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Mexican Corn Dip (Elote Dip)

Mexican corn dip that delivers creamy, charred corn flavors with a skillet-bubbled finish. Loaded with cotija, chili powder, and lime for a street-corn-style chip dip.
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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: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed) Use thawed frozen corn if needed.
Butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
Mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
Cream cheese
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cotija cheese
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled, divided Divide into two portions for topping.
Chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder Plus extra for garnish.
Smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
Fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Jalapeño
  • 2 tbsp jalapeño, finely diced
Salt
  • 1 salt to taste
Fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh cilantro and extra chili powder for garnish
Tortilla chips
  • 1 tortilla chips for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add corn kernels and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred on one side.
  2. Stir the corn and cook 2 more minutes, keeping the heat at medium-high so you retain browned spots.
Build the creamy base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated, scraping for any unmelted bits.
  2. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, half the cotija, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, jalapeño, and lime juice, then stir until creamy and heated through.
Season and serve
  1. Taste and season with salt, then transfer to a serving bowl or keep in the skillet for serving.
  2. Top with remaining cotija, a dusting of chili powder, and fresh cilantro, then serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Notes

For the best char and flavor, don’t stir the corn during the first 3–4 minutes so one side can really brown. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave, stirring until smooth. Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy dairy can separate when thawed. For a dairy-light swap, use low-fat cream cheese and sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) while keeping the cotija topping.