I love grilled corn on the cob so much. It’s part of that broad group of foods with natural handles: Bananas! Empanadas! BBQ ribs! Sweet corn is evolutionarily designed to be eaten with your hands, which is, without question, the most fun way to eat. Grilled corn on the cob also happens to be the best side to countless other grilling recipes.
How did corn become a summer BBQ staple? Well, the story goes back many, many centuries: Corn was first domesticated by Indigenous people in Mexico around 6,600 BC. Though the exact date is unknown, the first iteration of grilled cobs, elote, was also invented in Mexico. The iconic ears, spread with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime, are now sold all over the country (and beyond, often referred to as Mexican street corn) alongside tacos as a portable snack.
Indigenous people taught European colonists to grow this native grain. From there, corn spread to pretty much every corner of the globe. In Japan, you might find elote-esque, okonomiyaki-inspired cob recipes: grilled corn slathered with Kewpie mayonnaise, yakisoba sauce, furikake, bonito flakes, and scallions. Blackened ears basted with a garlicky soy paste and a sweet chili sauce are a favorite at night markets in Taiwan. And at street carts throughout India, you can get bhutta, roasted corn on the cob seasoned with lime, salt, and chili powder.
There are truly endless ways to customize those charred and beloved kernels. But first: How to cook corn on the cob on the grill so it comes out perfectly every time. You have a couple of options here, depending on your affinity for draaama (i.e., grill marks). The good news is that neither of these methods require brining (soaking your cobs in salty cold water), and husking (a.k.a. shucking or removing the green leafy exterior) is totally optional. You don’t need to boil your corn cobs or wrap them in aluminum foil either. Prep time? Unless you’re making a topping for your cooked corn, consider it zero. The total time, though, will depend on the method you choose. Here we go:
How to grill corn on the cob in the husk:
For that still-juicy, just-grilled smokiness, grill your corn on the cob in the husk. Don’t sweat it if the leaves get charcoal-colored and brittle—that’s what you want. The leaves prevent the kernels from overcooking while imparting big smoky flavor. Want more color? Just loosen those husks slightly before grilling.
Ingredients
- As many ears of corn as you want to cook
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Butter or mayonnaise, plus all the toppings you can handle
Preparation
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Lay the corn ears (still in their husks!) straight on the grill grate and cook corn, turning occasionally, until the outer leaves are evenly charred. Depending on your grill model, this should take around 16 to 20 minutes.
- Once the cobs are cool enough to handle, pull the husks and silk right off. Then slather and dress the cobs as you please.
How to grill corn on the cob without husks:
If you’re after high-octane grill marks, you should know that you won’t get more than a few spots using the charring method mentioned above. But if you refuse to settle for anything less, follow these steps with husked and silked corn.
Ingredients
- As many ears of corn as you want to cook
- Olive oil or neutral oil, such as grapeseed (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Butter or mayonnaise, plus all the toppings you can handle
Preparation
- Get the grill smoking hot, then place corn over the flames and cook the naked cobs (coated in olive oil or not) for around one minute per side—long enough to get some color, short enough to retain moisture and crunch. Remove from grill.
- Once the cobs are cool enough to handle, top them with whatever you’ve chosen and dig in.
You can nail the technique, but the journey to the best grilled corn recipe starts with selecting good ears of corn at the market. Here are a few key things to remember:
Try to buy locally grown corn. The fresher the cob, the sweeter the kernels. Local corn is more likely to have been recently picked and has definitely spent less time banging around the back of some dusty freight train chugging across the country.
Look for fresh corn husks. Those leafy layers should be green and wrapped tightly around the cob, with none of them breaking or falling off.
Avoid buying corn with dry silk. I’m talking about the straggly tassel at the top of each cob. It should be glossy. Super dry silk is a sure sign of corn that’s past its prime—so is silk that’s too moist and starting to mold.
Feel for ripeness. Run your fingers along the outer husks to ensure the rows of corn kernels seem neat and tight like...little teeth. Whatever you do, please don’t peel back the husks—that’s a serious farmers market faux pas.
You always want to buy sweet corn. The good thing is that, assuming you’re shopping at a store or market for humans—and not a livestock supply shop, which sells field corn for animals—you’re good. Whether you choose white corn, yellow corn, or some hybrid like Silver Queen or Peaches and Cream, is all about what’s grown and sold in your local vicinity and your personal preferences.
Fresh corn loses sweetness and degrades in quality very quickly. So you’ll want to eat your cobs as soon as possible—ideally the day you bring them home. Not up for grilling at this very moment? Store them (husks on!) in the fridge for five to seven days.
Now for the fun part. The secret to really memorable corn—the kind that can silence an entire backyard of slippery-fingered humans—lies in what you spread on your grilled ears afterward. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with brushing your cobs with melted butter, sprinkling them with a little sea salt and black pepper, and calling it a day, mashing some herbs and spices into a stick of unsalted butter to slather tableside keeps things fun and fresh. It should go without saying that salt is assumed in all of these combos:
- Chaat masala + Cotija cheese
- Cayenne pepper + fresh chives
- Canned chipotle chiles + lime juice
- Miso + sesame seeds
- Spring onions + shichimi togarashi + crushed red pepper flakes
- Harissa paste + finely chopped mint
- Gochujang + crema mexicana + lime zest and juice
- ½ cup finely chopped tender herbs (such as cilantro, parsley, and tarragon) + ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan + ½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
My childhood self can commiserate with how not fun it is to have chunks of corn stuck between your teeth. Luckily for us, cutting char-kissed kernels off of grilled corn on the cob is a fine move and results in some of our favorite summer cookout side dishes. Toss the sheared kernels in a choose-your-own-adventure corn salad—or make the best salsa of your life, served with sturdy tortilla chips. Amp up a corny cacio e pepe with the fresh grilled stuff for more of a main dish moment, or make Creamy Elote Corn Pasta. And you can really never go wrong with smoky grits (corn two ways!). Just don’t toss those corn cobs—save them for corn milk!