Mastering The Bbq: Corn On The Cob Perfection

Grilled corn on the cob is a popular dish, especially during the summer. It's a simple dish that can be cooked in a few different ways, each producing a unique flavour and texture. The most common methods are grilling the corn with the husk on, grilling it with the husk removed, or grilling it wrapped in foil. Each method requires slightly different preparation and cooking times, but all result in delicious, smoky, grilled corn.

How to grill corn in the husk

Grilling corn in the husk is a unique method that yields moist, sweet corn with a subtle charred flavour. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to grill corn in the husk:

Preparation

Start by preparing your grill for direct heat grilling. Make sure to give the grill plenty of time to get very hot—you're aiming for high heat.

Remove any loose husks from the corn cobs. Then, peel back the husks, removing the silk, before pulling the husks back up over the corn. Soaking the corn in water for 10 to 20 minutes will prevent the husks from burning or catching fire while grilling.

Grilling

Place the corn on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the cobs every few minutes to ensure even cooking. The husk will char all over, but the corn inside will be tender and juicy.

Serving

Remove the corn from the grill and let it cool slightly before removing the husks and silks. Slather on some butter and season with salt and pepper, or try one of the seasoning suggestions below.

Seasoning Suggestions:

• Chilli lime: Squeeze lime over the corn and add a dash of paprika or chipotle powder.
• Herb butter: Mix fresh chopped herbs with melted butter before brushing it onto the corn.
• Garlic Parmesan: Mix minced garlic into melted butter and brush onto the corn, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
• Elote (Mexican grilled corn): Top the corn with a creamy sauce, cheese crumbles, lime, and cilantro.

How to grill corn without the husk

Preparation

Start by preparing your grill for direct heat grilling. Make sure to give the grill plenty of time to get seriously hot — it's high heat you're after. While the grill is heating up, shuck the corn and remove the silk.

Grilling

Place the corn on the grill, directly over the heat, and cook, turning occasionally, until beautifully charred all over.

Seasoning

Slather on the butter. Using a pastry brush makes this easy, but a butter knife will also do the trick. Don't forget to season with salt!

Serving suggestions

Butter is just the beginning! Grilled corn is an ideal sweet-smoky base for all kinds of toppings. Go wild with buffalo, cheddar bacon ranch, or flamin' hot. Or smear on some homemade honey-lime butter.

How to grill corn in foil

Grilling corn in foil is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to cook corn. The foil creates a steam chamber to cook the corn to tender-crisp doneness with the best bite. The added flavour from the butter browning onto the kernels from the hot grill is utter perfection. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to grill corn in foil:

Step 1: Preheat the grill

Fire up your grill to 350-375 degrees F. If you are cooking your main dish on the grill, you can cook the corn at the same time.

Step 2: Prepare the corn

Place a large (24-inch long) piece of foil on your work surface. Lay another large piece of foil on top, perpendicular to the first. Place the corn in the centre and drizzle with melted butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Seal the foil

Wrap the edges of the top piece of foil up and seal tightly. Repeat with the bottom layer of foil to create an airtight seal.

Step 4: Grill the corn

Place the package of corn on the grill grates, close the lid, and cook for 8-10 minutes. Use heat-resistant grill gloves to flip the foil pouch over on the grill. Close the lid and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes.

Step 5: Steam the corn

Remove the foil packet from the grill and rest for 5 minutes to allow the corn to steam in the foil.

Step 6: Enjoy

Open the foil and serve with additional salt, pepper, butter, chives, or any other toppings of your choice.

Tips:

• Double wrap in foil. Having two overlapping pieces of aluminium foil makes a huge difference in how the corn cooks. The last thing you want is a hole in your foil where all of that seasoned butter leaks out.
• Wrap each cob. If you’re doing a lot of corn at once or eating in a buffet line, wrap the corn individually. It cooks a bit faster and holds heat really well when the wrapped cobs are stacked up.
• Watch for hot steam. Letting your corn rest after grilling is an important step in the cooking process. It allows the steam in the package to finish cooking the corn and keep things juicy, while also giving time for everything to cool off slightly. As you open the foil pouch, watch for hot steam escaping. Vent lightly to let that steam escape without risking a burn.

How to choose the best corn on the cob

When choosing corn on the cob, it's best to go for fresh corn and cook it as soon as possible. Look for ears with tight green husks and golden brown, slightly sticky tassels (the hairy bit at the top). The kernels should be plump. Avoid brownish, crackly husks and dry or black tassels, as these are signs that the corn is past its prime.

The surest way to find the best corn is to peel back the husks to get a peek at the kernels, but limit this to one or two ears, as grocers may not take kindly to you inspecting every ear of corn.

How to serve grilled corn

Grilled corn on the cob is a perfect side dish for a summer barbecue. Here are some ways to serve it up:

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn)

Slather the corn with mayonnaise, dust it with chili powder, and sprinkle with Cotija cheese to make elote, or Mexican street corn. Don't forget to serve it with a squeeze of lime juice!

Chili Lime

Squeeze some lime over the corn, then add a dash of paprika or chipotle powder.

Herbed Butter

Stir in some fresh chopped herbs with melted butter before brushing it onto the corn. You could also try a garlic herb butter.

Garlic Parmesan

Mix minced garlic into your melted butter before brushing it onto the corn. Then, sprinkle grated parmesan on top.

Honey-Lime Grilled Corn

Try a honey-lime butter by mixing together some honey, butter, and cayenne pepper for a sweet-spicy bite.

Ranch Seasoning

Add butter or sour cream and a sprinkle of ranch seasoning.

Buffalo, Cheddar Bacon Ranch, or Flamin' Hot

Go wild with toppings like buffalo, cheddar bacon ranch, or flamin' hot.

With a Main

Grilled corn on the cob is a great side to veggie burgers, black bean burgers, and vegan hot dogs.

Frequently asked questions