Sweet Juicy Corn Cob (Printable)

Tender sweet corn on the cob, boiled or grilled and topped with butter and salt for classic flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Corn

01 - 4 ears fresh corn on the cob, husked

→ For Serving

02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

# How-To:

01 - Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
02 - Add the husked corn ears to the boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until kernels are tender and bright yellow. Alternatively, preheat a grill to medium-high heat, lightly brush corn with oil, and grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally until slightly charred and cooked through.
03 - Remove corn from the pot or grill and pat dry if necessary.
04 - While corn is hot, spread softened butter evenly over each ear and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
05 - Serve the corn warm as a side dish.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Takes 15 minutes from water to table, so you can make it on a Tuesday night without overthinking.
  • The kernels come out impossibly tender and juicy when you time it right, and there's real magic in how butter melts into every crevice while it's still steaming.
02 -
  • Fresh corn matters more than technique here; if your corn is already a few days old, no amount of perfect timing will make it taste as sweet as the day it was picked.
  • Don't overcook it—the window between tender and tough is smaller than you'd think, and even one extra minute can make the kernels start to get starchy and lose that crisp-tender texture.
03 -
  • Buy corn as close to cooking time as possible; the sugars start converting to starch the moment it's picked, so same-day or next-day cooking truly tastes noticeably better.
  • If your corn is past its peak, the grilling method can actually mask some of the loss of sweetness because the char and smoke create new flavor dimensions.
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