Let’s Get Corny
Grilled Mexican Street Corn Dip. If you’re looking for something a little spicy and a little different from the ordinary, this is for you. I’d call it a dip, but that really doesn’t make sense. This is actually a “scoop”. You’ll want to get your chip under all that goodness and scoop up a big mouthful! One of my favorite foods at our county fair is grilled corn by itself or Mexican street corn. I’m sure they serve it at every state fair. Mexican street corn is a juicy, fresh ear of corn, still partially wrapped in the husk. It’s grilled, and slathered in mayo, crema (or sour cream) and topped with cotija cheese, sprinkled with chili powder, and a squeeze of tart juicy lime. This dip is a take on the traditional recipe.
We get pretty great produce in Southern California, mostly year round. But, it doesn’t have to be the peek of fresh corn season to make and enjoy this dish, just get the sweetest corn you can find. You could use frozen corn. You’ll be missing out on the grill flavor, but by all means, don’t let that stop you from giving this a try. You can make this right on top of your cook top using a grill pan. I have a few grill pans and I don’t know what I’d do without at least one of them. The char adds a lot of the authentic flavor to this very hearty appetizer.
Here’s The Grilled Mexican Street Corn Dip “Scoop”
Get your ingredients together
3 ears of fresh corn on the cob, vegetable or olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper, cotija cheese, sour cream, ancho chili powder, jalapeno peppers, red onion or scallions and fresh limes.
First clean the corn and lightly rub each ear with oil. I used three large ears for this recipe. Put them directly on the grill top and season each with salt and pepper. Let them grill for as long as it takes to get some char on all sides. This takes about 20 minutes. Keep turning every 3-4 minutes.
Carefully cut the kernels off the cob. I usually cut the bottom off one side, to make a flat surface. I hold the ear down from the top and just cut down, right between the cob and the kernels.
It’s a bit messy, but I have a Labrador Retriever, so I rarely worry about such messes! He’s my “Sous”. Some say it’s best to put the corn cob on the top of a bundt pan and cut, allowing the kernels to drop into the bowl. I don’t think I’m actually coordinated enough for that move, but I should give it a try sometime.
Put It Together
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream. Crumble 3/4 cup Cotija cheese, about 1/3 cup chopped onion (or more, if you really like onions! I do!), 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (leave a little for garnish) 3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder, juice and zest of one lime, chopped jalapeno pepper. I used one, but you can use as much as you like. As an option, If you don’t like too much heat, you can add a small can of chopped, fire roasted green chilies. (Some canned chilies are hot. The can should be marked to the degree of heat.) In fact, you could add both the jalapeno and the canned chilies.
Add salt and pepper to taste. The cotija cheese is very salty, so keep that in mind while adding any additional salt. Put all the ingredients in a shallow baking dish, about 8 inches or so. You want a few inches of dip with plenty of surface space. Top with about 1/3 cup more crumbled Cotija cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and a bit brown on top. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and a few slices of lime.
Service, Please!
I like to serve with either oven baked or fried corn tortilla chips. You can serve them with any kind of chips, or hmmmm, even a fresh veggie or two. If you want to try the chips, here’s a few versions:
- Using a bag of purchased corn tortillas, Stack them up, then cut into quarters. A bag of 10 tortillas will yield 40 chips, less whatever you’ve sampled, so maybe you need 20 tortillas? It’s a personal choice, right?
- Put the tortilla pieces in a bowl, add 2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt (try 1/2 teaspoon Cumin, pepper, whatever spices you like too). Toss to coat.
- Put the cut chips on a baking sheet and do not let them overlap. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, until the chips are lightly browned. Keep a watch towards the end, so they do not burn. Let the chips cool and crisp.
or
- Using the same cut chips, put about 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan. Let the oil get good and hot
- Test one chip to see if it’s really “frying” before adding the others. Let the chips fry on each side until they start to turn golden brown.
- Remove chips as they are done and drain on a tray covered in a paper towel. While still hot, sprinkle with salt and any other seasoning. Let them cool and serve.
Grilled Mexican Street Corn Dip
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Notes
Try this with fresh baked tortilla chips
Ingredients
- 3 fresh cobs of corn
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream or crema
- 1 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup chopped onions (red sweet onion or scallions (white and light green parts)
- 1 lime plus more for garnish
- 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- salt/pepper to taste
- Fresh baked or fried tortilla chips or vegetables for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Lightly oil ears of corn and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using an indoor grill pan over medium to high flame, grill until nicely browned with some char. Set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut corn off cob.
- In a medium bowl, add all ingredients, except 1/2 cup of the crumbled cheese and 1 tablespoon of the chopped cilantro. Mix and spread into a shallow baking dish, about 8 inches by 5 inches.
- Top with remaining cheese
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables
