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Mexican Corn Dip (Elote Dip)

Mexican corn dip is a creamy charred street-corn style skillet dip made with toasted corn, melted cream cheese, and tangy sour cream. Finished with cotija, chili powder, and a squeeze of lime for a bold, dip-and-dunk 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: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 3 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
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
Chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
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
  • 0.25 salt to taste
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. The corn should look dark in spots before you move it.
  2. Stir the corn and cook for 2 more minutes until heated through and lightly browned. Keep an eye out for fresh charring on the edges.
Make it creamy
  1. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream cheese until melted and fully incorporated. Stop when the mixture turns smooth with no visible cream cheese lumps.
  2. Add 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. The dip should bubble gently at the edges.
  3. Taste and season with salt, then transfer to a serving bowl or serve directly from the skillet. The flavors should feel balanced and not flat.
Finish and serve
  1. Top with remaining cotija, dusting of chili powder, and fresh cilantro. You should see a fresh, speckled cotija topping on the surface.
  2. Serve immediately with tortilla chips for dunking. The chips should be at the ready so the dip stays warm.

Notes

For best char, use a hot skillet and avoid stirring during the first 3–4 minutes so one side can actually brown. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, stirring to loosen as needed. Freezing isn’t recommended because cream cheese and sour cream can break after thawing. For a dairy-reduced option, use plant-based cream cheese and mayonnaise, and swap in a dairy-free cotija-style topping.