Loaded with fresh corn, sour cream, chiles, Mexican herbs & spices & lots of cotija cheese! This lightened up Mexican street corn dip recipe is an easy party dip everyone will love! (Perfect for a game day appetizer or any time your craving street corn!)
Raise your hand if you could make a meal off appetizers?! Because…same here!😉 And as Charlie keeps reminding me – FOOTBALL SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED so it’s time to beef up my game day appetizer repertoire! (For anyone who knows my husband, you know he’s a huge football fan – so this time of year our house basically has a revolving door of friends and their hearty appetites.) Needless to say, I’ve learned to keep a few recipes on hand that are quick, easy & delicious! One of everyone’s favorites? This Mexican Street Corn Dip! BEST. PARTY. DIP. EVER!😄
Ingredients For Your Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Corn: Fresh corn works the best, but frozen or canned corn can be used instead. (I personally think fresh corn has the best texture. We usually use 4-5 fresh cobs depending on their size.)
- Canned green chiles: Use mild or hot chiles depending on the spice level you want. (Hot chiles are always a must in this house!😉)
- Sour cream: Provides a creamy base for your dip!
- Cilantro: Always use the leaves AND stems for maximum flavor! (The stems are where all the flavor’s at!)
- Red onion: Adds texture without overpowering your dip with onion flavor!
- Jalapeno: De-seed your jalapeno if you don’t want the dip too spicy.
- Garlic: I used one large garlic clove for mine and it was perfect!
- Cotija cheese: A necessity for any street corn dip recipe! (Cotija is a salty crumbly Mexican cheese that has a very strong flavor similar to feta.)
- Limes: You’ll need the juice of at least one lime for this recipe.
- Spices: Chili powder and salt help liven up your dip!
How To Make Mexican Street Corn Dip
1. Prepare the corn. Cut the kernels off your corn cobs and sauté them in a large pan until warm & slightly browned. Then pour the kernels in a bowl and set them aside.
2. Prep the rest of your ingredients. Chop your cilantro, deseed and finely chop your jalapeno and red onion, mice your garlic and drain your green chiles. Then add them to the bowl with your corn kernels.
3. Mix & serve! Add your sour cream, seasonings and lime juice and stir until everything is fully incorporated. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!
This dip is best served warm so I would suggest serving it as soon as possible after it’s been mixed. (I’ll usually prep the other ingredients before cooking the corn so I can just DUMP, MIX & GO!)
Substitutions
Can’t find a few of these ingredients? No problem! They can easily be replaced with the suggestions below:
- Garlic: Replace it with a ¼-½ teaspoon garlic powder. I’d suggest starting with a ¼ teaspoon, tasting it and adding more (if needed) from there.
- Cotija cheese: Replace it with feta cheese!
- Red onion: Replace it with sliced green onion! (Use the green and white parts for the best results.)
Turn It Into A Party!
We love serving this Mexican street corn dip at parties! It’s creamy, cheesy, has the right amount of spice and everyone loves that it’s loaded with corn! (And I love that it’s so easy to make too!😉) We’ll usually serve it with tortilla chips but Fritos, potato chips or even crackers would be great options to give your guests some variety. A few tips if serving for a crowd:
- Add your dip to a small crockpot and set it to warm – your dip will stay warm throughout the whole party! (Keep an eye on it though! You might want to add another 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream.)
- Make it a cold dip! Mix up your ingredients the night before and serve it cold! (It’s so refreshing for summer parties!)
FAQ’s
- A ½ teaspoon of salt sounds like a lot! Why so much? Mexican street corn is traditionally served with mayonnaise (which is salty). Because we’re not using any mayo for this recipe, we have to add salt in order to get the same flavor. (If you’re nervous about the amount, you can always start with a ¼ teaspoon of salt and go from there.😊)
- How do I store my leftover corn dip? Pour your leftovers in an airtight container and keep it stored in the refrigerator.
- How long does corn dip last in the refrigerator? It should stay good for 4-5 days if stored properly.
- Can I reheat my corn dip? Yes! The best way is to heat it is in the microwave until it reaches your desired temperature. (Sometimes I’ll add a little more sour cream after it’s been heated to make it extra creamy. The sour cream has a tendency to evaporate a bit in the microwave.)
- Can I freeze my corn dip? No! The dip has a completely different consistency after it’s been thawed so I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
Why you’ll love this Mexican corn dip recipe
- Perfect for parties! Everyone loves an easy party dip! This one if full of bold flavors, Mexican spices & just the right amount of heat!
- A healthier dip option! Most Mexican street corn dip recipes are loaded with mayo… Not this one! We’re replacing it with sour cream to still keep that creamy consistency!
- Serve it hot or cold! Not into a hot corn dip? Pop it in the refrigerator & serve it cold instead! It’s just as tasty!
Need it gluten free? Great news, it already it!
Need it dairy free? Replace regular sour cream with dairy-free sour cream and use dairy-free parmesan in place of cotija cheese.
More corn recipes you might like:
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
- Black Bean Corn & Avocado Salsa
- Summer Corn Salad with Avocado
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments. I love seeing what you create!]
Easy Mexican Street Corn Dip
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh corn kernels, (about 4 cobs)*
- 1 4oz can diced green chilis, drained and rinsed (I use hot chiles)
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded & finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat and spray it with cooking spray once hot. Then add your corn kernels and sauté until they're cooked through and slightly brown. (About 2-3 minutes.) Transfer your kernels in a large bowl and set them aside.
- Next add the rest of your ingredients to the bowl with your corn and mix until the sour cream is fully incorporated. Taste your dip and adjust as needed. (Sometimes I'll add more lime juice or another handful of cilantro.)
- Sprinkle extra cotjia cheese over the top and serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips!
Notes
- If using frozen corn: Heat the corn according to the package. Then sauté it and follow the same directions as above.
- If using canned corn: Drain and thoroughly rinse your corn. Then sauté it and follow the same directions as above.
can i make this and serve next day in a crock pot on warm?
Hi there! I personally haven’t tried that yet but I imagine it would still work. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
This looks so good! What a great side to make in any season!
Hi Suzanne! Thank you so much! We love it! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Hi Vanessa! I personally think it’s best if made the morning of or the night before you’re planning to serve it. 🙂
Do I boil corn first then cut kernels off?
Hi Katie! We usually cut the kernels off first then sauté them in a pan. You can definitely boil the corn instead before cutting off the kernels though! I hope this helps!