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Elote Corn Dip

Elote corn dip with smoky chili powder and creamy cotija is a Mexican street corn-inspired appetizer. Char the corn for a lightly charred flavor, then mix into a tangy, spoonable dip and chill until thick.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 4 cup corn kernels Fresh, frozen, or canned; char fresh/frozen in a skillet, use canned as-is.
Creamy base
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup cotija cheese Crumbled; reserve some for topping if desired.
Seasonings
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro Chopped.
Serving
  • 1 tortilla chips For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn (if needed)
  1. If using fresh or frozen corn, sauté in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until lightly charred, about 6–8 minutes, then let it drain if needed.
Mix the dip
  1. Combine the corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, lime juice, and chili powder in a large bowl and stir until well combined and creamy.
Add cilantro
  1. Fold in the fresh cilantro until evenly distributed throughout the dip.
Serve
  1. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with extra cotija cheese and chili powder.
Chill and serve with chips
  1. Chill for at least 30 minutes, then serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

For the best char flavor, don’t crowd the pan and cook the corn just until it shows light browning. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; the dip can be frozen up to 1 month (texture may soften slightly). To make it lighter, swap half the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt while keeping the sour cream amount.