Grilled corn in the husk. It's time for summer sweet corn, with grill-charred corn kernels. This is the easiest way I know to grill corn. Leave the husk on, and toss it on the grill grate. Pull the husks off the corn when they're done and serve with salt and butter.
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Why This Recipe is Great
Cooking corn in the husk steams the corn and makes it easy to peel - the steamed corn silks and husk slide right off of the corn. It is messy, though - the outer husk is blackened, and after peeling the corn your hands will look like you were drawing with charcoal.
You can toss the ears straight on the grill grates, but I like to peel the outer layer of the husk and trim the silk from the top of the corn to keep the husks from burning. (Both the outer layer and the silk stick out, and tend to catch fire over direct heat.)
One last advantage to this cooking method - the corn husk protects the corn, which gives us a wide margin of error when cooking. Cooking over high heat, not medium? Forgot to flip the corn? Enjoying a tasty beverage, and left the corn on too long? The husk will blacken more, but the corn inside will be fine. You can relax and finish your beverage.
Should I Soak My Corn Before Grilling?
Some people soak the corn in cold water before tossing it on the grill. If you want to, be my guest, but I don't bother. It doesn't seem to keep the husks from catching on fire, and I want a little bit of that charred flavor in my grilled corn.
How to Grill Corn in the Husk
- Prep the corn: Pull the outer layer of husks off the corn, and trim the silk from the top with scissors.
- Prep the grill: Preheat the grill, and set it to medium heat, about 350°F.
- Grill the corn: Put the corn on the grill grate, directly over the burners or charcoal. Grill the corn for 20 minutes with the lid closed, flipping halfway through the grilling time.
- Peel and serve: Let the corn rest until it is cool enough to handle, then remove the husks. Serve with butter and salt.
What to Serve with Grilled Corn in the Husk
Grilled corn in the husk is a fantastic side dish with any grilled meal. I serve it with grilled steaks, or grilled chicken, or grilled hamburgers, or pulled pork, or...well, almost anything.
Storing Leftovers
If I have leftover corn, I cut the kernels off of the corn cobs and store them in 2-cup containers. They'll keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Then, I reheat them and serve them as a side, or use them in a grilled corn salsa.
Print
Grilled Corn in The Husk
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 ears of corn
Description
Grilled in the husk corn. Summer eating at its finest.
Adapted from: Kenji Alt, The Food Lab: Three Ways to Grill Corn
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn, still in the husk
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- Butter
Instructions
- Prep the corn: Peel off the outer layer of husks from the corn, leaving the inner layers intact. Trim the silk off the top of the corn with a pair of kitchen scissors. (If the stalks are still on the corn, leave them - they make a convenient handle when we're peeling the corn later.)
- Set the grill up for direct medium heat (350°F):Set the grill up for direct medium heat. On my Weber gas grill, I preheat the grill with all burners on high for ten to fifteen minutes, brush the grill grate clean, then turn the burners down to medium. On my charcoal kettle grill, I light a chimney starter full of charcoal, and spread it out in a single layer across the charcoal grate.
- Grill the corn: Put the corn on the grill over direct medium heat, close the lid, and grill with the lid closed as much as possible. Grill the corn until the husks are blackened on the bottom, about ten minutes. Flip the corn and grill until the other side is blackened, about ten more minutes, for a total cooking time of twenty minutes.
- Peel and serve: Let the corn rest until it is cool enough to handle. Grab each ear, using the stalk as a handle if it's still there. Peel the charred husk and the silk from the corn. Immediately sprinkle the peeled ears of corn with salt, then serve, passing the butter at the table for everyone to roll their ear of corn on top.
Notes
The recipe is for six ears of corn, but use as much corn as you need (or you can fit on your grill - corn takes up a lot of space.)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ear
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 603.6 mg
- Fat: 7.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.7 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 15.3 mg
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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M says
Looks great!
Mike Vrobel says
It is! Give it a try!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Thanks for the ideas!
Rick says
Hey Mike---When your corn is done this way, you can throw it in a clean, dry cooler and close the lid. Continue on with the rest of your grilling, then pulll the corn out just before serving time, peel and enjoy. The cooler will keep roasted corn in the husk really hot for over a half hour, which allows you time to cook lots of meat, etc.. To make buttering the corn easier for a group, melt 1/2 lb. of butter in a clean, recycled tall 2 qt.steel juice can, like for tomato juice. Add enough hot water to get within 2-3 inches of the top. The melted butter will float on top of the hot water. Just dip the corn into the can and it will auto-butter on it's way out.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
From Anonymous:
I remove the outer layers and peel the inner layers back. Then remove the silk, rub the corn with butter and add salt and/or pepper. Fold the inner layers of the husk back up then place on grill. Covering with a damp cloth also helps with the steaming process. Mmmm, getting hungry.
Anonymous says
I remove the outer layers and peel the inner layers back. Then remove the silk, rub the corn with butter and add salt and/or pepper. Fold the inner layers of the husk back up then place on grill. Covering with a damp cloth also helps with the steaming process. Mmmm, getting hungry.
The Kitten Kitchen says
There's a food festival every year in Cincinnati, and the booth that sells corn in the husk is always my first stop. I'm going to have to try this recipe to satisfy my cravings for the times in between that festival!!