Warm Corn Dip with Jalapeños and Feta
This warm corn dip is flavored with garlic, jalapeños, cilantro, green onions and a toasty layer of feta cheese, and it gets served straight out of a cast iron skillet with tortilla chips for scooping. It’s sweet, salty, a touch spicy, creamy and crunchy. In other words, it’s the perfect way to kick off your next party. It can even be made ahead and then reheated when your guests arrive. Feel free to add more jalapeño peppers and/or keep their seeds in if you like things spicy. Also, instead of sautéing the corn, you can grill it first on the cob, then cut off the kernels and omit the sautéing step. You’ll want to use hearty tortilla chips here, nothing too thin or delicate, as they’ll break.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cups corn kernels (from 4-5 cobs, or thawed if frozen)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 small or ½ large jalapeño, seeded and minced (keep the seeds in if you like it spicy!)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, preferably Cholula brand
- 2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Ancho chile powder, for serving (optional)
- Sturdy tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the corn, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bright yellow and lightly toasted in spots, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño and scallions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and add the broth, lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream and hot sauce. Cook until slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and season with a bit more salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the feta over top.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Slide the dip into the oven on the top shelf under the heating element. Broil until lightly browned on top, about 3-5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Dust with ancho chile powder, if you’d like, and garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro and scallions. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Notes
Make it Ahead: The dip can be left at room temperature for up to 1 hour, or refrigerated for up to 8 hours. Reheat gently on the stovetop before proceeding.
Tips:
- The dip gets made and served in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. If you don't have one, use a regular 10-inch skillet instead.
- You can use fresh corn kernels straight off the cob, grilled corn (just skip the sautéing step) or even defrosted frozen corn! It's a fantastic year-round dip, just as perfect at a summer barbecue as it is on a game day in the winter. Here's a tip for cutting corn kernels off cobs (without them bouncing around!): place a cob flat on your cutting board and use a large butcher knife to slice straight down along the side, removing the kernels. Flip the cob to the flat side, and repeat. Keep working your way around the cob until all of the kernels have been removed.
- Instead of using all mayonnaise to bind the dip, I add in sour cream, which creates a creamier, lighter texture.
- Feel free to add more chiles or hot sauce if you like it spicy! I prefer Cholula hot sauce in this dip, but any brand will work.
- I use easy-to-find feta cheese in this dip, but you could use queso fresco instead.