20 Minute Easy Elote Dip (Mexican Street Corn Dip)

Elotes dip in a black bowl garnished with lime wedges, tortilla chips and cilantro.

20 Minute Easy Elote Dip (Mexican Street Corn Dip)

A crowd pleasing appetizer, this easy Elote Dip (Mexican street corn dip) comes together in about 20 minutes. It captures the creamy, salty and sweet flavors of Mexican street corn in a sharable appetizer! Elote Dip features grilled sweet corn, zesty lime juice, spices and seasonings finished with cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Share with tortilla chips for a tasty appetizer.

This recipe yeilds about 4 cups (630 grams).

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword Elote Corn Dip, Elote Dip

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 233kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

6 Ears of Sweet Corn small to medium in size, shucked, silk removed
1/4 cup (50 grams) Mayonnaise I use Vegenaise
1/4 cup (80 grams) Sour Cream
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice about 1 1/2 juicy limes
1 teaspoon Fresh Garlic minced
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pickled Jalapeño Rings chopped fine, adjust more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder or Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Smoky Paprika
1/2 cup (70 grams) Cotija Cheese crumbled *see notes
1/3 cup (10 grams) Fresh Cilantro chopped fine

Instructions

Grill the Corn:

Prepare the grill by oiling the grates with a high heat oil like avocado oil. Turn the grill on to preheat on highest setting and preheat for about five minutes. Now's a good time to whip up the dressing (see below).
Place the corn on the grill and allow the kernels to char, rotating every few minutes as needed until all sides are lightly charred, about 8-15 minutes. Grills vary in their heat, so keep an eye on the charring.
When the corn cobs are just cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob.

Make the Creamy Dressing:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, jalapeños, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, paprika, and cheese in a large mixing bowl.

Make the Dip:

Into the mixing bowl with the dressing, add the corn kernels and cilantro. Stir throughly so that all the kernels are covered with a bit of dressing. Taste for salt adjustment - note there's no added salt in this recipe due to the addition of salty cheese *see note.
Share warm or chilled with tortilla chips. If serving after being refrigerated, allow dip to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes so that the fats soften.
Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes

*Cotija Cheese may be subbed with: Queso Fresco - similar to cotija and often used interchangeably in elote recipes, it's softer and has a milder flavor than cotija. Feta Cheese - a salty cheese and softer than cotija and queso fresco, but the flavor profile is similar. Parmesan Cheese - use grated Parmesan and a bit less of it as it's quite salty.

Make it Dairy Free - For a vegan version, try vegan Parmesan (use a bit less than called for in the recipe or to taste as it's salty!) or Feta cheese, and sub either vegan sour cream or use all vegan mayonnaise.

Recipe adapted with guidance from Rick Bayless.

Nutrition