If you’ve ever stood in line at a state fair or a summer festival and watched someone walk by with a en ear of corn elote style— that glorious mess of charred corn, crema, cheese, lime, and chili powder — and thought “I need that in my life immediately,” this dip is for you. I took everything I love about Mexican street corn, tried it at (El Burrito Mercado in St Paul), and turned it into a warm, bubbly, share-the-whole-skillet dip that disappears faster than anything else on the table.
This is one of those recipes that started as “let’s make a great dip for game day ” and turned into a permanent fixture at every gathering I host. It’s cheesy, a little spicy, bright with lime, and finished with a crunchy Fritos scoop that makes it impossible to stop eating.
Why You’ll Love This Elote Dip
- It’s a crowd-pleaser. Set it out at a party and watch it vanish.
- It comes together in one skillet. Char the corn, stir everything in, bake, done.
- It’s endlessly adaptable. No grill? No problem — canned or frozen corn works in a pinch.
- The Fritos are non-negotiable. Trust me on this one.
What You’ll Need
- 3 ears of corn (about 2 cups kernels — roasted canned or frozen corn works too)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped (save some green tops for garnish)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese, divided
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- 1 Tbsp Tajín
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
- Fritos, for serving
How to Make It
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Char the corn — on the grill, under the broiler, or right on the stovetop — until you’ve got some good golden-brown spots. Those charred bits are where all the flavor lives, so don’t rush this step (you can also substitute canned or frozen charred, roasted corn)
Stir in the cream cheese, garlic, scallions, 3/4 cup of the pepper jack, mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapeño, lime juice, and Tajín. Smooth the top, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over everything.
Slide it into the oven for about 10 minutes, until it’s warm, melty, and slightly golden on top.
Finish with the cilantro and reserved scallion greens, grab your Fritos, and serve it warm straight from the skillet with lime wedges on the side.
Tips for the Best Elote Dip
- No fresh corn? Frozen or canned corn, roasted in a dry skillet until it picks up some color, gets you almost all the way to that charred flavor.
- Make it ahead. Assemble the dip up to the baking step, cover, and refrigerate. Add a few extra minutes in the oven if it’s going in cold.
- Turn up the heat. Leave some jalapeño seeds in, or add a pinch of cayenne, if you like more of a kick.
- Swap the dipper. Tortilla chips or thick-cut chips work if Fritos aren’t in the pantry, but I really do think the corn chip crunch is the move here.
This one’s a permanent member of my party rotation — right up there with the dishes I keep coming back to at the cabin all summer long. Make it once and I promise it earns a spot in yours too.
More Game Day Dips to Try
If this elote dip disappears as fast at your place as it does at mine, here are a few more crowd favorites from stephaniesdish.com worth adding to the rotation:
- Iowa Girls Cold Corn Dip — a decadent, cold corn dip straight from a college friend group in Ames, Iowa. Not healthy, extremely delicious.
- Layered BLT Dip — all the flavors of a BLT piled onto a creamy cream cheese base, perfect for crostini or crackers.
- Spinach Dip — the classic sour cream and mayo spinach dip with water chestnuts for crunch, no ranch packet required.
- Hot Reuben Dip — corned beef, Swiss, and sauerkraut baked into a warm, tangy dip in under 30 minutes.
- Dill Pickle Chip Dip — inspired by the Minnesota State Fair, packed with pickle tang and perfect with chips.
Load up the table with a few of these alongside the elote dip and you’ve got yourself a full game day spread.
Elote Street Corn Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ears of corn – you are looking for about 2 cups total and roasted canned or frozen corn can substitute
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 scallions chopped reserve some green tops for garnish
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 1/3 cup cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped fine
- 2 Tbsp lime juice plus 4 wedges for serving
- 1 Tbsp Tajin
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
- Fritos for Serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Char the corn on a grill or stove top or broiler and cook it in an 8 oz skillet until its cooked through and you have some char spots
- Stir in the cream cheese, 3/4 jack cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapenos, lime juice and Tajin and smooth out the top of the mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese
- cook in the oven for 10 minutes until everything is warm and melty
- Sprinkle the cilantro and scallions on the dip and serve with Friros
