is feta cheese in a Mexican recipe when it’s Greek in origin? Well, it’s a substitute for Mexican Cotija! Cotija cheese is a Mexican cow’s milk cheese: it’s white with a dry texture and salty flavor. You can buy it fresh or aged, but it’s usually easiest to find fresh at the grocery. Can’t find Cotija? You can substitute feta cheese: it has a similar texture and salty flavor to Cotija. Queso fresco is another similar Mexican cheese, but the flavor is very mild and not nearly as salty as Cotija. We wouldn’t recommend using it here.
Ways to serve Mexican corn dip
This Mexican corn dip is very versatile: you can even serve it as a side instead of a dip! Here are a few ways to serve this recipe once you’ve mixed up the ingredients:
As a party dipSummer appetizerSide for tacosSide for enchiladasAs a side (without the chips) Over fish (like the fish fillets from Grilled Fish Tacos)For lunches
Leftover storage
This Mexican corn dip stores well: keep it for up to 3 days refrigerated. (You likely can store even longer, but it does become slightly watery over time.) Make sure to bring it to room temperature prior to serving.
More dip recipes
Love to dip? Here are a few favorite dip recipes you’ll love:
Grab Loaded Hummus DipGo for creamy French Onion DipTry Easy Fruit Dip or Quick Veggie DipOpt for Amazing Avocado Dip
This Mexican corn dip recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. 5 from 1 review
