My smoky Jalapeño Corn Queso Dip is perfect for New England gatherings, everything from watching the Pats in the Super Bowl to relaxing on the deck with a beer in summertime. Grilled corn gives the cheesy dip so much flavor, and jalapeños brings some heat.
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Grilled corn tastes so good! The smoky flavor and rugged char marks on the kernels make grilled corn a welcome addition in salsas, relishes, and salads, not to mention how delicious it is to eat right off the cob.
This queso dip is a really yummy way to enjoy that flavor. It has a smoky flavor from the corn and also from grilled jalapeño, which adds heat to the dip.
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Why you'll love Jalapeño Corn Queso Dip
Grilling your New England summer sweet corn is a really good idea. For one thing, the corn is so delicious off the grill! And also, when it's hot and muggy outside, any excuse to not boil water and leave the stove turned off is a good excuse.
You'll find corn on the cob at the farmstand in summer, and a little bit longer into the year in the produce section at the grocery store. And if no fresh ears are available, you can substitute canned or frozen fire-roasted corn.
The queso base for Jalapeño Corn Queso Dip is made from a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses; a perfect balance of flavorful cheese with smooth-melting cheese.
Make this cheesy, spicy appetizer recipe for summer gatherings, or any time of the year when you want a fun snack for family movie nights, or weekend hangouts with friends. Pick up plenty of salty tortilla chips or fresh vegetable sticks for dipping.
You can even think beyond chips and try some of this corn queso spooned over a juicy burger or a grilled sausage on a roll!
🔪 How to make Jalapeño Corn Queso Dip
Ingredients:
- Corn on the cob: If it's sweet corn season, pick up an armload from the farmstand! Or, look for ears of corn from the grocery store. *No fresh corn on the cob available?? No problem! Pick up canned or frozen, fire-roasted corn. The fire-roasting gives the corn a light smokiness that's perfect for this corn queso.
- Jalapeño: I grill and dice up a large jalapeño pepper for this corn queso dip. The chili pepper flavor is a perfect pairing with the corn and cheese, and it gives the dip a just-right level of spiciness. (Feel free to add more jalapeño if you like things extra spicy!)
- Olive oil: Brush it over the corn and pepper before grilling, to help the veggies stay moist and to get good-lookin' char marks.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter here; it's part of the roux to make the cheesy queso sauce.
- Flour: Use a little all-purpose flour with melted butter to create that sauce-thickening roux.
- Milk: Before the cheese goes into the sauce, we add a big glug of milk. The quickly thickens as it comes to a simmer, the perfect base for the queso sauce.
- Shredded cheese: I use two kinds of cheese: cheddar and Monterey Jack. They melt together into a smooth and flavorful queso. The cheeses will melted more smoothly if you grate your own, rather than using the bagged stuff.
- Sour cream: I add just a little to the queso sauce; sour cream helps bring the ingredients together and loosens the sauce as well.
- Cayenne pepper: A quarter-teaspoon of cayenne adds just a smidge more heat, but also adds pretty red flecks to the creamy queso.
- Salt: Finish up the queso with a little salt, to make all the ingredients more flavorful.
Grill the corn and pepper
Brush the corn and hot pepper with oil and grill them until the pepper is charred and the corn is cooked through.
Make the queso
Cook the butter and flour together and then add milk. When it's heated through and thickened, stir in the shredded cheeses and spices until they're smooth.
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Mix in the corn and pepper
Slice open the cooled pepper and remove the seeds. Chop it into small pieces and add them to the queso. Use a knife to slice the kernels off the corn cob and stir these into the queso, too.
Tips:
- Fresh ears of corn, especially New England sweet corn, are so delicious grilled and sliced into this queso. But of course, it's only available for a limited window of time. If your store or farmstand has no fresh ears of corn for this recipe, no worries: substitute canned or frozen fire-roasted corn. The fire roasting gives the kernels a hint of that smoky flavor that's so good in this corn queso.
The recipe for this additive dip is below! Here are a few more appetizers that you will totally, totally love:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Jalapeño Corn Queso Dip
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Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed
- 1 large jalapeño
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or an olive oil cooking spray)
- ¼ cup butter, unsalted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Grill the corn and pepper:
- Turn on a gas grill with the heat set at medium.
- To get the 4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed and 1 large jalapeño ready, brush them on all sides with the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or spray them if you're using an olive oil spray.) Use tongs to place the ears of corn and the pepper directly on the grill grates.
- Turn the corn and the pepper every few minutes to help them cook and char on all sides: the jalapeño will be done in 10 minutes or less, and the corn will be cooked through in about 15-20 minutes. Remove the corn and pepper from the heat and let them cool enough to handle.
Make the cheese sauce:
- Melt the ¼ cup butter, unsalted in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted and bubbling, stir in the ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Stir the roux constantly for about 1 minute until it is thick and all of the flour is absorbed. Pour in the 2 cups 2% milk and stir to combine it with the roux. Increase the heat just a little and heat the milk, stirring it often to be sure it isn't coating the bottom, until it comes to a steady simmer. It should be thickening as well—remove the pan from the heat at this point.
- Add the 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded. Stir the cheeses into the milk until they have completely melted into a smooth cheese sauce—or queso! Once the queso is smooth, stir in the ¼ cup sour cream, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Hold the pan aside.
Slice and add the grilled vegetables:
- Slice open the grilled jalapeño and scoop out the seeds. Dice the pepper and add it to the queso.
- Hold an ear of the grilled corn up on the flat end on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice off the kernels, slicing from the tip down to the bottom. Slice down all sides of the cob until all of the corn is removed. Repeat these steps with the other cobs.
- Add the kernels to the queso and stir to evenly distribute the corn and jalapeño.
Serve:
- Transfer the queso to a serving bowl and serve it while it's warm, with tortilla chips or fresh veggies on the side.
- Makes about 4 cups of queso.
Notes
- Fresh ears of corn, especially New England sweet corn, are so delicious grilled and sliced into this queso. But of course, it's only available for a limited window of time. If your store or farmstand has no fresh ears of corn for this recipe, no worries: substitute canned or frozen fire-roasted corn. The fire roasting gives the kernels a hint of that smoky flavor that's so good in this corn queso.
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