Spicy Southern Hot Corn - Peas and Crayons Recipes (2024)

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Published: November 15, 2016Updated: November 5, 2018Author: Jenn Laughlin

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Every Thanksgiving my husband begs for this Spicy Southern Hot Corn! This sassy Southern-style recipe has been part of our holiday meal tradition for years and doubles as a side dish AND a dip. Get ready to rock those parties and potlucks and be sure tohave the recipe handy – people will totally harass you for it!

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So… it’s super duper common for this dish to be served appetizer-style with a mountain of tortilla chips or a fresh fluffy baguette. If you search“Hot Corn” on Pinterest it’s literally ALL that comes up!

Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I will GLADLY inhale this dish with either delivery method but I’ve got to say, my favorite way to eat this spicy creamed corn is alongside a plateful of holiday sides and mains.

We typically make it withChristmas and Thanksgiving dinner and there’s something so magical about throwing caution to the wind and ignoring any semblance of food spacing on our plates. If I can push a little mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and stuffing into every bite of hot corn I’ve basically won at life. The creamy, spicy corn is at perfect harmony with the savory carbalicious stuffing, tart cranberry sauce, and buttery mashed potatoes. It’s even great on chicken and/or turkey too.

Everything. It’s great with everything!

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Ok seriously, just writing up this post has me dying to reheat the last cup of leftoverhot corn. I made it early so I could snap some photos for this post, but I’m not allowed to eat another bite of of the creamy, spicy deliciousness because I promised it to Paul already.

Hmmm… Maybe I’ll eat it and then make it again tonight before he gets home tonight…YES!

Spicy southern hot corn for everyone!

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make-ahead + leftover tips

This spicy hot corn makes a fabulous make-ahead dish for the holidays (and the most EPIC leftovers of my life) so feel free to prep it the night before!

To reheat you have three options depending on oven/stovetop availability. I like to take the hot corn out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes ahead of time to thaw a little. This will help it cook up faster!

  1. Cover with foil (to prevent over-browning) or an oven-safe lid and bake at 350 F for approx. 20 minutes.
  2. Re-heat on the stove over low heat, covered. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  3. Microwave until hot and bubbly!

Spicy Southern Hot Corn

Whether you go the appetizer route or whip this up as an easy peasy side dish, this spicy southern hot corn is sure to rock your plate! Make it as spicy or as mild as your heart desires.

One Thanksgiving I made it so spicy that I’m pretty sure people started sweating and fanning their faces. It was totally worth it!

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Spicy Southern Hot Corn

This sassy Southern-style recipe has been part of our holiday meal tradition for years and doubles as a side dish AND a dip.

4.98 from 70 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Spicy Southern Hot Corn

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Jenn Laughlin - peas and crayons

Ingredients

  • 3.5 cups corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
  • ½ large red bell pepper diced
  • 2 fresh jalapeno peppers diced (seeds/veins removed)
  • 3-4 TBSP diced pickled jalapeno peppers plus extra to taste
  • 2.5 TBSP butter
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ¼ tsp paprika (regular, not smoked)
  • 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

EXTRAS:

  • hot sauce
  • extra cheese for topping
  • extra jalapeños for a fiery kick!
  • spicy green salsa see note below
  • cilantro or parsley for topping

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Thaw corn if using frozen.

  • Chop all your veggies and set aside.

  • For tender peppers, feel free to sauté your bell peppers and fresh jalapeño to soften.

  • In a medium saucepan, combine butter and cream cheese.

  • Heat burner to medium to melt, stirring often until smooth and creamy.

  • Add your corn, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and pickled jalapeños.

  • Season with paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.

  • Stir in 1/2-3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted.

  • Pour into a casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar.

  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

Notes

As written above this dish is quite mild in spice/heat.We like it spicy, so each time I taste before baking, then add 2-3 TBSP of HOT green salsa ( this brand is everything!) and some extra jalapeño. If you can handle the heat, totally follow suit! We love this dish as spicy as we can get it!

No bell peppers handy? Feel free to use canned Mexi-corn, which has diced bell peppers mixed in with the corn.

This makes a fabulous make-ahead dish for any occasion so feel free to prep it all the night before and bake when you're ready the next day! Simply cover with foil (to prevent over-browning) and bake away. Enjoy!

Recipe yields approx. 4 cups and 8 (1/2 cup) servings. Nutrition facts below are estimated with an online nutrition calculator. Simply adjust as needed based on toppings/extras! xo

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 258mg, Potassium: 215mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1020IU, Vitamin C: 17.9mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 0.6mg

Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!

If you get a chance to try this spicy southern hot corn, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

Spicy Southern Hot Corn - Peas and Crayons Recipes (5)

Man this stuff is GOOD!

hungry for more?

  • Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta
  • Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Rosemary Sweet Potato Rolls
  • Classic Thanksgiving Slow Cooker Stuffing

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About The Author:

Jenn Laughlin

Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.

Learn More

Spicy Southern Hot Corn - Peas and Crayons Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you add to canned corn to make it better? ›

Adding one or two of these options adds a ton of flavor to canned corn, making the dish taste so much better.
  1. Salt. Kittiphan Dusdeeworaruk/Shutterstock. ...
  2. Soy sauce. Ddukang/Getty Images. ...
  3. Butter. Jupiterimages/Getty Images. ...
  4. Bacon grease. Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock. ...
  5. Olive oil. masa44/Shutterstock. ...
  6. Garlic. ...
  7. Herbs and spices. ...
  8. Cheese.
Feb 6, 2023

What flavors go well with corn? ›

Avocado, blueberry, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, fennel, garlic, ginger, jicama, kohlrabi, lettuce, lime, mushroom, nectarine, peach, potato, pumpkin, radish, rocket, shallot, spring onion, sugar snap peas, sweet potato, zucchini.

Should you drain canned corn before adding to soup? ›

The second is canned sweet corn. Be sure not to drain it. You want to add the liquid from the sweet corn straight to the soup; it adds a really nice sweet undertone to the soup.

What seasoning is good with corn? ›

  • bacon-bomb-jalapeno-hickory /
  • buffalo-cajun-wing-rub /
  • buried-treasure-truffle-butter /
  • caesar-style-wing-rub /
  • elote-loco-street-corn-blend /
  • farm-house-veggie-blend /
  • grate-state-cheesy-blend /
  • spicy-dill-pickle-wing-rub /

What is Mexican elote made of? ›

Also called Mexican street corn, elote is a Mexican preparation of corn on the cob. The ears of corn are grilled, then slathered with mayo or crema, and finally topped with lime, chile, and Mexican cheese such as Cotija. Commonly sold by street vendors in Mexico, elote makes a great snack.

What fruit pairs with corn? ›

You can even squeeze some lime juice on grilled corn with butter to help elevate the flavors. Other fruits that pair well with corn include stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, which can be combined with a soft cheese and a drizzle of honey on toast for a simple, yet tasty hors d'oeuvre.

How do you make old corn taste better? ›

You can do this one of two ways: grill over high heat for 2-4 minutes per side until husks are charred; or roast in a 500° oven for 35-40 minutes, turning once. In either case, don't remove the husks—they contain flavor, as well as moisture that protects the corn inside from drying out.

What do you do with canned corn? ›

Try adding it to your favorite soup recipes, chowders, or party dips. Or, use canned corn for classic Thanksgiving side dishes, like corn soufflé or cheesy skillet scalloped corn. It can also easily be swapped in for fresh corn when making Ree Drummond's famous corn fritters.

How to add flavor to corn on the cob? ›

You could also eat it the traditional way, rubbed in black pepper, butter, and salt. If you're looking for something more creative, I highly recommend these two options: Basil Butter Corn on the Cob – Pulse together butter, basil, and garlic in a food processor, and rub it onto the sweet corn.

What can you eat canned corn with? ›

Serving Ideas
  • Sauté canned corn in a small amount of oil with green chilies, tomato, and onions for a colorful side dish.
  • Create a quick pasta salad with canned corn, chopped vegetables, beans and vinaigrette.
  • Add corn to soup, chili, salsa, chowder, tacos, burrito bowls.
  • Combine corn with lima beans to make succotash.

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