Hot Corn Dip
This easy Hot Corn Dip is creamy, cheesy, and loaded with corn and green chiles, then finished with avocado, jalapeño, scallions, and fresh lime. It comes together in one skillet on the stovetop in just 20 minutes for an easy party or game-day appetizer.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 290kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen white and yellow corn
- 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles mild, drained and divided
- 7-8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- 3-4 scallions diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper diced
- Fresh cilantro or parsley to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Heat the corn. Heat an 8-inch cast-iron or similar-size skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.2 cups fresh or frozen white and yellow corn
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in about half of the drained tomatoes with green chiles. Reserve the remaining tomatoes for topping the dip.1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- Make it creamy. Add the softened cream cheese a few pieces at a time, stirring until melted and combined before adding more. Start with 7 ounces and add more, if desired, for a creamier dip.7-8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
- Season. Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, Freshly ground black pepper, Dash of red pepper flakes
- Add the cheddar. Stir in the shredded cheddar until melted and creamy. Remove the skillet from the heat.½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Add the toppings. Top with the reserved tomatoes and green chiles, avocado, scallions, jalapeño, and cilantro or parsley.1 ripe avocado, 3-4 scallions, 1 jalapeño pepper, Fresh cilantro or parsley
- Finish and serve. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the top and add an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve hot with tortilla chips.Juice of 1 lime
Notes
- Fresh or frozen corn works best. Canned corn is softer and can make the dip watery. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain it well before cooking.
- Soften the cream cheese. Room-temperature cream cheese melts more easily and smoothly into the corn.
- Adjust the creaminess. Start with 7 ounces of cream cheese and add the remaining ounce if you'd like a creamier dip.
- Adjust the heat. The dip is fairly mild as written. For more heat, leave some of the jalapeño seeds intact or add additional red pepper flakes.
- Add fresh toppings just before serving. Avocado, scallions, jalapeño, herbs, and lime are best added at the end for the freshest flavor and texture.
- Choose the right skillet size. I use an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, which keeps the dip nice and deep for serving. A larger skillet will work, but the dip will spread out and look shallower.
- Make ahead: Prepare the corn and cheese mixture up to 2 days before serving. Cool, cover, and refrigerate, then reheat gently on the stovetop. Add the fresh toppings after reheating. Use the dip within 3–4 days total from the day it was originally made.
- Keep it warm for a party. After preparing the dip on the stovetop, transfer the warm corn and cheese mixture to a small slow cooker set to Warm. Add the fresh toppings just before serving.
- Reheat gently. Reheat over low heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently. If the dip has thickened, stir in a small splash of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Try other toppings. Crisp bacon, diced red onion, or hotter peppers are all good additions.
Nutrition
Serving: 8g | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 621mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 826IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 1mg