layered street corn taco dip

Think of this like the weird, cool uncle of the 7 layer dip.

I don’t recall my first exposure to proper 7 layer dip. My mom probably made it for one thing or another, and I don’t precisely remember her recipe excepting the typical bean layer and probably sour cream and olives – I do know I was obsessed at first bite, though. This might have been what introduced me to the wondrous food group (yes it’s a food group for me) known as guacamole.

I’ve come to adore making appetizers, especially on the weekends, but don’t often crave anything hot and bothersome. Summertime here is damn hot enough, I don’t exactly want to cook my innards as well as my outtards. That’s largely why my small plates have included various whipped cheeses, like strawberry salsa and feta or goat cheese and tomatoes. And, today, this droolworthy dish of color and hue and holy-balls-this-is-good-ness.

The MLB All Star Game occurred last night and I wanted to have a snacky dinner while we watched the festivities and the game, so I baked up some homemade chips to dunk in salsa and this wondrous Layered Street Corn Taco Dip. A simple elote-inspired spread with grilled corn, lots of salty cotija, and a bit of chili powder lay between pillars of refried beans, guac, cheese, fresh veggies, and an array of your preferred toppings. I guess this can be dubbed a five layer dip.

However you name it, it’s rad, and as quick as you need it to be thanks to the bevy of shortcuts like storebought guacamole, chips, and pre-shredded cheese. If you have time, I recommend trying to make some of the other components yourself, but if not, hey, it’ll still be a hit at your next soiree.

Corny Jokes

Elote is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of corn slathered with a mix of mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and some fresh chopped cilantro. We take this idea and translate it into the dip for a special little touch within the layers.

Charring the corn is your only cooking in this recipe. The rest is various types of chopping, slicing, and mixing.

I like to use either a grill pan or a dry skillet to blacken the corn. A regular grill is great, too. Peel and husk the cobs and lay onto a the hot pan or grates for a total of about 10 minutes, turning several times to color all sides. Let the corn cool completely, then use a sharp knife to strip off the kernels. Cooling the cobs is important, else they’ll be very soggy and mushy and won’t hold shape.

To make the street corn dip, combine the kernels with mayonnaise (vegan or regular, as usual), plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, crumbled cotija (feta works in a pinch!), some chili powder, and a pop of black pepper.

Spread The Love

Now, like I said, you can go as homemade or as storebought as you need to. I usually like to make homemade guac and tortilla chips for my renditions, so if you do, here’s the tea.

For the guac, all you need is a couple nice ripe avocados, cilantro, lime juice, and red onion. Oh, and salt. Whip that all up in your food processor to your preferred smoothness – I like a little chunky chunk here and there. Full formula is listed in the “notes” section of the recipe card. Adjust the seasonings as you please!

For tortilla chips, grab a bag of yellow corn tortillas and cut each into 4 triangles. Lay on a big baking sheet, with no overlap – you’ll probably need to do multiple batches – and spray both sides with a little oil. Bake about 8 minutes at 425 degrees, flipping them halfway through. Immediately sprinkle with flaky salt. Kablooey! Homemade chippies.

Now, the prep is done. Let’s assemble this dude.

Grab a 9 x 9 inch cake pan or casserole dish. Heat up the refried beans and spread on the bottom. Plop the street corn dip atop, spread, then the guac, and spread. I feel like I’m reciting an exercise video right now.

Sprinkle lots of Mexican blend cheese atop (or a mix of cheddar and Monterey jack, that’s what I often use), then finish with plenty of fresh lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and pickled onions. Or green onions if you have them on hand. Or both so you can scare off demons with your breath.

If you have any cotija left over, sprinkle that shit on top. Squeeze some lime juice over the whole thing.

Serve right away with your chips, preferably while the chips are still hot from the oven. If you’re making ahead of time, omit the lettuce and tomato and other toppings until you’re ready to dish it out. 3 days is a good rule of thumb for pre-prepping the dip.

Vibrant, flavorful, and addicting. You won’t have any trouble with leftovers. A fab morsel with a crisp ale alongside various other tapas, or just on its own while you’re sat in front of the tv relaxing after a long workday.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

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