This Mexican corn cheese is a hot, bubbly street-corn-inspired dip with all the flavours of Mexican elotes. Sweet corn, jalapeño, creamy mayo and sour cream, feta and plenty of melty mozzarella are baked up in a small cast-iron skillet for an easy, cheesy appetizer that’s perfect with tortilla chips.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Korean corn cheese (which isn’t authentically Korean, but rather a Korean-American dish)? This Mexican corn cheese isn’t authentically Mexican either, but simply brings the flavours of Mexican street corn in and easy hot corn dip.
This elotes dip is ready in about 20 minutes with fresh, frozen or canned corn. It’s great for parties, game day or a fun side with grilled meats.
If you love corn, you might want to try my easy and delicious Corn Fritters or this warm Corn Casserole.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Corn – Korean corn cheese is almost always made with canned corn, but I think if fresh corn is in season, you can certainly cut kernels off the cob to use here. If not, frozen corn or drained canned corn is fine.
Sour Cream – Plain yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream.
Mozzarella Cheese – Mozzarella works well here as it melts and browns so well. I have also used Monterey Jack in the past and it is a nice substitute.
Cotija or Feta Cheese – Feta cheese is a decent substitute if you can’t find Cotija cheese.
Tajín or Chili Powder – Tajín is a dry Mexican spice mix of dried chili, lime zest and salt. If you can’t find it, substitute chili powder (the spice mix you would use for a pot of chili) and a bit of lime zest.
Step-by-step: how to make Mexican corn cheese
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Refer to the Recipe Card below for a complete list of ingredients and instructions.
At a glance: You’ll quickly cook the corn and jalapeño, stir in a creamy, cheesy mixture, then broil until hot, bubbly and golden.
- Cook the corn kernels and jalapeño in a skillet for about 3 minutes to cook off the rawness. Remove from the heat.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream and spice mixture together with the crumbled feta.
- Stir together well and level out in the skillet.
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and put under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until bubbly and browned.
Recipe tips!
- A small cast-iron skillet is perfect for this corn cheese. My skillet shown here is 8″ bottom-diameter. A smaller 6″ bottom-diameter skillet would also work. A larger skillet might be too large, but you could double up the ingredients to fill it up.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, simply transfer the mixture to an oven-safe baking dish to broil.
How to serve Mexican corn cheese
I enjoy this Mexican corn cheese as a hot corn dip, served with tortillas. You could also serve this as a side dish alongside simple grilled sausage or chicken. Set it out with a big bowl of chips for your next game‑day spread or add it to a taco night as a cheesy side
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This corn cheese is best enjoyed fresh from the oven. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and rewarm in the microwave or in the skillet in a 350F oven loosely covered with foil for 5-10 minutes or until warmed.
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Get the Recipe: Mexican Corn Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 cups fresh, frozen or canned corn, thawed if frozen, drained if canned
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, cored and seeded, then diced
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream, or Mexican crèma
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Tajín, or chili powder with a bit of lime zest *see Note 1 below
- 1/4 cup feta cheese , or cotija, crumbled
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded *see Note 2 below
For garnish:
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Hot sauce
To serve:
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Melt the butter in an oven-safe skillet on the stove top over medium heat. (If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, use any skillet but transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish to broil it.)
- Add the corn and jalapeño to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly for about 3 minutes. You just need to cook the mixture long enough to cook off the rawness. Remove from heat. **If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer the corn mixture to an oven-safe baking dish at this point.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and Tajìn. Add to the corn mixture together with the crumbled feta. Stir together, then smooth into an even layer. Season with a bit of salt and pepper if necessary (if you used a lot of Tajín, extra salt may not be necessary). Top with the shredded mozzarella.
- Heat the oven broiler with an oven rack at least 6" below (that is usually the second position from the top and not the top-most position).
- Broil the mixture for 3-5 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Top with a few splashes of hot sauce (if desired) and some chopped cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges for drizzling.
- Enjoy warm as an appetizer or snack or as a cheesy corn side dish alongside simple grilled chicken or sausage.
Notes
More corn recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
