With all of the intense flavors of esquites, this cold Mexican Street Corn Dip is great served with tortilla chips, as a side salad with chicken or ribs, or as a topping for tacos. Here, the corn is grilled over a charcoal or wood fire, but you can also char it on a stove-top grill pan or under the broiler.
Key Ingredients
- Corn: I love grilling the corn but you can also char it on the stove-top or broil it in the oven.
- Tajin, chili powder, or pure chile powder: If you can find it, Tajin is my favorite because of the added lime flavor. This seasoning adds the perfect spicy kick to this dip.
- Mexican Crema, creme fraiche, or sour cream: The consistency of each is slightly different, but any of them will work great!
- Lime juice: I start with the juice and zest of 1 lime and then taste and add more when needed. You can also serve extra lime wedges on the side, if you’d like!
- Cotija: This cheese adds the perfect salty notes to the dip!
- Cherry Tomatoes: I love the added color and freshness that cherry tomatoes add to the dip!
- Avocado: A diced avocado makes this dip irresistible. If you can’t get an in-season avocado, you can totally leave it out.
Prep ahead tips
Since this Street Corn dip is served cold, it is a great snack to make ahead! Prep it a few hours ahead without the avocado and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, stir in the avocado and taste, adjusting for additional lime juice and seasoning as desired.
It would be a great dip to make with any leftover corn you have from grilling! Grilled corn can be cut off the cob then stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days before you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Because this is a dairy-based dip, it won’t freeze great.
Serving suggestions
Serve this elote dip on game day with tortilla chips. It would also be a delicious side to grilled or barbecued meats or on top of steak tacos.
More game-day snacks to try!
I hope you give this cold Mexican Street Corn Dip a try! It is one of my favorite snack recipes from my new book Homemade Simple and I’m confident it will be a hit at any game day party!
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn shucked
- Olive oil for brushing
- 1 tablespoon Tajín seasoning, chili powder, or pure chile powder
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup Mexican crema, crème fraîche, or sour cream
- 1 lime, juiced and zested plus more juice, if desired
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ¼ cup minced red or white onion
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (450°F/230°C). Brush the grill grate clean.
- Brush the corn with olive oil, then sprinkle the Tajín seasoning evenly on all sides of the corn. If using pure chile powder, sprinkle the corn with 1 teaspoon salt as well. Grill the corn, turning once or twice while cooking, until charred and crisp-tender. Depending on the type of grill, this will take 15 to 30 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the crema, lime zest, and lime juice. Add 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, the cotija cheese, and the onion to the crema mixture. Stir to combine.
- Cut the kernels off the cobs and transfer to the bowl with the crema mixture. Stir gently to coat the corn. Add the cherry tomatoes and avocado, if using. Taste, adding more salt, Tajín seasoning, and/or lime juice if desired. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Serves 6-8 people
- Reprinted from Homemade Simple: Effortless Dishes for a Busy Life, by Amanda Haas with permission from Abrams Books, 2023. Photographs © Kathleen Sheffer.
