Grilled Corn on the Cob with Husk
This grilled corn on the cob with husk is sweet, juicy and perfectly tender with just the right amount of smoky flavor.
Grilling corn in its husk helps lock in moisture while protecting the kernels from drying out, resulting in incredibly juicy corn every single time. Finished with melted butter, salt and black pepper, this simple summer side dish (like my garlic marinated tomatoes) is a must try.
There’s something about grilled corn that instantly makes me think of summer cookouts and backyard barbecues. While there are plenty of ways to grill corn, leaving the husks on is one of the easiest and most foolproof methods.
The husks act like a natural steamer, helping the corn cook gently while still picking up a little smoky flavor from the grill. You can enjoy the grilled corn as-is, or use it to make a nice grilled corn and potato salad.
Quick Look: Grilled Corn on the Cob
- 🔪 Prep time: 2 minutes + 30 minutes soaking time.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 20 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 📋 Main ingredients: Corn on the cob, butter, salt and black pepper.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Soak corn → grill with husks on → peel → season and serve.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Serve with grilled meats, sandwiches or chicken sloppy joes.
Summarize & Save This Content With AI
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Grilled Corn on the Cob
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Grilled Corn on the Cob with Husk
- 💭Top Tip
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Troubleshooting and FAQs
- More Summer Side Dishes
- Grilled Corn on the Cob with Husk
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- You'll need just a handful of ingredients to make these, making them perfect for summer cookouts and barbecues and to use to make a nice corn Pico de Gallo.
- The husks help keep the corn juicy and tender and it's the perfect way to get that naturally sweet, smoky and flavorful corn every single time.
- You can customize them to your liking. Use some lemon pepper seasoning or spicy Tajin seasoning to lend them a different flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
Corn on the cob: Fresh corn with the husks intact work best for this recipe.
Butter: Adds richness and enhances the natural sweetness of the corn. I like to use my hot honey butter sometimes for a kick of heat.
Seasonings: I just used some salt and pepper. You can get creative and use an infused salt like citrus salt, garlic parsley salt or even jalapeno infused salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use an infused butter instead of plain butter. I like using my pesto butter or Cajun spice butter.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
- Add chili powder or Tajín seasoning for a spicy twist. I like sprinkling some of my dried jalapeno flakes whenever I have them at hand.
- Finish with fresh herbs like parsley (try my Air Fryer dried parsley) or cilantro.
How to Make Grilled Corn on the Cob with Husk
Step 1: Trim off the tips of the corn while keeping the husks intact.
Step 2: Place the corn in a large bowl or container filled with cold water. Soak for 10-30 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Transfer the soaked corn directly onto the hot grill and grill for 20 minutes, rotating the corn every 5 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the husks and grill the corn for another minute to get those light char marks. Top with butter and season as per your liking.
💭Top Tip
Don't skip the soaking step. The water absorbed by the husks helps steam the corn while it grills, keeping the kernels juicy and tender.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use fresh corn for the sweetest flavor. I realized this when I made my grilled tandoori corn.
- Make sure you rotate the corn every few minutes so that it's evenly cooked on all sides.
- Let the corn cool slightly before peeling the husks to avoid burning your hands.
- Keep the grill lid closed whenever possible for more even cooking.
- Sprinkle a bit of seasoned salt (like homemade Sriracha salt) right before you serve.
- Serve immediately while the butter is still melting into the kernels.
- Use leftover corn to make a batch of homemade corn stock to use for your recipes.
- If you don't have an outdoor grill, you can replicate this recipe indoors with a skillet too. In fact, that's actually how I made my skillet charred corn.
How to Serve Grilled Corn on the Cob
This grilled corn is the perfect side dish for burgers, chicken dishes like lemon pepper chicken legs, steaks, ribs and virtually any barbecue meal.
You can keep it simple with butter and seasoning or dress it up with flavored butters, cheese, herbs or spices. It's also delicious alongside potato salads, pasta salads, and fresh summer vegetables. I love using it to make my corn coleslaw and also add the leftovers to bulk up my chicken Fajita rice bowl. Sometimes, I even make a my Mexican street corn casserole using these grilled corn.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store cooled corn in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The husks will become charred and the corn should feel tender when gently pressed.
Corn is best served fresh from the grill, but you can reheat leftovers on the grill or in the microwave.
More Summer Side Dishes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this grilled corn on the cob with husk or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Grilled Corn on the Cob with Husk
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim off the tips of the corn while leaving the husks intact.
- Place the corn in cold water and soak for 10-30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Transfer the soaked corn directly onto the grill.
- Grill for about 20 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes so all sides cook evenly.
- Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly.
- Carefully peel away the charred husks.
- Spread butter over the hot corn.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh corn produces the sweetest and most flavorful results.
- Rotate the corn regularly for even cooking.
- Try different seasonings such as garlic butter, Tajín or parmesan cheese.
- Corn is best enjoyed immediately after grilling.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
