Mexican Corn Dip
This hot Mexican corn dip takes its cues from esquites: sweet corn charred hard in a skillet, then folded into a tangy cream cheese and sour cream base with jalapeño, green chiles, and melty Monterey Jack. Charring the kernels first is the move that matters — those browned, toasty edges keep the dip from tasting like plain creamed corn. It bakes until bubbling at the edges, then gets showered with cotija, lime, and cilantro so every scoop lands creamy, smoky, and bright.
Char 600 g (4 cups) corn kernels in 1 tbsp oil in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, undisturbed in batches, until deeply browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Off the heat, stir 225 g (8 oz) softened cream cheese, 120 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream, and 60 g (1/4 cup) mayonnaise together with garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt, then fold in the charred corn, a minced jalapeño, a 110 g (4 oz) can of diced green chiles, sliced green onions, and two-thirds of 170 g (1 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack. Scrape into a 2-quart baking dish, top with the remaining Jack, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18-20 minutes until bubbling at the edges; broil 1-2 minutes for a spotty golden top. Rest 5 minutes, then finish with crumbled cotija, a squeeze of lime, and chopped cilantro, and serve warm with sturdy tortilla chips.
- Char the corn hard and don't stir too often — browned, blistered kernels are what make the dip taste like street corn instead of creamed corn.
- Use fully softened cream cheese and shred cheese from a block; cold cream cheese stays lumpy and pre-shredded cheese melts greasy instead of smooth.
- Add the cotija, lime, and cilantro after baking, not before — the lime keeps its brightness and the cotija stays salty and crumbly instead of disappearing into the melt.
Equipment
- 25 cm (10-inch) cast-iron or heavy skillet
- 2-quart (2 L) baking dish or the same oven-safe skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Flexible spatula
- Box grater
- Citrus juicer or reamer
食材
Dip
- 600 g corn kernels (fresh-cut, or frozen and patted dry), from 5-6 ears; no need to thaw frozen fully, just blot well
- 15 ml neutral oil
- 225 g cream cheese, softened, full-fat, at room temperature
- 120 ml sour cream
- 60 g mayonnaise
- 170 g Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided; shred from a block for the smoothest melt
- jalapeño, seeded and minced, keep the seeds if you like real heat
- 110 g canned diced green chiles, drained
- garlic cloves, finely grated
- green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 3 g chili powder
- 1 g smoked paprika
- 1 g ground cumin
- 3 g fine salt, cotija is salty, so hold the line here
To finish
- 40 g cotija cheese, crumbled, feta works in a pinch
- 15 ml fresh lime juice, about half a lime; cut the rest into wedges
- 10 g fresh cilantro, chopped
- Tajín or extra chili powder, optional, for dusting
步驟
- 步驟01
Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat it to 200°C (400°F). Make sure the cream cheese is genuinely soft — if it still feels cool in the center, cut it into cubes and let it sit while you char the corn. Cold cream cheese is the number one cause of a lumpy dip.
- 步驟02
Heat the oil in a cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the corn in an even layer — work in two batches if your skillet is smaller than 25 cm (10 inches) — and let it sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes before stirring. Repeat until the kernels are blistered and deeply browned in spots, about 8 minutes total. Expect some popping; a splatter screen helps. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
- 步驟03
In a large bowl, stir the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise with a flexible spatula until completely smooth. Stir in the grated garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt.
- 步驟04
Fold the charred corn, minced jalapeño, drained green chiles, the white parts of the green onions, and 115 g (1 cup) of the Monterey Jack into the base until everything is evenly coated.
- 步驟05
Scrape the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish (or leave it right in the oven-safe skillet) and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 55 g (1/2 cup) Monterey Jack over the surface. Bake until the edges are bubbling and the center is hot, 18-20 minutes.
- 步驟06
For a spotty, golden top, switch the oven to broil and leave the dish under the element for 1-2 minutes — watch it the whole time, since it goes from golden to burnt fast. Skip this step if your baking dish is not broiler-safe.
- 步驟07
Let the dip rest for 5 minutes so it thickens from molten to scoopable. Squeeze the lime juice over the top, then scatter on the cotija, cilantro, green onion tops, and a pinch of Tajín if using. Serve warm from the dish with sturdy chips.
Make ahead
Assemble the dip completely (through topping with the shredded Jack) up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5-8 extra minutes, and hold the cotija, lime, and cilantro until after baking. You can also char the corn up to 2 days in advance and keep it refrigerated, which makes party-day assembly a 10-minute job.
Storage
Cool leftovers, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 15-20 minutes, or microwave individual portions in 30-second bursts, stirring between each; add a fresh squeeze of lime after reheating to wake the flavors back up. Freezing is not recommended — the sour cream and cream cheese base turns grainy when thawed.
Variations
Chipotle-bacon corn dip
Cook 4 slices of chopped bacon in the skillet first and char the corn in the rendered fat, then fold the crisp bacon and 1-2 minced chipotles in adobo (plus 1 tsp of the sauce) into the base. Smokier, meatier, and noticeably hotter — cut the jalapeño if you're heat-shy. Note this version is no longer vegetarian.
Lighter Greek yogurt version
Swap the sour cream and mayonnaise for 180 ml (3/4 cup) whole-milk Greek yogurt and use reduced-fat cream cheese. The dip bakes up slightly tangier and a touch less rich; stir once after baking to bring it back together, and don't skip the resting time.
Cold stir-together corn dip
Skip the oven entirely: beat the base until fluffy, fold in the charred (and fully cooled) corn, all the cheese, and the finishing ingredients, then chill for at least 1 hour. It becomes a spreadable, esquites-style cold dip that travels well to potlucks in a cooler.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
常見問題
Can I use canned corn for Mexican corn dip?
Yes — use two 425 g (15 oz) cans, drained very well and pressed dry between paper towels before charring. Canned corn holds more surface moisture than fresh or frozen, so it steams instead of browning if you skip the drying step. Fresh summer corn cut off the cob gives the sweetest result, but well-blotted frozen kernels are the most reliable year-round option.
How do I keep the dip from turning greasy or broken?
Two things cause it: pre-shredded cheese and overbaking. Bagged shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that makes hot dips grainy and oily, so shred Monterey Jack from a block. Then pull the dish as soon as the edges bubble — a mexican corn dip only needs to get hot and melty, and every extra minute past that squeezes fat out of the cheese.
How spicy is this, and how do I adjust the heat?
As written it's mild — one seeded jalapeño and canned green chiles add flavor more than fire. For medium heat, leave the jalapeño seeds in or use two peppers; for genuinely hot, add a minced serrano or a spoonful of chopped chipotles in adobo. To make it completely kid-friendly, drop the jalapeño and rely on the green chiles alone.
Can I make Mexican corn dip in a slow cooker?
Yes, and it's great for tailgates. Char the corn on the stove first (don't skip it — that flavor can't happen in a slow cooker), then combine everything except the finishing ingredients in a 3-quart slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 1.5-2 hours, stirring once, then hold on WARM for up to 2 hours, topping with cotija, lime, and cilantro just before serving.
What's the difference between this dip and elote or esquites?
Elote is grilled corn on the cob dressed with mayo, cotija, chili, and lime; esquites is the off-the-cob cup version of the same flavors. This baked dip borrows that flavor profile — charred corn, lime, cotija, chili — but binds it with cream cheese and melted Jack so it's scoopable party food rather than a street snack. That's why the finishing squeeze of lime matters: it pulls the rich dip back toward its street-corn roots.
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