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Our Cheesy Hot Corn Dip is the perfect game day dip! Ready in 25 minutes, loaded with sweet corn, crisp veggies, cheese, and a little spice. This one is a total crowd pleaser!
Most of my meals have been dip based lately and I’m not mad about it.
Deep and Abiding Love For Dip? Yes.
It’s borderline inappropriate how obsessed I am with dip.
I’ve been known to invite people over solely so I have an excuse to make dip.
We contemplated skipping Friendsgiving in favor of Dipsgiving this year. (Didn’t happen, but next year it’s going down. Imagine a table full of chili cheese dip, skinny pool dip, and our homemade queso!!)
Right now? Thoroughly and obsessively in love with this easy hot corn dip. Honestly, it’s everything a person loves about dip – cheesy and creamy, a good balance of flavors (sweet corn, spicy chiles, a little mayo because obviously), and it’s good with pretty much any dipper you can get your hands on.
Speaking of hands, if you ate this by the handful (or just swiped a finger through), I would not judge you. This stuff is good.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s quick & easy. From start to finish, this takes about 25 minutes. Brown some corn, sauté a few veggies, mix everything together, and pop it in the oven. Done.
The ingredient list is super accessible. No hunting down specialty cheeses or exotic peppers. Corn (fresh or canned works fine), basic vegetables, mayo, and cheese you can grab at any grocery store.
It feeds a crowd without breaking the bank. This makes a generous amount for under $10, and it’s the kind of dip that disappears fast but leaves everyone asking for the recipe.
Ingredients Swaps & Tips
Swaps & Tips
Corn options: Fresh corn cut off the cob tastes amazing, but frozen (thawed) or canned corn works perfectly fine. If using canned, drain it well.
Heat level: Skip the cayenne pepper and jalapeños for a mild version, or add an extra jalapeño and a pinch more cayenne if you like things spicy.
Cheese swaps: Monterey Jack can be swapped for pepper jack (more heat) or even cream cheese for extra richness. The cheddar on top is non-negotiable – it gets bubbly and golden.
Make it lighter: Swap the mayo for Greek yogurt or light sour cream. You’ll lose a little richness but save some calories.
No oven-safe skillet? No problem. Do all the sautéing in a regular pan, then transfer everything to an 8×8 baking dish before topping with cheese and baking.
How to Make Corn Dip
Veggies: Brown the corn in some butter and then remove it to another dish. We want some nice color on the corn – it adds flavor! Stir in the onions and peppers and cook those until softened.
Combine: Add all the remaining ingredients (except the cheddar) to the skillet. If you’re not using an oven-safe skillet you can add all of this to an 8×8 baking dish instead.
Stir: Stir everything together. The cheese will start to melt right away from the hot veggies and it’s going to be hard to resist. But hold off – we need to bake this up!
Bake: Top the dish with the shredded cheddar and pop it in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.
You’ll know it’s finished when it has cooked through and the cheese is hot and bubbly. Serve it while it’s still good and warm with your favorite dipping snack!
Serving Ideas
Serve this hot corn dip with:
- Tortilla chips (the classic choice)
- Fritos (trust me on this one)
- Fresh vegetables like bell pepper strips or celery
- Crackers for a slightly more elegant presentation
- Toasted baguette slices if you want to get fancy
Pro tip: Keep it warm in a slow cooker if you’re serving at a party. Just transfer it over on the “warm” setting and people can help themselves all night.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in a covered container
Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave in 30-second intervals
Freezing not recommended – the texture gets a little weird when thawed
Make ahead tip: Assemble everything except the cheddar topping up to a day ahead, then add cheese and bake when ready to serve
More Dip Recipes:
We’ve got lots of dip recipes. There is an entire dip category you can check out to see them all. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Hot Bacon Cheese Dip
- 7 Layer Dip
- Jalapeno Popper Dip
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- BLT Dip
- Refried Bean Dip
Hot Corn Dip
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 cups fresh or canned corn
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1 medium jalapeno diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a 10 inch oven-safe skillet (such as cast iron) over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let melt.
- Add the corn to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes, until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove the corn to a large bowl and set aside.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablepoon of butter in the pan and add onions and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are soft.
- Add in the jalapeno, green onions, and garlic. Cook another two minutes.
- Add the corn, monterey jack cheese, mayonnaise, and cayenne pepper to the skillet with the vegetables and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbly.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers, and fresh vegetables, for dipping.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in 2008. It was updated with new photos in October 2022.
Gail Buckley Crane says
I haven’t tried this yet – but it sounds YUMMY! I am a cornaholic!
We can get canned roasted corn whole kernels with jalapenos and chopped red peppers. Might be quick in an “emergency”.
I always bring a hot onion dip to tailgating at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta…It’s my “Killer Dip” – I won’t share the recipe because then I’d have to kill you!
This dip sounds like a worthy alternative.
Karly says
Haha, I really want that recipe now! 🙂
Allison says
At what temperature do you bake the corn fish? You didn’t state that in the recipe.
Thanks!
Karly says
Oh goodness, that was an old recipe that was written terribly (still a fav in our house though). I just updated it to be more clear. It bakes at 350. 🙂
gn images says
I need this tonight??
Esme Fisher says
oh i just love cooking and eating. i love to cook pasta recipes and the like.-*`
Heather says
This sounds and looks so good!! I can’t wait to try it.
UK Foodie says
That looks great, will definately be trying this one! Thanks for sharing.
Kay says
This looks crazy good! Bookmarking it so I can make it soon.
Ashley says
Ooo yum!! Looks so good. I saw this on Kevin’s site awhile ago but forgot about it so thanks for reminding me! I’ll have to make it on a day I have lots of people to share it with.
Michelle says
That looks seriously good! I am going to make that for Super Bowl Sunday! I am not a mayo fan though so I will use sour cream instead. Butter, sour cream , and cheese. Doesn’t get better than that!
Christine says
What a wonderful blog. Your writing style is wonderful!
This dip looks fabulous! I have a newly vegetarian teenage daughter, so I can’t wait to make this for her this weekend.
I feel exactly the same way about butter. It’s a love affair really. Although bacon runs a close second. Shhhh, don’t tell the vegetarian.
Amber says
Oh my. This looks deadly and delish at the same time.
I stumbled onto your blog, and it reminds me so much of my own! I love all your posts!
I am in serious need of someone to physically teach me how to make pie crust. My Nanny’s all the way back in Texas, and I haven’t met anyone in New Jersey that actually cooks from scratch. When they hear I make my own butter, I usually get blank stares.
You don’t live anywhere near Northern New Jersey, do you?
Kevin says
Hot corn dip is amazing stuff!
gaga says
Yum, this looks so creamy and yummy! Great for holiday parties. I’m bookmarking this to make in the future. Thanks!
Leslie says
Yay! Your cooking blog! I’m so glad you started it. And I’m super impressed with how good your pictures are. Every time I try to take photos of food, it looks like a still shot of a television show in the 80s.
kelli says
God bless you. I am going to the store RIGHT NOW to get some monterey jack and corn. And probably Fritos because those sound like they would be good with this too. I make a cold corn dip that is similar, but this one sounds excellent too.