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Street Corn Dip

Street corn dip (elote dip) made with charred corn in a smoky cream sauce, then finished with cotija, Tajín, and a fresh lime hit. This Mexican street corn dip is a warm, bubbling skillet chip dip style appetizer with a craveable creamy texture.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen (thawed)
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
cream cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
mayonnaise
  • 0.33 cup mayonnaise
Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 0.33 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
cotija cheese
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese crumbled, plus more for topping
Tajín or chili lime seasoning
  • 1 tsp Tajín or chili lime seasoning
garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
pickled jalapeño
  • 1 tbsp pickled jalapeño chopped
salt
  • 1 salt to taste
fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh cilantro for garnish
lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges for garnish
tortilla chips
  • 1 tortilla chips for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, add corn, and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred, keeping the kernels in a single layer for best browning.
  2. Stir the corn and cook over high heat for 2 more minutes until further browned with smoky edges.
Make the creamy elote-style sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium, add cream cheese, and stir until fully melted into the corn.
  2. Stir in mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, cotija cheese, Tajín or chili lime seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, lime juice, and pickled jalapeño until combined and heated through.
  3. Taste and add salt to taste, then transfer the dip to a serving bowl.
Finish and serve
  1. Top with extra cotija cheese, dust with Tajín or chili lime seasoning, and add fresh cilantro and a lime wedge for garnish.
  2. Serve warm with tortilla chips alongside, letting the creamy dip stay glossy and thick in the center.

Notes

For the best char, don’t stir the corn during the first 3–4 minutes—let it brown before mixing. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet over low heat until loosened with a splash of Mexican crema or sour cream. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy base can separate. For a lower-fat option, use light cream cheese and light Mexican crema (or sour cream) to keep the same elote-dip flavor.