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Mexican Corn Dip (Elote-Style)

Mexican corn dip is a creamy charred street-corn skillet dip made with sautéed corn, melted cream cheese, and a cotija chili-lime finish. It’s rich and thick, served hot with tortilla chips for an easy Tex-Mex chip dip recipe.
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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: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels Fresh or frozen, thawed.
Dairy & seasonings
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled, divided
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp jalapeño, finely diced
  • salt To taste.
Garnish & serving
  • 1 fresh cilantro For garnish.
  • 1 extra chili powder For garnish.
  • 1 tortilla chips For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the corn kernels and cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until charred on one side.
  2. Stir the corn and continue cooking for 2 more minutes until heated through and lightly browned.
Make the creamy base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated.
  2. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, half the cotija, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, jalapeño, and lime juice, then stir until everything is creamy and heated through.
  3. Taste and season with salt, then transfer to a serving bowl or serve directly from the skillet.
Top and serve
  1. Top with the remaining cotija, dust with extra chili powder, and scatter with fresh cilantro.
  2. Serve immediately with tortilla chips for dipping.

Notes

Pro tip: thaw frozen corn fully and pat it dry for better browning and more visible char. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop until warmed through (add a splash of lime juice or sour cream if needed). Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy base can become grainy after thawing. For a dairy-light swap, use light cream cheese and light sour cream (cotija can be reduced or replaced with a similar salty cheese).