Southwestern Roasted Corn and Green Chile Dip
Roasted Corn and Green Chile is a Southwestern favorite combination as a dip or side dish.
The sweet, smoky flavor of the corn complements the zesty Hatch chiles and tangy cream cheese.
As a side dish, this Roasted Corn and Green Chile recipe goes really well with ham, barbecue ribs, tacos or carnitas.
This recipe is not new or fancy; in fact, there are many versions of green chile dip on the Internet. The difference is the sweet roasted corn in this recipe! It makes the flavor of this Southwestern dip really pop!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Corn, green chiles, cream cheese, ground cumin, Parmesan cheese
Here’s how to make it:
- Roast peppers and corn
- Combine cream cheese, cumin, Parmesan cheese, peppers and corn in a bowl; mix together
- Serve with tortilla chips (as a dip) or as a side dish
How to roast corn
Neither an outdoor nor indoor grill is required to get delicious roasted corn kernels. In fact, often in the heat of the summer, it’s too hot to fire up the grill (especially in Texas!)
Roasted corn is easy to make on the stove top or in the oven because it relies on dry heat–no added oils, butter or fats. Roast corn whole on the cob, or cut the kernels off the cob.
Pan Roasted Corn
Pan roasted corn tastes as good as grilled and its super easy to make!
Keep in mind, this isn’t fried roasted corn because there’s no fat, oil or butter added to the skillet–just dry corn!
Remove liquid from corn: place corn in paper towel and squeeze out any excess moisture
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat; do not add any oil or butter
Place dried corn into hot skillet; stir corn until the kernels begin to brown (about 6-8 minutes); remove from heat
Turn on the vent over the stove and grab a long handled wooden spoon (at about the 6 minute mark, the corn kernels begin to pop! Be careful!)
If you’re roasting corn cobs, place them in a dry skillet and roast until charred; use a knife to cut away kernels
Oven Roasted Corn
- Oven roasted corn is also a quick and easy method to achieve that sweet, smoky flavor
- Heat oven to 500ºF (or on the broil setting)
- Place corn cobs or kernels on a heavy baking sheet
- Place under broiler; use tongs to rotate the whole corn cobs; stir corn kernels
- Once corn cobs and/or kernels are browned, remove from oven
Do I use canned, frozen or fresh corn?
Any type of corn will work for this recipe. The important thing is to make sure any moisture has been drained and strained from the corn before roasting.
Frozen corn needs to thaw first, so run cold water over the corn to speed up the thawing process.
Once the corn has thawed, place it in a paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture (you may have to repeat this step, as it is critical to achieving fully roasted corn.)
Drain canned corn and remove excess moisture using a paper towel. Fresh corn typically doesn’t have as much moisture as frozen or canned, but you still might run it through the paper towel to ensure it’s really dry.
What type of green chile should I use ?
Hatch chiles are recommended for this recipe; however you can use either canned or fresh roasted green chiles.
If you can’t find canned or fresh Hatch Green Chiles, substitute with an Anaheim or Poblano pepper.
Should I use canned or fresh roasted Green Chiles?
While Hatch chiles, which are a specific type of chile from select areas of New Mexico are ideal, they aren’t in season year-round. In Texas, we usually start to get them in the stores around mid-July through August.
If you cannot find certified Hatch chiles, the other “green chiles” work in this recipe as well.
Chile labels denote if the peppers are mild or spicy so use whichever you prefer! If you elect to use fresh green chiles, here are instructions for roasting green chiles:
3 Ways To Roast Green Chiles:
- Grill Method: Place green chiles over direct heat; allow outer flesh to turn black; rotate chiles to achieve an even roast
- Stove Top Method: Place whole chiles in a searing hot, dry cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat; using tongs, turn peppers until all sides are black
- Oven Method: Place whole chiles on a sturdy baking dish under the broiler; use tongs to rotate the peppers
Whichever method you use, once the charred peppers are done, place them in a paper or plastic bag and let them ‘wilt’; once they’ve wilted, remove the seeds, stem and charred skin and chop finely.
Related recipes:
Southwestern Roasted Corn and Green Chile Dip
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 28 oz. organic, non-GMO canned corn drained and strained; see recipe notes
- 4 oz. green chiles
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened to room temp
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons Cotija or Parmesan cheese optional; as garnish
- salt to taste
Instructions
Roast the Peppers
- Place whole Hatch chiles under broiler or in hot cast-iron skillet; cook til charred
- Remove charred chiles and place in paper or plastic bag for 10 minutes
- Once cool to touch, remove stem, seeds and charred skin from chiles; dice remaining flesh and set aside
Roast the Corn
- Prep corn: Place corn in a paper towel and squeeze excess water from corn
- In a dry, heavy bottom skillet (preferably cast iron) turn heat to medium high
- Add corn in an even layer; allow to roast for about 3 minutes then stir and flatten corn in a single layer; allow to roast 5 minutes; repeat this process until corn begins to turn golden brown
- In a large bowl, combie chopped roasted peppers, roasted corn, ground cumin and cream cheese; combine well
- Top with Parmesan or Cotija cheese
- Serve warm or room temperature as an appetizer or side dish
Notes
How To Pan Roast Corn
- Remove liquid from corn: place corn in paper towel and squeeze out any excess moisture
- Heat a dry cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat; do not add any oil or butter
- Turn on the vent over the stove and grab a long handled wooden spoon (at about the 6 minute mark, the corn kernels begin to pop! Be careful!)
- Place dried corn into hot skillet; stir corn until the kernels begin to brown (about 6-8 minutes); remove from heat
How To Oven Roast Corn
- Heat oven to 500ºF (or on the Broil setting)
- Place corn cobs or kernels on a heavy baking sheet
- Place under broiler; use tongs to rotate the whole corn cobs; stir corn kernels
- Once corn cobs and/or kernels are browned, remove from oven
How to roast Green Chiles
- Grill Method: Place green chiles over direct heat; allow outer flesh to turn black; rotate chiles to achieve an even roast
- Stove Top Method: Place whole chiles in a searing hot, dry cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat; using tongs, turn peppers until all sides are black
- Oven Method: Place whole chiles on a sturdy baking dish under the broiler; use tongs to rotate the peppers
