A Better Way to Grill Corn on the Cob
Grilling corn is one of our favorite late summer treats. What makes this grilled corn recipe so good is that every step is designed to make the corn easier to grill and taste better.
To find a better way to grill corn on the cob, we experimented with different grilling methods and ways to season the corn before landing on a foolproof recipe for sweet, juicy, delicious corn with a touch of char that can be served straight from the grill.
The challenge to grilling fresh corn is figuring out how to use the grill to enhance the corn’s flavor while dealing with the husks and silks that can get in the way and stick in your teeth. Our approach is to get rid of everything upfront and season the corn while it’s grilling so the finished corn can go straight from the grill to the plate.
Prepping the Corn
Fresh, juicy corn is a miraculous thing. Yellow gold kernels, bursting with late summer flavor.
Start by shucking the corn and removing all of the silk. Give it a quick rinse under cold water to ensure it’s cleaned off, and add a little moisture.
Prepare the compound butter by mixing the butter with the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Feel free to experiment with the flavors. We tried a variety of fresh herbs and different spices during testing.
Some of our favorite combinations were fresh tarragon and garlic minced together or adding a teaspoon of Southwest Seasoning to the butter. Think of the salt, black pepper, and garlic as a starting place for fun flavor experiments.
The butter is easier to brush on the corn when the mixture is at room temperature. Too cold, and it doesn’t spread very well; too warm, it turns runny. We found that half a tablespoon of the mixture per cob is the right ratio of butter to corn. The spread can be made several days in advance.
Storing Corn on the Cob
The key to delicious corn on the cob is freshness. The less time between when it’s picked and when it arrives on your plate, the better. A couple of tips to help keep corn on the cob fresh are:
- Buy corn grown close to where it will be eaten.
- Farmers markets and roadside stands are the best places to get ears of corn outside of picking it yourself.
- Store the corn on the counter on top of something that allows air to circulate around the outside. We generally use a plate or a cooling rack. Always remove it from those big plastic bags when you bring it home. The bags hold moisture, and moisture causes mold.
- In my experience, corn stored on the counter tastes fresher longer than corn stored in the fridge.
- Sweet Corn with Anaheim Peppers – A simple side dish that uses Anaheim peppers and cumin to highlight the corn’s flavor.
- Creamed Corn – What makes this recipe special is how the roux and a little cream highlight the deep corn flavors and give the dish a luxurious texture.
- Sweet Corn and Bacon Pasta – a great way to take advantage of late summer flavors.
How to Grill Corn on the Cob
The secret to learning how to grill corn is to use the heat from the grill to slightly char the corn to concentrate and enhance its natural flavors without burning it to a crisp.
Removing the husks and silk beforehand simplifies the grilling process. The advantage of grilling corn without the husks is it allows you to develop some char on the outside, which carmelizes some of its sugar, giving the corn more complex flavors.
It also allows you to see how much color the corn is getting and build flavors using the heat from the grill and the seasoned butter. Using a silicone brush to slather the corn with the butter mixture infuses the kernels with flavor, ensuring every bite is delicious.
This technique is more straightforward than Roasting Corn on the Cob inside the husks. Roasting corn with the husks steams the corn, ensuring it stays juicy, but it also means someone has to remove the outside of the corn while it’s still hot, which often leaves a few strands of unwanted silk all over the place.
It’s also a significantly better method than grilling corn in foil, which is wasteful and overcomplicates a simple thing.
At this point, the corn is ready to be seasoned and slightly charred. Move the corn to a hotter part of the grill, and using a silicone basting brush, brush both sides of each cob with the butter mixture. Allow it to cook for 3 minutes before brushing it with the seasoned butter a second time before turning it over to grill for another 3 minutes.
Brush any remaining butter on the corn and remove it from the grill. Some of the best grilled corn you’ve ever had is ready to be served and eaten.
Tips
A tip to tell when grilled corn is done is that the corn kernels should still be juicy and easily pierced with the tip of a knife or fork. To keep the corn warm after grilling, place it on a platter covered with aluminum foil.
Once grilled, the corn can be stored in the fridge for several days. To reheat the corn, place it on a medium grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side.
A good way to use leftovers is to remove the kernels from the corn cob with a sharp knife and serve the corn as a side dish, as an ingredient in salads, with pasta, or as a topping with nachos, tacos, etc.
What to Serve with Grilled Corn on the Cob
A nice thing about grilling corn this way is it’s easy to make a couple of pieces for a small dinner or fill the grill for a big party. When the corn is a featured side dish, go with one ear per person. If there are a lot of dishes, such as for a potluck, cut the ears in half and cook one for every two people.
Here are a few of our favorite dishes to serve with grilled corn.
For big barbecues, we love to grill corn on the cob with Smoked Pork Ribs. The deep smoky flavor and tanginess from the ribs, especially when covered in Ancho Chili and Honey BBQ Sauce, is the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the corn.
If you’re just throwing a few things on the grill, try Blended Mushroom and Beef Burgers, Simple Grilled BBQ Chicken, or a perfectly Grilled Ribeye Steak.
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
- 4 ears of corn, shucked
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Shuck the corn, making sure to remove all the silk. Give the corn a quick wash with cold water.4 ears of corn
- Combine the butter with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Place the corn on a medium grill for 12 minutes, turning each piece halfway through.
- Move the corn onto a hotter part of the grill and use a silicone brush to slather the butter on both sides of the corn.
- Leave the corn over the fire for 3 minutes, repeat slathering, flip and grill for another 3 minutes.
- Brush any remaining butter on the corn before taking it off the grill and serving.
Recommended Equipment
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
More Info About Mark Hinds
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