This Street Corn Dip with Cottage Cheese is one of my favorite high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge. Inspired by Mexican street corn (elote), it's creamy, fresh, and loaded with charred corn, lime, cheese, and jalapeño. I love making a batch at the start of the week to enjoy as a healthy snack, appetizer, or flavorful topping for bowls and salads.
If you've been enjoying my high-protein recipes, this dip is another great one to add to your rotation! Cottage cheese adds protein and creaminess, much like it does in my Creamy Lemon Butter Beans. I also love using Greek yogurt as a lighter base for dips and dressings, like my Jalapeño Ranch Dip and Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to Make: This make-ahead friendly recipe is ready in just 10 minutes! Perfect for healthy snacking, meal prep, and low-stress entertaining.
- High in Protein: Cottage cheese adds protein and creaminess to every bite. Each serving has 11 grams of protein and less than 200 calories.
- Healthy and Satisfying: This delicious dip doesn't taste like a compromise! Sweet corn, lime, and cheese deliver big flavor—while keeping it light, yet filling.
- Perfect for Entertaining: This crowd-pleasing appetizer is a hit. Make it in advance, and just serve it straight from the fridge when guests arrive. And it's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free.
- No Grilling Needed: The flavors of Mexican street corn—without firing up the barbecue. Everything cooks quickly in a skillet right on the stovetop.
- Versatile: Use fresh or frozen corn. Serve with chips, crackers, or veggies—or spoon it over tacos, bowls, salads and more.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
This Street Corn Dip with Cottage Cheese is inspired by the flavors of Mexican street corn—with a lighter, high-protein twist. Here's what you'll need:
- Corn: If fresh corn is in season, go for it! Otherwise, I'd reach for frozen corn. Corn starts losing sweetness as soon as it's picked, so frozen corn is often sweeter than out-of-season fresh corn.
- Cottage Cheese: Instead of using lots of mayonnaise or cream cheese, this recipe uses cottage cheese as the creamy base. Once blended, it becomes smooth and creamy. Plus, it adds protein without making the dip feel heavy.
- Mayonnaise: Just a little goes a long way. During recipe testing, I found that 1 tablespoon was enough to round out the flavors and make the dip taste rich and satisfying.
- Cilantro: Adds freshness and bright flavor. If you're a cilantro fan, don't skip it! I tested versions with and without cilantro, and every tester preferred the version with it.
- Jalapeño: Adds a gentle kick and fresh flavor. This dip isn't meant to be very spicy, but you can always add extra jalapeño on top if you'd like more heat. Like the cilantro, I tested a version without jalapeño, and it just wasn't as flavorful.
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice brightens the dip and balances the creamy ingredients. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice whenever possible.
- Feta Cheese: Traditional street corn is made with cotija cheese. I tested this dip with both cotija and feta, and actually preferred the feta version. Its tangy, salty flavor paired especially well with the sweet corn and creamy cottage cheese.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Want more easy summer dip recipes? Check out my Whipped Ricotta Dip, Whipped Feta Dip with Hot Honey, and Greek Yogurt Onion Dip with Crispy Shallots.
How to make Street Corn Dip with Cottage Cheese
This delicious dip takes just 10 minutes to make.
When testing this recipe, I wanted all that charred corn flavor without needing a grill. Instead, the corn gets charred right in a hot skillet. Easy peasy! Here's how to make it:
1. Char the corn kernels in a searing hot skillet. Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
2. Blend cottage cheese, lime juice, mayo, hot sauce and salt until smooth.
3. Combine everything together in a bowl. Stir to mix. (Optional step - chill in fridge).
4. Garnish if desired (more scallions, cilantro, cheese, jalapenos). Serve.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Don't use out-of-season fresh corn: Corn is a vegetable that starts to lose it's sweetness as soon as it's picked. When local corn is in-season, go ahead and use it! But if it's not in season, choose frozen corn instead. Frozen corn has been picked at it's peak and frozen right away, so it tends to be quite sweet.
- Let the corn char: Avoid the temptation to stir the corn frequently. Letting the corn sit against the hot skillet helps develop those delicious toasted flavors.
- Chill if time allows: This dip can be eaten right away—but it's even better after an hour (or longer) in the fridge. It lets the flavors meld. And, the cold dip is super refreshing on a hot summer day!
- Taste before serving: Different cheeses and hot sauces vary in saltiness. You can easily adjust the salt, lime juice, and hot sauce to taste.
- Garnish if you'd like: A sprinkle of extra cheese, cilantro, green onions, and/or jalapenos makes this dip look extra inviting.
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What to Serve with Street Corn Dip
Serve this with your favorite dippers—or use it as a flavorful topping. Here are my favorite ways to enjoy this high protein Street Corn Dip:
- Tortilla Chips: The classic choice!
- Pita Chips: For a lighter (not fried) option, serve with my easy Air Fryer Pita Chips.
- Fresh vegetables: Bell pepper wedges, cucumber slices, celery sticks all work well.
- Tacos: Use this is a flavorful topping or vegetarian taco filling. It pairs especially well with my fast Portobello Mushroom Tacos, crispy Air Fryer Avocado Tacos, and vegan Crispy Squash Tacos.
- Quesadillas: I tuck some of this street corn into my favorite Cheese Quesadillas for an extra boost of protein and veggies.
- Wraps: Add leftovers into wraps, like these Halloumi Hot Honey Wraps.
- Salads: Add it to your favorite summer salads—like high protein Chopped Dill Pickle Salad, Snap Pea Salad with Whipped Feta, or a taco salad.
- Grilled Proteins: A great side for grilled tofu, chicken, shrimp, or veggie skewers .
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, this dip is great for making in advance! You can make it 1 to 24 hours before and store it covered tightly in the fridge. Before serving, give it a good stir and taste for seasoning—you may want to add a little extra salt or fresh lime juice to brighten it up. It's delicious served cold, especially in the summer.
Absolutely. If cilantro isn't your thing, just skip it. I've tested this dip both with and without it, and while the cilantro version adds a fresh pop of flavor, it's still delicious without.
Yes—this recipe is easy to customize. As written, it's fairly milk. To increase heat, add more jalapeno or stir in extra hot sauce. I prefer to serve with extra hot sauce on the side so everyone can adjust their own spice level.
Definitely. This Street Corn Dip scales really well. You can use the handy "2x" feature on the recipe card to automatically double the ingredients. If doubling, I recommend charring the corn in batches so it doesn't overcrowd the pan. This encourages browning instead of steaming.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
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📖 Recipe
Street Corn Dip with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
- 3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen, see note 1)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Mexican-style hot sauce (see note 2)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (stems and leaves, see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (or cotija, more if desired, see note 4)
- 2 tablespoon minced jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed, adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Saute: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons neutral oil and swirl to coat. Add 3 cups corn kernels and cook without stirring until lightly charred on one side, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue cooking until lightly charred all over, about another 3 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl immediately to prevent garlic from burning.
- Blend: In a blender, combine ¾ cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon Mexican-style hot sauce, and ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Combine: Add the cottage cheese mixture to the bowl of corn. Stir in ⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions, ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, and 2 tablespoon minced jalapeno. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately, or cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for better flavor. Garnish with extra cilantro, scallions, jalapeno and/or crumbled feta if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Corn: You can use fresh or frozen corn. If using frozen , no need to thaw—just add it straight to the skillet. It may need a couple extra minutes to get nicely charred. Fresh corn starts to loose it's sweetness as soon as it's picked. So use it if local fresh corn's in season—otherwise choose frozen.
- Hot Sauce: Use a Mexican-style hot sauce like Valentina, Cholula, or similar. Brands vary in heat, so feel free to start with less and add more to taste.
- Cilantro: I like mixing both stems and leaves into the dip, since stems have great flavor too! For garnishing on top, stick to leaves only—they look nicer.
- Cheese: Cotija is traditional in Mexican street corn, but feta works really well and is easier to find. It adds a similar salty, tangy flavor. In taste tests, I actually preferred the feta version because it's a bit tangier so it stands out more.
- Make Ahead:This dip tastes even better after chilling 1 to 24 hours, which allows the flavors to meld. Cover tightly so it doesn't dry out in the fridge.
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