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Bold statement: grilled corn is the best corn. You may argue with me now, but give this smoky, sweet grilled corn recipe a try and you’ll be a believer too. Here’s how to grill corn on the cob the easy way!
Grilled Corn on the Cob
If you’ve had dry, flavorless grilled corn at a carnival or county fair, you may wonder what the fuss is about. Set that experience aside! You were wronged! GOOD grilled corn is one of the best things about summer and I’m going to show you how to make it. I may even like it better than my other favorite way to cook Corn on the Cob!
(BTW, when grilled corn isn’t good, it’s usually either over-cooked or the corn wasn’t tasty to start out with because it wasn’t fresh. We’re going to keep both of those from happening!)
The grilling process brings out the natural sweetness of the corn by concentrating its flavor—and of course then there’s that perfect smoky char that elevates any dish, from grilled scallops to grilled lemon chicken. You can eat it straight off the grill (please, let it cool first), go with the classic butter and salt combo, or dress it up with herbs, spices, and cheese.
Serve grilled corn at a backyard barbecue for the ultimate crowd-pleaser, or make some for a weeknight dinner to pair with blue cheese burgers. It’s summertime and your duty is to eat all the grilled corn you can for the next two months!
Ingredients for Grilled Corn
These are the basic ingredients for making grilled corn, but I share more garnish ideas later in this post.
- Fresh Sweet Corn – You can shuck the corn or leave the husks on—your choice!
- Butter – I like to let this sit on the countertop while the corn cooks so it’s juuuust soft enough.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper – The perfect finishing touch!
How to Grill Corn on the Cob
As I mentioned above, you can leave the husk on or take it off. The cooking methods differ slightly for each option.
Husk-On Method
- Prep. Peel back the corn husks, but don’t take them off. Pull off as much as the silk as you can, then close the husks and soak the ears in cold water for 10 minutes. Pat dry.
- Grill. Add the corn to a grill preheated to medium-high and cook for about 15 minutes, turning 3 to 5 times throughout.
- Serve. Remove from the grill, tie back the husks, slather with butter, then sprinkle on salt and pepper.
Husked Method
- Prep. Shuck the corn and remove the silk.
- Grill. Add the corn to a grill or grill pan preheated to medium-high. Cook for 15 minutes, turning 3 to 5 times to ensure even charring.
- Serve. Remove from the grill and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.
How to Choose the Best Corn
The very best way to choose corn is to peel down a little bit of the husk and look at the kernels near the top, which should be perfectly plump. If the top of the cob is bare or has only very under-developed kernels, it’s going to be bland.
If, however, you’re at a farmers market and you’ve got a farmer staring right at you, you may feel shy about doing this. You can also feel the top of the cob for plump kernels. The husks should be green and moist, not dry, and the silk at the top should be moist but but wet or moldy.
Ideas for Serving Corn
- Compound butter. Mix softened butter with your favorite herbs and spices, lime zest, fresh garlic, etc.
- Flavored salts. If you have some gourmet salts stocked in your pantry, grilled corn is a great way to put them to use.
- Mexican street-style. Slather grilled corn with mayo, sprinkle on some cotija cheese and chili powder, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Parmesan and herbs. Spread butter onto the corn, then sprinkle on freshly grated Parmesan and minced herbs. Chives and parsley are great choices!
- Grilled corn bar. Your guests are going to love this! Set the corn on a platter, then set up an array of toppings so everyone can customize their own.
What to Serve With Grilled Corn
More Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Grilled Peaches with Blueberry Basil Butter
- The Best Grilled Lobster Tail
- Grilled Rack of Lamb
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Chili Lime Grilled Pineapple
- Grilled Vegetables
For more easy side dish ideas, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Grilled Corn on the Cob Recipe
Equipment
- grill
Ingredients
- 4 to 8 ears fresh sweet corn
- Butter
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Husk-on method
- Peel back the corn husks, leaving them attached at the base of each ear of corn. Remove the silks as best you can and close the husks back over the corn cobs. Soak the corn in a large pot of cold water for 10 minutes. This will prevent the husks from burning too much on the grill. Drain and pat dry.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and tie back the husks to use as a handle. Serve with butter, salt, and pepper.
Husked method
- Shuck the corn and remove the silks.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked and light char marks form, about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
When the corn season is near its end, usually mid-September in my area, I will grill about 2 dozen cobs. Once they have cooled, I strip the kernels, and work roughly so that I get a mix of individual kernels as well as slabs. The corn gets loaded onto some sheet pans and frozen (uncovered) overnight, then bagged. I’ll usually go with about 250 g (roughly 1 cup) per freezer bag. Typically, I’ll use my vacuum sealer to help the corn last for months. The, during the winter when I’,m making corn bread or muffins, a southwest stew or chili, or something else calling for corn kernels, I have a ready supply of grilled corn to add just a touch of that special grilled flavor. (PS, when I buy my corn, I buy from a trusted farmer at the market and NEVER peel anything back. If the tassels look fresh, and the cob resists pressure when squeezed, I buy it. This comes form experience that itself comes from guidance from all farmers of my acquaintance.)
Thank you for the tip! We love to add it to soups and stews in the winter.