If you love Mexican street corn, you’ll adore this creamy elote dip. This one-pan recipe combines the charred-sweet flavor of corn with tangy cheese and a hint of spice to create a hot, bubbly dip that’s ready in less than 30 minutes—perfect for parties, game day, or a summer snack.
I look forward to elote every summer, whether I make it at home or pick it up from a favorite street vendor. This baked dip captures all the classic flavors—mayo, lime, chili, and cotija—while adding cream cheese and pepper jack for extra richness and meltiness. It’s a crowd-pleaser that keeps guests coming back for more.
What is Elote Dip?
Elote dip takes the best elements of elote and esquites and turns them into a spoonable, shareable appetizer. Traditional elote is corn on the cob brushed with mayonnaise, sprinkled with cotija cheese and chili, and finished with lime. Esquites is the off-the-cob version served in a cup. This recipe blends those flavors with additional dairy and seasonings, then finishes under the broiler so the top becomes golden and bubbly.
Ingredients Needed
The ingredient list is straightforward and easy to find at most grocery stores. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Dairy: butter, cream cheese, mayo, shredded pepper jack, and cotija cheese for topping — these give the dip its creamy, tangy texture.
- Corn and aromatics: canned or fresh corn, diced jalapeño, red onion, cilantro (or coriander), and fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors.
- Seasonings: ground coriander, tajín, and a touch of chili powder for warmth and zest.
- Tortilla chips: for serving. Lime-flavored chips pair especially well.
How to Make Elote Dip
This recipe is easy and mostly hands-off. You only need one oven-safe skillet, and the whole dish comes together quickly.
- Preheat the broiler in your oven.
- Heat a cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Sauté the corn, diced jalapeño, and red onion just until fragrant and slightly softened—only a few minutes.
- Stir in the cream cheese, mayo, ground coriander, shredded pepper jack, lime juice, and tajín. Continue stirring until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is smooth and combined.
- Place the skillet under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching closely until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Broilers vary, so keep an eye to prevent burning.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with crumbled cotija cheese and a pinch of chili powder or additional tajín for color and flavor.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips and enjoy.
The complete ingredient amounts and measurements are listed below in the recipe card section.
Recipe: Elote Dip
Author: August DeWindt
Yield: Serves 8 • Prep: 5 minutes • Cook: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cans corn, drained and rinsed (or about 3 cups fresh or frozen)
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp ground coriander (or ¼ cup chopped cilantro)
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ½ tsp tajín
- Juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, for topping
- ¼ tsp chili powder, to finish
Instructions
- Turn the broiler on.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the corn, jalapeño, and red onion and sauté for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the cream cheese, mayo, coriander (or cilantro), shredded pepper jack, lime juice, and tajín. Stir until everything is melted and combined.
- Broil in the oven for about 2 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cotija cheese and a light dusting of chili powder.
- Serve hot with tortilla chips.
Notes
If you prefer fresh flavor, swap the coriander for ¼ cup chopped cilantro. For more heat, add an extra jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a small baking dish before broiling.
Nutrition (Approximate per serving)
Calories: 277 • Carbohydrates: 24 g • Protein: 8 g • Fat: 19 g • Fiber: 3 g