I love elote, Mexican street corn! Corn on the cob grilled over an open flame, then slathered in a cream sauce, sprinkled with cheese, splashed with hot sauce, and sprinkled with herbs. What’s not to love? But it’s mid-winter and there is a big football game tomorrow and I have a craving, unfortunately, there is no fresh corn on the cob. My solution; Mexican Street Corn Dip!
This party dip has all the same flavors as the real elote only in a fun dip. Pan-roasted corn kernels and jalapeños have a nice charred flavor. Mix those with sour cream and queso fresco, a splash of spicy hot sauce, and fresh chopped cilantro, and it’s a party! I serve this Elote dip with crispy corn tortilla chips.
One of my favorite Tex-Mex entrees is Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. This Mexican Elote dip is actually a great topping for chicken enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, etc. Even though it’s a party dip, the flavors of Mexican street corn are very versatile and can be used in many ways. For the Super Bowl tomorrow, I’m making shrimp and black bean quesadillas topped with the elote dip. The recipe is an experiment at this stage, but I think it will be going on the blog soon enough!
Mexican Street Corn Dip Ingredients
- Corn and Jalapeños: Frozen or canned corn kernels work great. I always use fresh jalapeños, but I suppose pickled would work as well. Just drain the corn and give the kernels and diced jalapeños a nice char in a hot skillet to give them the Mexican street corn flavor.
- Sour Cream and Queso Fresco: Often, Mexican street corn is slathered in mayonnaise, but I prefer sour cream. Queso fresco is a soft cheese that crumbles nicely. If you don’t have queso fresco where you live, the Indian cheese ‘Paneer’ is identical and is a perfect substitute in this party dip.
- Hot Sauce: Red pepper hot sauce such as Tabasco or Cholula is what gives the dip its heat.
- Cilantro and Mexican Oregano: Chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) and dried oregano give the dip a great flavor. If I am using the Mexican street corn party dip as an enchilada sauce, I wait until they come out of the oven and use the chopped cilantro as a garnish rather than an ingredient.
- Optional Ingredients: The Mexican street corn dip is very versatile and can be modified in any number of ways. I have added sautéed onions, roasted red bell peppers, olives, etc. Therefore, depending on the menu, fish, chicken, fajitas, enchiladas, you can add or subtract ingredients to suit your taste and the flavor profile of the entrée.
Ways to Use the Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Party Dip: Ok, this one is obvious. Serve it with crisp corn tortillas and it will be the first thing to disappear from the buffet.
- Topping: This recipe works great in the oven as a topping for chicken, shrimp, or crab enchiladas. It works great for pretty much any Mexican or Tex-Mex recipe that has a sour cream topping.
- Condiment: Many Mexican restaurants serve sour cream as a side item with fajitas, tacos, nachos, etc. I love the addition of the elote flavor to these entrees, it tastes great and it’s pretty.
Here is my Mexican Street Corn Dip recipe
Mexican Street Corn Party Dip
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Corn
- 1/4 Cup Jalapeño Fine dice
- 8 Ounces Sour Cream
- 1/2 Cup Queso Fresco
- 1 Teaspoon Lime Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano Or Dried oregano
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro Finely chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Red Hot Sauce Cholula or Tabasco or Sriracha
Instructions
- Toast the corn and jalapeno over high heat for approximately 10-minutes until slightly charred
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well.
- Serve with crispy corn tortilla chips.
Nutrition
