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Street Corn Dip

Street corn dip (elote dip) with charred corn kernels folded into a smoky, creamy skillet sauce. Topped with cotija, Tajín, and a limey drizzle for an easy Mexican street corn dip that’s perfect warm with chips.
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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: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels Fresh or frozen, thawed
Corn cooking base
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Creamy base
  • 4 oz cream cheese Softened
Creamy base
  • 0.33 cup mayonnaise
Creamy base
  • 0.33 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
Cheese topping
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese Crumbled, plus more for topping
Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Tajín or chili lime seasoning
Seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
Smoky seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Acid and brightness
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Heat and tang
  • 1 tbsp pickled jalapeño Chopped
Salt
  • 0.25 salt To taste
Garnish
  • 0.25 fresh cilantro
Serving
  • 1 lime wedges
Serving
  • 1 tortilla chips

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat, add corn, and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred, then stir and cook 2 more minutes.
  2. Keep cooking on high just until the kernels are evenly toasted, with browned spots visible throughout.
Melt and combine the creamy sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium, add cream cheese, and stir until fully melted into the corn.
  2. Stir continuously until the mixture looks smooth and creamy with no visible cream cheese lumps.
Season and heat through
  1. Stir in mayonnaise, Mexican crema or sour cream, cotija, Tajín, garlic powder, smoked paprika, lime juice, and pickled jalapeño until everything is combined and heated through.
  2. Continue stirring until the dip is hot and bubbling gently, with melted cheese and evenly distributed seasoning.
Finish and serve
  1. Taste and adjust salt, then transfer to a serving bowl.
  2. Top with extra cotija, a dusting of Tajín, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge, and serve warm with tortilla chips.

Notes

For the best char, pat frozen corn dry after thawing and keep the skillet truly hot before adding it. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and rewarm gently in a skillet over low heat, stirring often; the dip is not freezer-friendly due to texture changes. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and Mexican crema made with reduced-fat sour cream while keeping the same seasoning balance.