How to Grill Corn

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Are you going to be grilling some chicken or burgers this summer? Well look no further for your new favorite summer side dish. Learn how to grill corn two ways with this simple tutorial!

three ears of grilled corn

Why You Should Learn How To Grill Corn This Summer

If you are going to be firing up that grill this summer for some tasty ribs or burgers, throwing a few ears of corn on the grill is so convenient and makes a fantastic side for any summer meal! Not only is it convenient to cook a tasty sweet and savory side onto the grill along with your main course, but it adds amazing flavor to an otherwise boring ear of corn. Read on, friends…this is a great way to cook your corn!

Grilling Corn in the Husk vs Directly on the Grill

This blog post will give directions on how to cook your corn on the cob still in the husks and how to grill it with the husks removed. Why keep the corn in their husks to grill? If you soak the ears of corn in water first, the corn will first steam until its completely cooked while staying protected in the husks, avoiding char. Of course you can pull the husks away after you finish cooking them to char up the kernels, but this is a great method to keep moisture in the corn and keep it that bright and beautiful yellow color.

Grilling corn in foil or directly on the grill are other options as well if you’d prefer to shuck the corn before grilling. Either wrap in foil or keep it bare and throw it on a cooler spot on the grill to slowly cook. As the hot air cooks the corn, it will turn that bright yellow color while also getting slightly charred, adding amazing flavor. Yum!

How To Grill Corn In the Husk

I really do prefer this method to any other when it comes to grilling corn on the cob. The husks protect the corn, you can keep it on the grill longer without any repercussions, and it tastes amazing!

Remove the Corn Silk

Carefully open up the corn by pulling the husks down while still leaving them attached at the base of the ear. Remove the silk from the husks and the corn. Pull the husks back up around the corn cob.

Soak Corn in Water

For 20-30 minutes before grilling, soak your ears of corn in a large bowl or bucket of cold water with a big pinch of salt.

Can I Skip Soaking the Corn in Water?

No! The water helps the husks from burning on the grill while also adding moisture to the ear to help it steam and cook all the way through.

Grill the Corn

After the corn has soaked, add it to the hot grill and let it cook about 20 minutes at a medium to high temperature, turning every few minutes. I cooked mine at 550° F. It is done when the kernels are bright yellow over the whole ear of corn. You can remove the husks and char the edges, if desired…but it’s totally optional. Serve hot.

corn on the cob soaking in water

How to Grill Corn Without the Husk

If you love roasty, toasty corn on the cob, this is the way to grill your corn! Whether you’re using foil or grilling the corn directly on the BBQ, this is another way you can do it.

Shuck Corn

Remove the husks and silk from all ears of corn. Rinse to remove any last silk hairs.

Wrap Corn in Foil (optional)

If desired, wrap corn cobs individually in aluminum foil.

Why Would I Wrap My Corn in Foil?

Adding a layer of foil onto your corn can help prevent charring. While you may have hot spots on the grill and those can still char the kernels, it’s one layer of protection. If you are grilling over an open flame (like when camping), I would suggest wrapping corn in foil.

Grill Corn

It is best to grill corn that is going directly onto the grill at a lower temperature to ensure it cooks before it gets charred all the way through. Find those cooler spots on the grill for best corn placement. Around the edges or on a higher rack on the grill is great at first, just to ensure its cooked. Then for extra char, add it to a hotter part of the grill for that finishing touch.

How Long to Grill Corn

Grilling Time for Corn in the Husk

Cooking corn on the cob for 20-30 minutes in the husk is perfect on a medium to high grill temperature. Because the ear is protected by the husks, you can easily keep these on the grill longer without having to worry about too much charring or burning.

Grilling Time for Corn in Foil or Directly on the Grill

Grilling corn directly on the grill will take less time, 10-15 minutes depending how hot your grill is and how frequently you are flipping your corn. You don’t want the grill to be too hot because it will burn before it ever gets a chance to cook, so find those cooler parts of the grill to start them off and then go from there.

When in Doubt, Your Corn is Done When….

It is that bright golden yellow color. You can see the difference from the raw corn on the cob versus the ones I pulled from the grill after cooking them. All grills are all a little different, so while my cook times are relatively accurate, I want you to use those as a guideline and not the hard and fast rule. Look for the bright yellow color. With that being said, corn is completely edible and delicious in its raw form, so nobody is going to be hurt if it’s not fully cooked.

grilled corn in husks

Delicious Flavored Butters for Grilled Corn

Oh man, you can’t have corn on the cob without butter! While I love a sweet and crunchy corn on the cob in late summer, it gets even better with butter! Here are a few tasty options:

  • Honey Butter – I know that seems bizarre, but don’t knock it ’til you try it. So good!
  • Green Chile Cilantro Butter – try blending salted butter with some diced green chiles and cilantro. A yummy and spicy butter to slather onto your grilled corn
  • Bleu Cheese Butter – butter and bleu cheese mixed together and added onto some grilled corn? Sign me up.
  • Basil Butter – add some fresh basil, garlic and parmesan cheese to some salted butter and slather that onto your corn. See how delicious that is!

Other Recipes Using Fresh Corn on the Cob

grilled ear of corn

Delicious Grilled Main Courses to Enjoy with Corn

So there you have it! A super simple and delicious way to make your corn all summer long! I hope you will give it a try because it truly is a treat, especially if you get some super sweet ears of corn.

three ears of grilled corn
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How to Grill Corn

Grilling some chicken or burgers this summer? Well look no further for your new favorite summer side dish. Learn how to grill corn with this simple tutorial!
servings 4 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 whole ears of fresh sweet corn

Equipment

  • 1 BBQ grill

Instructions

Grilling Corn in the Husk

  • Carefully open up the corn by pulling the husks down while still leaving them attached at the base of the ear. Remove the silk from the husks and the corn. Pull the husks back up around the corn cob.
  • For 20-30 minutes before grilling, soak your ears of corn in a large bowl or bucket of cold water with a big pinch of salt. The water helps steam the corn while preventing the husks from burning too quickly.
  • After the corn as soaked, add it to the hot grill and let it cook about 20 minutes at a medium to high temperature, turning every few minutes. I cooked mine at 550° F. It is done when the kernels are bright yellow over the whole ear of corn. You can remove the husks and char the edges, if desired, but it's totally optional. Serve hot.

Grilling Corn Without the Husk

  • Remove the husks and silk from all the ears of corn. Rinse to remove any last silk hairs. If desired, wrap corn on the cob individually in aluminum foil.
  • Adding a layer of foil onto your corn can help prevent charring. While you may have hot spots on the grill and those can still char the kernels, it's one layer of protection. If you are grilling over an open flame (like when camping), I would suggest adding foil to the corn.
  • It is best to grill corn that is going directly onto the grill at a lower temperature for 10-15 minutes to ensure it cooks before it gets charred all the way through. Find those cooler spots on the grill for best corn placement. Around the edges or on a higher rack in the BBQ is great at first, just to ensure its cooked. Then for extra char, add it to a hotter part of the grill for that finishing touch. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: corn

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