Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This corn and jalapeño dip is creamy, cheesy, as spicy as you like it, and completely irresistible. It’s baked until bubbly and golden, then topped with fresh green onions for the perfect party appetizer.
How long it takes: 40 minutes (including cooling time)
Equipment you’ll need: medium oven-safe skillet or small baking dish
Yield: about 3 cups
This Is a “Stand by the Dip” Situation
You know those dips where people take a scoop…and then just kind of linger nearby?
This is that.
The sweet corn and jalapeño combo is a little spicy, a little sweet, super creamy, and very easy to keep going back to without really thinking about it. It has jalapeño popper dip vibes, but with juicy sweet corn instead of smoky bacon.
I like that it all comes together in one pan, too. No mixing bowls required.
If you’re bringing something somewhere or having people over and want a safe bet, this is a good one. Just plan on it disappearing faster than you expect.
What makes it special:
- Very scoopable: Creamy, cheesy, not stiff or dry, thanks to cream cheese, sour cream, and TWO kinds of cheese.
- One pan situation: Less mess, easier serving.
- Hard to walk away from: You’ve been warned!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card but here’s an overview.
- Jalapeño peppers: You’ll need about 2 medium peppers, but if they’re small, you may need 3 to 4. Removing the seeds and scraping out the ribs reduces the heat. While most jalapeños are fairly mild, every once in a while, you do get a scorcher, so it’s a good idea to taste your peppers ahead of time, just to check.
- Yellow onion: Be sure to finely dice the onion so it softens quickly and blends right into the dip. The onion, peppers, and corn are sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper.
- Corn kernels: While fresh corn right off the cob is always best, good-quality frozen or canned corn will work fine when fresh corn isn’t in season.
- Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese to room temperature so it melts smoothly and quickly.
- Sour cream: I like to add a half cup of sour cream to the dip. It adds a tangy flavor and it keeps the mixture from becoming too thick to be dippable.
- Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses: Cheddar gives you bold flavor and Monterey Jack gives you great melt. Half of the shredded cheese gets stirred in; the rest goes on top for that bubbly finish.
- Green onions: Thinly sliced green onions add freshness and a pop of color at the end. Cilantro would work as an alternative if you’d like.
How to Make Corn and Jalapeño Dip
Sauté the vegetables. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the diced onion and jalapeño. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
Add the corn. Stir in the corn, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes more, just to warm the corn and let the flavors meld.
Make it creamy. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the softened cream cheese and keep stirring until it’s fully melted and smooth. Then, stir in the sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese, and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. Again, stir until the cheeses melt together and you’ve got a smoothly cohesive dip mixture.
Bake until bubbly. If your skillet is oven-safe, sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the dip and transfer the skillet directly to the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. (If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, transfer the dip to a small baking dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and bake for 12 to 13 minutes.)
Recipe Tip
Don’t overbake the dip! You want it hot and melty, not dried out. If it’s in the oven too long, it will lose its creamy texture and get a curdled appearance. It’s better to underbake the dip than to overbake it.
Cool slightly and serve. Let the dip cool for about 5 minutes, then top with sliced green onions and serve warm with tortilla chips.
Serving Suggestions
- Tortilla chips: This is the classic choice! Fritos Scoops are good for a substantive dip like this one too. If you want to try making your own tortilla chips, my baked tortilla chips or air fryer tortilla chips are super easy with only two ingredients: corn tortillas and oil spray.
- Pita chips or crostini: For something a little different, any crispy cracker works well.
- Fresh veggies: Bell pepper strips or those fun sweet baby peppers that come in bags in the produce section would be perfect. So would jicama or even radish rounds.
- Baked potato topping: Have leftovers? This corn and jalapeño dip is amazing over a baked potato.
Refrigerate: Store leftover corn and jalapeño dip in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe; I think with all the dairy, you’re likely to end up with an “off” texture after freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Reheat: Warm the dip in a 350°F oven until heated through, or microwave in short intervals, stirring occasionally. Try not to overheat it. It should be just barely warmed through. If the dip thickens too much, stir in a spoonful of sour cream before reheating.
More Dip Recipes
Corn and Jalapeño Dip
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion (1 small onion)
- ½ cup minced jalapeño peppers (2 medium peppers)
- 2 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned, drained well)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, ½ cup minced jalapeño peppers
- Stir in the corn, salt, and pepper, cooking 2 minutes more.2 cups corn kernels, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cream cheese until melted.4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Add the sour cream, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese; stir until creamy.½ cup sour cream
- If your skillet is oven-safe (see note), sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the dip, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly golden (see notes).
- Let the dip cool for 5 minutes, then top with sliced green onions, and serve warm with tortilla chips.2 green onions
Notes
- Jalapeño peppers: The peppers vary quite a lot in size. If they are very small, you may need 3 to 4. Removing the seeds and ribs will reduce the heat level of the peppers, or you can use a smaller amount if you prefer. Most jalapeño peppers are quite mild in flavor but sometimes you get a hot one, so I suggest tasting each one before you add it to the dip to make sure you don’t have a scorcher.
- Skillet or baking dish: I like to make this dip in a 10 inch enamel cast iron skillet that I can move from stovetop to oven. The skillet will also keep the dip warm longer when you serve it. However, if you prefer, an alternate way to bake the dip is to use a small baking dish instead of the skillet. Transfer the dip mixture to the dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and bake about 12 to 13 minutes (it takes a few minutes longer to bake than the skillet method because the dish isn’t heated up.)
- Pro tip: It’s better to underbake the dip than to over-bake it. The cheese on top should be melted and slightly golden. Over-baked dip tends to separate and look slightly curdled. Still tastes great but not as attractively creamy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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