You won’t believe how amazingly easy this Amazingly Easy Grilled Corn is! Even the shucking is made easy! You won’t want it any other way after you try it!
Fresh corn is one of those things that takes a little time and effort. The husking and de-silking alone deters most people from serving the fresh variety and going the frozen route. But, this grilled corn makes it pretty darn easy, if I do say so myself.
Grilling the unshucked corn for about 12 minutes makes it super simple to shuck and the silks just pull right off. It works sort of like the microwave method in my Southern Fried Corn recipe.
I also happen to really love the flavor of the corn when it’s cooked in the husks. It gives it some extra flavor that makes this dish even tastier. So give my recipe for Amazingly Easy Grilled Corn a try!
Why should you grill your corn?
Grilling corn is a game-changer, and here’s why you should give it a go:
- Awesome Flavor: Grilling makes corn sweet and smoky, with a hint of caramelized goodness.
- Great Texture: You get a perfect mix of crunchy and juicy kernels.
- Super Easy: Just toss the corn on the grill, husks on, and you’re good to go.
- Versatile: Eat it straight off the cob or add the grilled kernels to salads, salsas, or tacos.
- Family Fun: Grilling is a great way to get everyone involved and hanging out together.
- Healthy: Corn is full of fiber and vitamins, and grilling keeps it healthy without much fuss.
How to Make Grilled Corn
Start by filling a clean sink with cool water and soak the unshucked corn in the water for about 15 minutes. This helps keep the husks from burning and adds some moisture because the first part of cooking it on the grill basically steams it right in the husks.
Preheat the grill to medium and place the corn on. Cook for 6 minutes with the lid closed, then turn and cook it for an additional 6 minutes.
Remove the corn from the grill, and allow it to cool enough to handle it. Peel the husks back, and pull the silks away. This should be pretty easy. If the silks prove to be troublesome, a soft-bristled brush will help.
The corn is basically done at this point, but I like to get a little char on it. So, I increase the grill temp to high and put the corn back on there for a few minutes on each side to add that grilled flavor. Just be cautious to keep the husks away from the flame if you do leave them on because they’re dry at this point and will burn. I usually just hang them over the outside edge of the grill. Once that’s done, drizzle them with butter, sprinkle them with salt, and get to work.
Should I pull the husks off the corn completely or leave them on?
You can pull the husks off completely, if you’d like, but I love leaving them on. I think it looks really neat, and it gives you a super convenient handle for eating! Just make sure that you keep the husks away from the grill flame, especially if you put it back on the grill for a little char and some grill marks. Husks do have a tendency to burn once they’re dried out.
Add More Flavor to your Grilled Corn
Grilled corn is a blank canvas just waiting for some delicious toppings! Here are a few tasty ideas to take your corn to the next level:
- Classic Butter and Salt: You can’t go wrong with the basics. Slather on some butter and sprinkle a bit of salt for a simple, tasty treat.
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote): Spread on some mayo, sprinkle with cotija cheese, a squeeze of lime, and a dash of chili powder. It’s a flavor explosion!
- Parmesan and Herbs: Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the corn and sprinkle with chopped herbs like parsley, basil, or cilantro.
- Spicy Sriracha and Lime: Mix butter with a bit of Sriracha sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Brush it on for a spicy kick.
- Garlic Butter: Melt some butter with minced garlic and brush it over the corn. Simple and oh-so-delicious.
- Cheddar and Bacon: Crumble crispy bacon and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Pop it back on the grill for a minute to melt the cheese.
- Honey and Cinnamon: For a sweet twist, drizzle honey over the corn and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. It’s like dessert!
- Pesto: Spread some basil or sun-dried tomato pesto over the corn for a burst of fresh, herby flavor.
Other Fresh Corn Recipes
Southern Fried Corn – Grab some fresh ears of corn, and give this Southern Fried Corn recipe a try! It’s basically fresh corn, cut off the cob, and fried in butter and bacon grease in a cast iron skillet. It’s that simple and so delicious!
Sweet Corn Salad with Bacon – This Sweet Corn Salad with Bacon combines the sweetness of fresh corn with the smokiness of bacon. Throw in some red onion, tomatoes, basil, and a creamy dressing made with mayo, lemon juice, and just a little bacon fat and you’ve got a bright and colorful side dish that’s perfect for your next summer bbq, gathering, or potluck.
Summer Succotash – This Summer Succotash is the perfect recipe to take advantage of that summer vegetable bounty. Salty bacon, sweet corn, lima beans, okra, and tart tomatoes combine in a dish that tastes as good as it looks! I also included the measurements for frozen vegetables as well in that recipe, so you can enjoy this dish all year round!
Recipe Card
Amazingly Easy Grilled Corn
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn
- melted butter
- salt
Instructions
- Fill a clean sink with water and soak the unshucked corn in the water for 15 minutes. You can use a dinner plate to hold them down if you wish. Drain the water and shake off the excess water.
- Heat the grill to medium and and place the unshucked corn on the grill. Grill (with the lid closed) for about 6 minutes. Flip and grill for another 6 minutes. Remove the corn and allow it to cool enough to handle.
- Shuck the corn and remove the silks. This should be super easy now. I like to pull the husks back and leave them on. It looks cool and creates a neat handle, but feel free to remove them completely. If you want a little char on the outside, return the corn to the grill over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. If you do leave the husks on, be sure to hang them outside of the grill because they can burn.
- Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Original Post from July 19, 2016
My Dad has some pretty strange eating habits. And by strange, I don’t mean he eats weird things – well, he does, but that’s not quite what I mean here. He’s one of those guys that puts hot sauce on everything, he eats ketchup on his eggs, and he devours corn by the bushel. As a kid, the end of every meal with corn on the cob found him at the table with a stack of corn, plowing through. He’d eat like 5 or 6 pieces. And never with the meal, but after it. He’s weird like that.
Of course this from the man who literally eats EVERYTHING but beets and cottage cheese. There’s a great story about him eating yogurt one time. Mom had told him there were several containers of yogurt that needed to be eaten in the fridge, so he took advantage of that for lunch one day. She got home and was hurriedly putting dinner together when she couldn’t find the sour cream, but saw that the yogurt was still in the fridge. Yep, you guessed it. She checked the trash can to find the sour cream container. He had eaten a container of sour cream thinking it was yogurt. When Mom said something to him about it he said, “Yeah, I was going to tell you to throw that other yogurt out because the one I had today had spoiled!” We always joke with him that 40 years as a mechanic and being around all the chemicals have ruined his taste buds. But anyway, back to corn…
He loves it. And I do too. Just maybe not quite as much as him.
Dorothy Hamilton
Just a suggestion! Please stop y’alling us all. If you’re not from the south, it could be annoying. It tends to separate those of us from the North and East and West from those to the South.
Wait. Are you suggesting I stop addressing my followers as “y’all”?
Mk
Hi, sounds delish! What temp 4 grill and approx. How long till death valley kahki? Ill have to look that one up. Tnx man, soinds delish!
Roslyn Hurst
That story about your dad has me in stitches! It is hilarious and adorable. Family lore is just the best thing in the world.
Ha! I love telling that story!
Daryle in VT
I’ve been baking/grilling unshucked corn for decades. I cut the tips off with a large knife right where the kernels start, then cut the tail off where the ear ends. I remove only the “guard” leaves, the ones with right-angle tips. Then the ear goes into the oven at 350 degrees F. or on the grill. NO SOAKING! Soaking dilutes the natural sugars. When the husks are “Death Valley khaki”, the corn is done. Pull back the husk and fold it over itself to make a handle. Commercially, I would have a tall stainless pot with a pound of melted butter floating. Dip the corn, pulling up slowly. Customers gladly pay $3.00 for corn this good.
Great ideas!!