This Charred Corn, Poblano & Jalapeño Dip is creamy, cheesy, and just the right amount of smoky. Whether you’re firing up the grill or keeping things simple in the oven, it's easy to make and packed with bold Southwestern flavours. Think roasted corn, blistered peppers, and gooey cheese, all scooped up with tortilla chips, toasted bread, and/or fresh veggies.
It’s one of those crowd-pleasing dips that is perfect for gatherings, barbecues, game day, or just a casual night with a bag of chips! You can even spoon it over grilled chicken, burgers, or baked potatoes.
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When corn season starts, we love heading to our local farmers market to grab a few just-picked ears. The sweetness of in-season corn, especially when charred, makes this dip extra special.
🌽When is Corn in Season?
Click to see peak corn months by region
| Region | Corn Season |
|---|---|
| Southern US | May – August |
| Midwest US | July – September |
| Northeast US | July – September |
| Western US | June – September |
| Ontario & Quebec (Canada) | Mid-July – September |
| Prairies (Canada) | August – Early Sept |
| BC (Canada) | July – September |
Why We Love This Recipe
- Bold, smoky flavour from grilled peppers and corn
- Creamy and cheesy with just a bit of heat
- Easily adaptable to grill or oven
- Great for entertaining or adding to other dishes
- Can be prepped ahead for convenience
Ingredients
- Poblano peppers
- Jalapeño pepper
- Fresh corn
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Garlic cloves
- Green onions
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
- Ground cumin
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Cream cheese, softened
- Sour cream
- Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)
- Cheddar cheese
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Jalapeño slices, for garnish
- Tortilla chips, toasted bread, or fresh vegetables, for serving
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Grill the Corn and Peppers
Preheat your grill to high.
Lightly oil the corn, poblanos and jalapeno.
Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred (8-10 minutes).
Grill poblano and jalapeño peppers until blackened and blistered on all sides.
Oven Alternative: Broil the corn and peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, turning occasionally, until charred.
Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with foil or a plate, and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel the skins, remove stems and seeds (seeds optional for the jalapeno), and finely chop. (Use gloves when peeling and seeding the peppers to avoid skin irritation.)
Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons for garnish.
Make Ahead TIP: Grill and chop the veggies and store in the fridge for up to 2 days
Step 2: Sauté Aromatics
In a 2-qt sauce saucier, saucepan or large ovenproof skillet, melt butter and the olive oil over medium heat.
Add garlic, white parts of green onions, and chopped peppers. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Add Corn and Spices
Step 3: Add Corn and Spices
Stir in corn kernels, smoked paprika, cumin, chili flakes, and salt. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
Step 4: Add Dairy and Melt
Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and sour cream, stirring until fully melted and smooth.
Fold in Monterey Jack and half the cheddar, stirring until melted and creamy.
Serving Dish Tip: At this point, you can either leave the dip in your oven-safe skillet or transfer it to a medium oval au gratin dish or baking dish for serving and broiling.
Step 5: Broil to Finish (Optional)
Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top of the dip.
Oven Method: Broil for 2-3 minutes on the top rack until golden and bubbly. Keep an eye on it from burning.
Grill Method (Lid-Closed): Set your grill to medium-high indirect heat (about 400°F). Place the skillet over the indirect zone, close the lid, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Keep an eye on it from burning.
Step 6: Finish & Serve
Garnish with green onion tops, charred corn, jalapeno slices and chopped fresh cilantro. Edible flowers (violas), optional.
Edible flowers (violas), optional.
Serve hot with a colourful selection of raw veggies (like bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and celery sticks, radishes, snow peas and cherry tomatoes) and tortilla chips or Fritos scoops for scooping.
Spoon over grilled chicken, burgers, baked potatoes or tuck into tacos or quesadillas
Substitutions
- Cheese: Use mozzarella instead of Monterey Jack for a milder taste
- Peppers: Swap jalapeño for serrano if you like more heat
- Dairy-free: Use plant-based cream cheese and sour cream, and dairy-free shredded cheese
- Corn: Frozen corn works in a pinch, just char it in a hot skillet
Storage & Reheating
Storage
- Leftover corn dip? Let the dip cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
- Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Transfer dip to an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes if you’d like the top bubbly again.
- Microwave: Spoon individual portions into a microwave-safe dish and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Gently reheat in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently until hot and smooth.
- Note: If the dip thickens too much when reheating, stir in a splash of cream, sour cream, or milk to loosen it up.
Made and served using a few of my favourite Hestan pieces:
- 🔥 The NanoBond 2 qt saucier handled the cheese sauce beautifully right on the grill
- 🔥 The OvenBond Medium Au Gratin went from broiler to table in style
- 🔥 And the Provisions Mixing Bowls made prep quick and easy
Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. All opinions in this post are always my own.
📖 Recipe
Charred Corn, Poblano and Jalapeño Dip (Grill or Oven)
Ingredients
- 2 large poblano peppers
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 2 cobs fresh corn shucked (or ~2 cups kernels)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus extra for charring the corn and peppers
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 green onions thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes optional
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella
- 1 cup grated aged cheddar divided
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
- Jalapeño pepper sliced for garnish
- 1-2 tablespoons charred corn kernels for garnish
- Tortilla chips toasted bread, or fresh vegetables, for serving
Instructions
Step 1: Grill the Corn and Peppers
- Preheat your grill to high.
- Lightly oil the corn, poblanos and jalapeno.
- Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred (8-10 minutes).
- Grill poblano and jalapeño peppers until blackened and blistered on all sides.
- Oven Alternative: Broil the corn and peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, turning occasionally, until charred.
- Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with foil or a plate, and let steam for 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel the skins, remove stems and seeds (seeds optional for the jalapeno), and finely chop. (Use gloves when peeling and seeding the peppers to avoid skin irritation.)
- Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons for garnish.
- TIP Make Ahead: Grill and chop the veggies and store in the fridge for up to 2 days
Step 2: Sauté Aromatics
- In a 2-qt sauce saucier, saucepan or large ovenproof skillet, melt butter and the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic, white parts of green onions, and chopped peppers. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Add Corn and Spices
- Stir in corn kernels, smoked paprika, cumin, chili flakes, and salt. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
Step 4: Add Dairy and Melt
- Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and sour cream, stirring until fully melted and smooth.
- Fold in Monterey Jack and half the cheddar, stirring until melted and creamy.
- Serving Dish Tip: At this point, you can either leave the dip in your oven-safe skillet or transfer it to a medium oval au gratin dish or baking dish for serving and broiling.
Step 5: Broil to Finish (Optional)
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top of the dip.
- Oven Method: Broil for 2-3 minutes on the top rack until golden and bubbly. Keep an eye on it from burning.
- Grill Method (Lid-Closed): Set your grill to medium-high indirect heat (about 400°F). Place the skillet over the indirect zone, close the lid, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Keep an eye on it from burning.
Step 6: Finish & Serve
- Garnish with green onion tops, charred corn, jalapeno slices and chopped fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot with a colourful selection of raw veggies (like bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and celery sticks, radishes, snow peas and cherry tomatoes) and tortilla chips or Fritos scoops for scooping
- Spoon over grilled chicken, burgers, baked potatoes or tuck into tacos or quesadillas
Step 7: 💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd LOVE it if you left a rating and review. Your feedback helps others… and it would really make our day!
Video
Notes
-
- Leftover corn dip? Let the dip cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
-
- Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Transfer dip to an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes if you’d like the top bubbly again.
-
- Microwave: Spoon individual portions into a microwave-safe dish and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through.
-
- Stovetop: Gently reheat in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently until hot and smooth.
-
- Note: If the dip thickens too much when reheating, stir in a splash of cream, sour cream, or milk to loosen it up.
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