This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
For a hot dip recipe that will please a crowd, try this easy, cheesy Hot Corn Dip. This make-ahead appetizer idea can feature frozen, canned, or fresh corn so you can share it any time of year.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Frozen corn: If it’s sweet corn season, replace the frozen corn with 4 ears of fresh corn. To prepare the fresh corn, bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add 4 ears of corn and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Submerge ears in a large bowl of ice water. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it off the cob and transfer to a large bowl. Or substitute 2 14.5-ounce cans of corn, if desired.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Some pre-shredded mozzarella may contain an ingredient to prevent the shreds from sticking together. For this recipe, I recommend grating the mozzarella cheese yourself from a block of cheese.
- Canned green chiles: Or substitute chopped roasted red peppers if you enjoy their smoky flavor more.
- Cilantro: Omit or swap in parsley if you don’t dig cilantro.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub a baking dish or oven-proof skillet with butter. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add corn, bell peppers, onion, jalapeño, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream until completely smooth. Stir in half the mozzarella cheese, green chiles, scallions, and chili powder.
- Carefully fold in corn mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread into prepared baking dish and top with remaining 4 ounces mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with scallions and cilantro if desired. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Hot Corn Dip recipe makes 10 appetizer-sized servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This dip can be assembled and stored covered (and unbaked) in the refrigerator 3 days in advance. Hold off on adding the shredded mozzarella until baking time.
- Dipping ideas: Pair Hot Corn Dip with store-bought or homemade tortilla chips, toasted baguette, carrot and celery sticks, cucumber slices, or crackers.
- Make it milder: Substitute more chopped red bell peppers for the jalapeño(s) if you want to tame the spice.
- Make it spicier: Substitute minced fresh serrano chiles (with their seeds) for the jalapeños if you like heat. Minced habañeros would also be tasty.
Corn on the Cob (4 Ways)
Few things are as wonderful as fresh Corn on the Cob in the heat of summer. Here are four different ways to cook it (grill, instant pot, microwave, and stove), all of them foolproof and…
View RecipeMore delightful dip ideas
Appetizer Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Dip
St. Patrick’s Day
Hot Reuben Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Cheesy Bacon Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Join Us
Hot Corn Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter plus more for buttering the dish
- 2 (12 ounce) bags frozen corn (see note 1)
- 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers stemmed, seeded, and minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (see note 2)
- 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles drained (see note 3)
- 3 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro for garnish, optional (see note 4)
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub a baking dish or oven-proof skillet with butter.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add corn, bell peppers, onion, jalapeño, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream until completely smooth. Stir in half the mozzarella cheese, green chiles, scallions, and chili powder. Carefully fold in corn mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Frozen corn: If it’s sweet corn season, replace the frozen corn with 4 ears of fresh corn. To prepare the fresh corn, bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add 4 ears of corn and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Submerge ears in a large bowl of ice water. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut it off the cob and transfer to a large bowl. Or substitute 2 14.5-ounce cans of corn, if desired.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Some pre-shredded mozzarella may contain an ingredient to prevent the shreds from sticking together. For this recipe, I recommend grating the mozzarella cheese yourself from a block of cheese.
- Canned green chiles: Or substitute chopped roasted red peppers if you enjoy their smoky flavor more.
- Cilantro: Omit or swap in parsley if you don’t dig cilantro.
- Yield: This Hot Corn Dip recipe makes 10 appetizer-sized servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This dip can be assembled and stored covered (and unbaked) in the refrigerator 3 days in advance. Hold off on adding the shredded mozzarella until baking time.
- Dipping ideas: Pair Hot Corn Dip with store-bought or homemade tortilla chips, toasted baguette, carrot and celery sticks, cucumber slices, or crackers.
- Make it milder: Substitute more chopped red bell peppers for the jalapeño(s) if you want to tame the spice.
- Make it spicier: Substitute minced fresh serrano chiles (with their seeds) for the jalapeños if you like heat. Minced habañeros would also be tasty.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
can this dip be made in a crockpot ? also what if you need to feed 20 people ,would doubling the recipe be ok ?
Hi Ayesha, I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it would come out great. I would follow the recipe as written through step 2. In step three, I would add all the mozzarella instead of half, and still combine it with the corn mixture. I would then transfer everything to the crockpot and cook low to combine the flavors, and garnish right before it’s time for serving. I think doubling would be perfect for 20 appetizer portions. – Meggan
This recipe looks delish! I am planning on making it for an “Appetizer Cookoff” at work. I see the directions mention bell peppers, but they aren’t on the ingredient list. Do you use both red and green bell peppers, and if so, how much? Thanks!!
Hi Natalie! Sorry for the typo. Please add one bell pepper where the directions indicate. I used red but you can use any color. The green you see in the photos are from the jalapenos! I hope this helps. If you need anything else or have more questions, just let me know. Sorry again about that, thanks for letting me know! I hope the recipe works out for you. 😀
Thank you! I appreciate your quick reply, I and can’t wait to make the recipe tonight 🙂
This corn dip was phenomenal. I love spice, my family not so much. This dip had the perfect balance to keep me happy and the kiddos loved it too. We pretty much gobbled this up until it was gone!
Mmmm…wish I had known of this for Super Bowl! A definite dish for next year, when maybe the Broncos will be back. But, before then, this is “a must make”, soon. Who wouldn’t love this? Your recipes are so down to earth, but always look like a dish I want to make asap!
I was recipe-testing this on Super Bowl Sunday, ha ha! But I know what you mean. If the Broncos are going to be back, maybe the Packers will be too. 😉 You’re so nice Mimi, thank you for the lovely comment. I hope you have a lovely weekend! Take care.