Spinach Corn Dip
Updated November 20, 2025
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 25 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
10 ounces baby spinach
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 cobs or thawed from frozen)
½ to 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (or ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper)
Handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup sour cream
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan
1 to 2 limes, halved
Pita chips, flatbread, crusty baguette or corn chips, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
38 grams carbs; 108 milligrams cholesterol; 601 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 44 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams fiber; 727 milligrams sodium; 20 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof skillet over medium. When hot, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and then add the spinach leaves, a few handfuls at a time, adding in more as it wilts, and toss until the leaves have wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and press the spinach to release as much liquid as possible, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (no need to drain), about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 2
Reduce heat to medium-low. Drizzle the spinach with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Fold in the corn, jalapeño, basil, cream cheese, sour cream and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the cheeses have melted and the mixture is thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Step 3
Top with pecorino, place in the oven and broil on high until golden and bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. (Watch it closely to prevent burning.) Allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze over the lime juice to taste and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
This sounds like what I want to eat for dinner for the rest of my days...
I like this recipe! I must admit that I modified it a bit, based on what I had and also to simplify. I used frozen spinach in place of fresh. I used a mozzarella cheese stick in place of the fresh mozzarella (yes I know fresh mozzarella is a whole different thing and much better, but this is just getting melted into a dip). I omitted the sour cream. Rather than browning in the oven with cheese on top, I just served with freshly grated Parmesan (and hot sauce). It was delicious.
I bet the Trader Joe's elote seasoning would be great with this!
for everyone who loved this-- look up ANY Korean "Corn Cheese" recipe (!), and toss in some spinach-- this is my favorite thing, with less sour cream, and more sauteed garlic! We just eat it with a spoon, but yes the chips/bread is good, too 😂
I made this exactly as written for a bookclub, serving four people. The whole skillet was GONE in an hour. :) (5 stars) the dip was better than the book.
why am I giving 5 stars to a recipe I didn't love? because it was the hands down favorite at the pot luck I took it to. Made it as written and it was a crowd pleaser. for me, it needed more acid than the sour cream and 1-2 limes provided, Mexican spice and more heat. More like an Elote dip- while I may try the Jalapeño cord dip for myself, I will be making this again - already have requests.