Mexican Street Corn Hummus

Turn snack time into a fiesta for the senses with this creamy, smoky, sweet, and vibrant Mexican Street Corn Hummus. This fresh and easy homemade hummus hits all the notes in both flavor and texture and will be a hit for any gathering.

Hummus is one of my favorite things to make and eat. The flavor combinations are endless. It’s elegant enough to entertain with, like roasted beet and dill hummus, yet it can instantly brighten your day at work. Spread it in a wrap, dip all of the crunchy veggies into it, or make it a part of a bowl.

This street corn hummus delivers big on the familiar flavors of esquites with sweet, smoky charred fresh corn, salty crumbly cotija, the bright kiss of lime, and accents like cilantro and chili-lime seasoning. The charred corn makes the hummus itself naturally a little sweet while it adds a fun pop of texture to the topping. If you’re looking for a recipe that will impress friends and family alike, this is it!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy Process – There’s nothing complicated about making homemade hummus, including this sweet corn hummus. The only cooking required is charring up your corn and a jalapeno. The food processor handles the rest of the work.
• Perfect for meal prep – Hummus is the ultimate dish to make on a weekend and enjoy throughout the week. It keeps well in the fridge and also travels well.
• All about the textures! Store bought hummus is one note, just creamy, and sometimes a little grainy. This hummus is ultra thick, creamy, and smooth, but has the contrasting grilled corn topping that adds pop and crunch to every bite.

Ingredients

• Corn – Fresh corn is best for this recipe. Not only will you get the best flavor, but it will also give the best texture for both the hummus and topping.
• Garbanzo Beans – No need to cook dry beans from scratch. Just pick up your favorite can of chickpeas.
• Limes – You will need fresh lime juice for both the hummus and also the topping. This gives the hummus a bright note that balances the sweetness of the corn.
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno – A roasted jalapeno adds a hint of smoky spice to the sweet corn hummus while a little minced fresh jalapeno adds a sassy kick to the corn topping.
• Red Onion – You can use either pickled red onions or raw red onions for the corn topping.
• Cotija Cheese – Salty, crumbly, and a little creamy, this Mexican cheese adds a layer of flavor that compliments the corn.
• Seasonings – Besides salt you’ll need chili powder, cumin, and chili-lime salt. Don’t forget to sprinkle your dippers with a little extra chili-lime salt too!
• Avocado or Olive Oil
• Tahini
• Garlic Clove
• Mexican Hot Sauce – This is completely optional but a splash or too of Valentina makes the taste buds happy.
• Ice Cubes – Adding ice to your food processor when blending the hummus helps make it ultra creamy and airy. You just need a couple.

Substitutions and Variations

• For an even creamier hummus, replace the chickpeas with cannellini beans. They’re mild, buttery flavor works well with this hummus recipe.
• Instead of cotija you can use queso fresco. It won’t be quite as salty, but still delicious.
• If corn isn’t in season you can use frozen corn, including roasted frozen corn. Simply heat it up in a skillet to get a little char on it, along with your jalapeno for the hummus.
• Make this hummus recipe vegan and dairy free by leaving out the cotija cheese.

How to Make Mexican Street Corn Hummus

• Fire up the grill. Place your ears of corn and jalapeno over direct heat. Rotate every couple of minutes until all sides are charred. Place the jalapeno into a plastic bag and allow it to cool and steam.
• Remove the skins from the chickpeas. Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch off the outer skin of each chickpea. This will help ensure your hummus is creamy.
• Prepare your mise en place. Cut off the kernels of corn from the cob. You will need 1 cup for the hummus and 1 cup for the topping. Peel and roughly chop the roasted jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired. Chop the remaining ingredients.

• Blend the chickpeas, ice cubes, corn, jalapeno, tahini, hot sauce, seasonings, and lime juice. Keep blending until smooth.
• Add the cilantro. Add the cilantro and pulse. With the food processor running stream in the avocado oil until completely combined. Taste, and add any additional seasoning or lime juice if needed.
• Stir together the corn salsa topping. Mix together the corn salsa topping. Taste and add additional salt or chili-lime seasoning if desired.
• Serve it up. Spread the hummus into a serving bowl. Arrange the corn salsa on top. Serve with your favorite dippers such as crudites, pita chips, tortilla chips, or pretzels.

Storage for Mexican Street Corn Hummus

This hummus will last for up to five days in the refrigerator. Make sure to keep it stored in an airtight container.

For the best texture, store the corn salsa separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will leach of a little liquid as it sits so you may want to drain it prior to topping the hummus.

Tips From the Beach

• When cutting the kernels of corn from the cob for the hummus, don’t cut too close to the cob. This will let the corn blend into the hummus smoothly.
• For the best flavor, allow the hummus to chill prior to serving. This will let all of the ingredients meld together.
• Always taste and adjust seasoning after it has chilled.
• You can skip the step of removing the skins from the chickpeas, but you will have a slightly grainer, more rustic texture.
• This hummus only had a mild spice, but it will vary by jalapenos. Remove the seeds for a milder flavor, but if you absolutely don’t do spice feel free to leave it out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mexican Street Corn Hummus

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Turn snack time into a fiesta for the senses with this creamy, smoky, sweet, and vibrant Mexican Street Corn Hummus. 

• Author: Nicole Stover
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 5
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Mexican Street Corn Hummus

• 1 cup corn (about 1 ear)
• 1 jalapeno
• 15.5 ounces chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons lime juice, or more to taste
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• Dash Mexican hot sauce, optional
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 2 ice cubes

Charred Corn Salsa

• 1 cup charred corn (about 1 ear)
• 2 tablespoons pickled or raw red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons cotija or queso fresco crumbled, plus extra for garnish
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno finely minced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili lime seasoning, plus extra for garnish

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Instructions

1. Prepare your grill for direct grilling. Place the corn and 1 whole jalapeno on the hot grates. Rotate every couple of minutes until all sides are charred.
2. Place the jalapeno in a plastic bag and allow it to steam and cool. Brush off the skin and remove the seeds for less heat if desired. Roughly chop.
3. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs. You will need 1 cup each for the hummus and the salsa.
4. Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch off the skins of the chickpeas. Don’t worry if you don’t get the all but try to get most.
5. Add the chickpeas, 1 cup corn, tahini, seasonings, lime juice, garlic, hot sauce if using, and jalapeno to a food processor along with 2 ice cubes. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Add the cilantro and pulse.
7. With the processor running, stream in the avocado or olive oil. Blend until smooth and incorporated.
8. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
9. To make the salsa stir together all of the ingredients. Taste and add additional seasoning if desired.
10. To serve, spread the hummus into a serving bowl. Top with the corn salsa, additional cotija, and chili lime seasoning. 

Notes

1. For the best results allow the hummus to refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. It will thicken up slightly and the flavors will meld.
2. This will last up to five days refrigerated in an airtight container. For the best texture store the hummus and corn salsa separately.