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This single serving Mexican Corn Dip is creamy, zesty, and packed with flavor from sweet corn, jalapeños, lime juice, and cotija cheese. It’s quick to make and perfect for snacking with chips or adding to your favorite tacos.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick: Ready in just 15 minutes.
- Bold Flavor: Garlic, jalapeños, lime, chili powder, and cheese deliver classic Mexican taste.
- Versatile: Serve with chips or eat by the spoonful.
- No Grill Needed: Use frozen or canned corn for convenience.
- Easy to Scale: Double or triple the recipe to serve more.
What I love most about this Mexican Corn Dip is how it brings the bold, irresistible flavors of elote and esquites, two classic Mexican street corn dishes, into one simple, single serving recipe.
I first had a version of this at Torchy’s restaurant in Houston and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The mix of charred corn, creamy sauce, lime, jalapeños, and cotija is just so good. It’s bold, satisfying, and honestly, I could eat the whole bowl with a spoon.
If you love elote or esquites, you’re going to love this simplified take that’s quick to make and full of flavor.
Enjoy this flavorful corn dip in a variety of ways: with homemade tortilla chips, as a topping for ground beef tacos or a small batch of chicken fajitas, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, or straight from the bowl. It’s that good!
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch street corn dip recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Canned Corn: Canned corn works well, rinse it to reduce sodium. Use leftover corn in a mini corn casserole, small batch cowboy caviar, or single serving chicken tortilla soup.
- Grilled Corn (Option): For extra flavor, grill 2 ears of corn (about 1 cup). Brush with olive oil and grill each side for 2–3 minutes.
- Jalapeños: Fresh and chopped for heat. Use more or less depending on your spice preference, or leave them out. Use extra jalapeños in salsa for one, small batch jalapeño poppers or a salmon rice bowl.
- Cotija cheese: Traditional and salty. Feta or Parmesan can be used if needed. Use extra cheese in chicken enchiladas verde for one or spicy peas with mint.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Customize the dip to suit your taste with these simple additions:
- Spicy: Add more jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce for extra heat.
- Cheese Options: Use shredded cheddar for a milder flavor or pepper jack for a spicy kick.
- Add Protein: Mix in cooked shredded chicken or black beans to make it more filling.
- Avocado: Stir in diced avocado for a creamy texture and mild flavor.
How To Make Mexican Corn Dip
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of Mexican corn dip. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add corn and jalapeños; cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred.
- Transfer to a medium bowl. Add garlic, lime juice, mayonnaise, chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
- Spoon into a small bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Expert Tips
- Corn Options: Use fresh, frozen (thawed), or canned corn. If using canned, rinse and drain well.
- Get Good Browning: Use butter for richer flavor. Let the corn sit in the pan without stirring too often to develop browned edges.
- Spice Level: Add extra chili powder or jalapeños to increase the heat.
- Vegan Version: Use olive oil instead of butter, and swap in vegan mayo and cheese for a dairy-free dip.
Frequently Asked Questions
This dip goes by several names including esquites, corn in a cup, Mexican street corn salad, elote en vaso, and trolelotes. Each name highlights a slightly different version of the same flavor-packed dish.
Elote is grilled corn on the cob topped with mayo, chili powder, lime, and cotija. Esquites uses the same ingredients but serves them off the cob in a bowl, making it easier to eat and perfect for dips.
Absolutely. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more people.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serving Mexican corn dip recipe or any of the variations please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mexican Corn Dip For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 cup corn (Use fresh, frozen (thawed), or canned corn)
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeños
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ½ tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add corn and jalapeños; cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred.
- Transfer to a medium bowl. Add garlic, lime juice, mayonnaise, chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
- Spoon into a small bowl and serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Corn Options: Use fresh, frozen (thawed), or canned corn. If using canned, rinse and drain well.
- Get Good Browning: Use butter for richer flavor. Let the corn sit in the pan without stirring too often to develop browned edges.
- Spice Level: Add extra chili powder or jalapeños to increase the heat.
- Vegan Version: Use olive oil instead of butter, and swap in vegan mayo and cheese for a dairy-free dip.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This dip is EVERYTHING! I follow the recipe as is and simply add about 3 oz. of cut-up cooked chicken and combine everything. I have it with bite-sized Tostito rounds and man, it’s a meal!!
Good recipe.