Bubbly. Cheesy. Deliciousness. This "sweet heat and savory" dip takes the viral Korean corn cheese dip that was making the rounds a few years ago and notches it WAY up by layering it in with a jammy version of Korean Bulgogi Beef that gets added kick from gochujang, the Korean chili based condiment with gobs of umami. Bake it all together in an oven-safe or cast iron skillet -- or casserole dish -- and get dipping!
Corn Cheese Dip is essentially made of sweet corn, mayo sugar and mozzarella. And Korean Bulgogi beef is traditionally thinly sliced beef that has been marinated in a soy based marinade. Here ground beef is cooked into something akin to a jam that gets a kick of sweet heat from gochujang -- and perfectly complements the corn cheese!
Inspiration
The inspiration from this came from something that landed me into the finals of the Sutter Home "Build a Better Burger" Competition. I topped my burger creation with a condiment called "Gochujang Bacon Jam" -- a recipe that will be showing up imminently on The Savory Tart. This led to thinking about how I could spin this into the kind of ooey gooey dip that I like to serve on game day gatherings and reworked it to feature ground beef in a jammy gochujang infused sauce that works SO well with the Korean corn cheese.
(My goal was to come up with something akin to the perennial classic Hormel Chili / Velveeta Dip of my youth, but with a flavor profile aligning with current food trends.)
Serving Suggestions
Korean Bulgogi Beef and Corn Cheese Dip is the perfect addition to a game day or holiday appetizer spread alongside some other favorites from The Savory Tart:
- Little Smokie "Hot Dog" Pretzel Bites
- Italian Quesadillas | Quesadilla Italiano
- Polynesian Chicken Wings with Pineapple Mustard
- Sausage, Apple and Pretzel Bite Sliders
- Peach, Ham, Swiss and Brie Pull-apart Sliders
- Smoky Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas
Ingredients
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a standout ingredient here. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste made from red chilis, fermented soybeans, rice and salt, and is a pantry staple in Korean households. Its flavory profile is complex crossing between sweet and savory with a bit of spice. It adds just the right amount of "funk" and falls into the category of being an "umami bomb". You can find it in the Asian aisle at most larger grocery stores, in Asian markets and on Amazon.
And what is Kewpie?
I'm particularly fond of Kewpie Mayonnaise for this recipe, which hails from Japan and has just a slightly different flavor profile versus standard US brands. (If you've not tried it, this is the perfect opportunity!) Kewpie can be found in the Asian aisle or alongside other mayos in grocery stores, in Asian markets and on Amazon.
- olive oil
- sweet corn, fresh, frozen or canned
- garlic
- mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie
- sugar
- salt
- pepper
- low moisture, whole milk mozzarella
- ground beef
- yellow onion
- gochujang
- soy sauce
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- scallions
- corn chips, tortillas or your favorite dippers
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large oven-safe or cast-iron skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the corn and cook, stirring, until the corn is softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer mixture to a medium bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
Add 2 cups of mozzarella, mayonnaise, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Reserve.
Meanwhile, add the ground beef to the skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon or meat chopper, until cooked through and browned.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain remaining fat from the pan.
Add the olive oil to the pan. Stir in the onions and cook over medium heat until softened and starting to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute.
Add the gochujang, soy sauce, paprika, cayenne, remaining salt and pepper and stir until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium high and add the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.
Cook until it takes on a jam-like consistency, about 3 minutes.
Stir in reserved ground beef and remove from heat.
Stir in half of the corn/cheese mixture.
Spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Top with remaining corn/cheese mixture spreading evenly over the top.
Sprinkle with remaining cup of mozzarella.
Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and golden. Sprinkle top with sliced scallions.
Serve with corn chips, tortilla chips, wonton chips or your favorite dipper.
Hint: This is a great appetizer to prepare a day or two in advance. I covered it and stored it in a very chilly Nebraska winter garage, but a refrigerator works just as well (!) I brought it to room temperature before putting in the oven. And then also finished it under the broiler to add an extra bump of golden brown color to the melted cheese.
Substitutions
- Ground Chicken or Pork - Instead of ground beef, use ground chicken or pork -- both are commonly served as bulgogi in Korean cuisine
- Monterey Jack Cheese - Mozzarella is traditionally used in Korean Corn Cheese, but you can substitute Monterey Jack instead
- Frozen or Canned Sweet Corn - While I used fresh corn that I had in the freezer. Either of these are a good substitute. You will need a 16 ounce bag of frozen sweet corn to get 3 cups +/-. You will need two 15-ounce cans of sweet corn to get to 3 cups. (Unless you have access to a 29-ounce family size can.)
- Gluten Free - Soy Sauce and Gochujang aren't inherently gluten free; make sure to check the label to make sure it is marked as "gluten free". (Gochujang oftentimes contains barley or wheat based soy sauce.)
Variations
- Gochugaru - If you have this Korean spice in your pantry, use it instead of the smoked paprika and cayenne. You will need 2 to 3 teaspoons of the Korean chili powder made from sun-dried Korean chilis.
- Kimchi - For added "funk", add a half cup of chopped kimchi to the ground beef mixture
- French Fried Onion Rings, Shallots or Jalapeños - Many people don't know that packaged fried shallots are a staple in Korean cooking. They are called Bawang Goreng. (You know... the things you put in a green bean casserole?) Sprinkle these on top of the dip halfway through baking. Or for added heat, top it with packaged fried jalapeños!
- Peanuts - In addition to the chopped green onions, garnish the dip with chopped roasted peanuts.
- Make it Spicy - Add a few extra pinches of cayenne to taste.
Equipment
- oven safe or cast iron skillet (or an oven safe casserole dish
- medium bowl
Storage
This can be made two days ahead and refrigerated covered and brought to room temperature before baking.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat in the oven at 275°F for 20 minutes until cheese is remelted.
This will freeze well-wrapped or in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before rewarming.
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🍽️ Recipe
Korean Bulgogi Beef and Corn Cheese Dip
Equipment
- oven proof or cast iron skillet
- medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cups corn kernels, cut from 4 ears of sweet corn (substitute canned or frozen corn)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- ¾ cup mayonnaise (preference Kewpie)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1-½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 12 ounces 3 cups shredded low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped (one cup)
- 4 tablespoons gochujang
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 pinches cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 scallions sliced
- corn chips, tortillas or your favorite dippers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large oven-safe or cast-iron skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the corn and cook, stirring, until the corn is softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Transfer mixture to a medium bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of mozzarella, mayonnaise, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Reserve.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook over medium heat, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon or meat chopper, until cooked through and browned. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain remaining fat from the pan.
- Add the olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until softened and starting to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the gochujang, paprika, cayenne and remaining salt and pepper and stir until fragrant.
- Increase the heat to medium high and add the brown sugar and apple cider vinegar and cook until it takes on a jam-like consistency, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved ground beef and remove from heat.
- Stir in half of the corn/cheese mixture, spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Top with remaining corn/cheese mixture spreading evenly over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cup of mozzarella.
- Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and golden. (Place under the broiler for a minute if you want a deeper golden color.) Sprinkle top with sliced scallions.
- Serve with corn chips, tortillas or your favorite dipper.
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