Mexican Street Corn Dip

Key ingredients in Mexican street corn dip

This Mexican corn dip draws inspiration from traditional elote and esquites—beloved Mexican street foods. Elote is grilled corn on the cob slathered with a creamy lime-chili sauce and coated with crumbly Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro, and esquites features the same flavors but with corn kernels served in a cup.

While this dip recipe isn’t authentic Mexican cuisine, it celebrates these traditional flavors in a quick, shareable format! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt (or sour cream) for the creamy base
• Fresh lime juice for that essential tangy flavor
• Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt for authentic seasoning
• Corn kernels (canned, fresh, or grilled)
• Green onions, red pepper, and cilantro for color, texture, and flavor
• Canned green chiles for a mild kick
• Cotija cheese (or feta) for that signature salty finish

About Cotija cheese

Authentic Mexican corn dishes use Cotija cheese, a traditional Mexican cow’s milk cheese with a dry texture and distinctively salty flavor. It’s available fresh or aged, but fresh is typically easier to find in most grocery stores.

If you can’t find Cotija, feta cheese makes an excellent substitute for Cotija cheese with its similar crumbly texture and salty profile. While queso fresco is another Mexican cheese option, its very mild flavor doesn’t provide the same salty punch that makes this dip so tasty.