If you like chips and queso, you’re going to love this hot corn dip. It’s like queso’s older hotter cousin. It’s got all that creamy cheesy goodness, plus a little sweetness from the corn, plenty of color from the peppers, and a little kick of spicy heat. And a little bowl of cool salsa on the side offers the perfect complimentary flavors and textures. THIS will be a staple at every party that I hope the future holds.
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What’s in Hot Corn Dip?
To make this dip, I started with my recipe for Spinach Artichoke Dip and simply swapped out the spinach and artichoke for corn and peppers, keeping that creamy-cheesy base. I then added a few more southwest flavors, like green onion, cumin, pepper jack cheese, and hot sauce to really solidify the flavor profile. The result? A super creamy, cheesy, slightly spicy dip that you won’t be able to stop dunking chips into.
Make it Extra
I always like to present a sort of “base layer” recipe to which you can add if your budget allows. If you want to go above and beyond with your hot corn dip, consider using a fire roasted corn for a more smoky flavor (I’ve seen fire roasted frozen corn at Trader Joes). You can also try stirring in some crumbled bacon, topping with some pico de gallo, or fresh cilantro.
Can I Use Fresh Corn?
This delicious dip is a natural choice during the summer months when fresh corn is cheap, sweet, and in abundance. To use fresh corn in this recipe you’ll want to roast, grill, or boil your corn before adding it to the mix. You’ll need about 3 cups of cooked corn kernels.
Hot Corn Dip
Servings 6 about ½ cup eachIngredients
- 1 red bell pepper ($1.50)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.10)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 3 green onions ($0.19)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.28)
- 12 oz. frozen corn ($0.75)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($0.35)
- 1/4 cup sour cream ($0.11)
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise ($0.20)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce ($0.08)
- 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (1 cup) ($1.15)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan ($0.22)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Remove the seeds and stems from the red bell pepper and jalapeño, then finely dice both. Mince the garlic and slice the green onion.
- Add the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add the red bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté over medium for a few minutes, or just until the red bell pepper begins to soften.
- Add the frozen corn and continue to sauté until the corn has heated through.
- Cut the cream cheese into chunks, then add it to the skillet along with the sour cream and mayonnaise. Stir and heat the mixture until everything is melted together and smooth.
- Finally, add the sliced green onions, cumin, hot sauce, half of the shredded pepper jack (½ cup) , and Parmesan. Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Spread the corn dip into a 2 quart casserole dish, then top with the remaining pepper jack. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake the corn dip for about 20 minutes in the preheated 375ºF oven, or until the cheese on top is melted and the dip is bubbling around the edges. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Hot Corn Dip – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Remove the seeds and stems from one red bell pepper and jalapeño, then finely dice them. Mince two cloves of garlic and slice 3 green onions. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the red bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté the peppers and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes, or just until the red bell pepper begins to soften.
Add a 12 oz. bag of frozen corn to the skillet and continue to sauté until the corn is heated through.
Cut 4 oz. cream cheese into chunks, then add it to the skillet along with ¼ cup sour cream and 2 Tbsp mayonnaise. Stir them into the vegetables until they are melted, smooth, and creamy.
Next, add sliced green onion, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp hot sauce, ½ cup shredded pepper jack, and 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan. Stir until everything is combined and melted together.
Transfer the hot corn dip into a 2-quart baking dish and top with the remaining ½ cup shredded pepper jack.
Bake the hot corn dip in the preheated 375ºF oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted and the dip is bubbling around the edges.
Serve hot while the cheese is ooey-gooey and delicious!
Can you use green pepper instead of red pepper?
Any color of mild bell pepper will work in this recipe, it will just change the flavor of the dish slightly depending on which you choose (green peppers are more bitter and grassy, while red, yellow, and orange are sweeter and fruity). ~ Marion :)
Took this dip to a neighborhood BBQ tonight. There were lots of food choices for everyone, including some delicious appetizers. But this bowl of cheesy corn goodness was scooped up and finished off immediately. I’m glad I got a taste before it was gone, because now I know I need to make it again- but just for us to enjoy. Thanks for an easy recipe that tastes sophisticated
If I wanted to bring this to a party, instead of putting it in the oven,
do you think it would work in a small crockpot?
I think that would probably work! I would just make sure to keep it on low or warm so the cheesy sauce doesn’t overheat and break.
I fried a little loose chorizo sausage and added it in. It would have been delicious without, but I just thought the chorizo would be a nice addition. I really liked it. Thanks for a terrific recipe!
Such a great idea!!
Would a can of green chilies work in this do you think?
Yes, I think that would be very tasty! :)
Really enjoyed this! I think the spice level depends a lot on the jalapeño. Mine was from my garden and wasn’t very spicy- next time I’ll test the spice level and add more Siracha if needed, before I put it in the oven!
Made this for Memorial Day- it was delicious. Did get some grease bubbling around the edges, but it was easily fixed with a paper towel.
Just tried this recipe tonight and it was soooo tasty. I didn’t have sour cream so I sub’d plain greek yogurt. Worked like a charm. I topped it with crumbled bacon before baking. Once it came out of the oven I generously topped it with cilantro and the flavors exploded in our mouths. So good. This is my go to website for reliable, tasty dishes. Thanks Beth!
Thanks for letting us know how the Greek yogurt worked! So many people asked about that. :)
I made this along with the Tajin shrimp tacos with my roommates. This dip was super yummy! We didn’t have any green onion. After reading the comments, we decided to add 1/2 cup of onions; it was still super tasty. We also used canned corn instead of frozen.
I’m so excited to make this tonight!! However, I just realized that I don’t have any sour cream. Could I use plain Greek yogurt instead? Thank you!!!
I haven’t tried Greek yogurt in this one, so I’m not 100% sure, but I feel like it would probably work since there isn’t a lot of it in the recipe.
This was delicious! I used fire roasted frozen corn. I don’t think it really added anything to the dish. Next time I’ll just use regular frozen corn. I also omitted the bell peppers because I hate them! This dip was a huge hit! Wonderful with tortilla chips. Leftovers were great in burritos and quesadillas too. Will definitely make this again!
Delicious, but be careful to follow instructions to the letter. I used 16 oz. of corn instead of the recommended 12, followed all other directions exactly as written, and the dip broke in the oven. Still tasted pretty good and we weren’t planning to show it off at a potluck, so it worked out.
Broke?
This looks fabulous! Thanks for a simple, but great side for Mexican night!
Oh, that looks good. I bet it would be fantastic with a can of black beans added in.
Absolutely delicious–my only change was to add 1/2 c. finely diced onion to the bell pepper and jalapeno mix in the skillet to replace the green onions I didn’t have last night–great addition to a pot luck dinner we attended and nothing left to bring home.