Grilled Corn On The Cob With Parmesan Herb Butter

One of the best things about summer is that it’s grilling season and fresh corn season, and there’s no better way to enjoy both than this grilled corn on the cob recipe. It’s an easy recipe, and it’s a great side dish for most classic grilled meals. There’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular summer favorites for everyone in the family.

Ingredients + Variations

2 ears of sweet corn, corn husks removed and cleaned

3 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (plus extra for serving)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus extra for serving)

2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 

1 red chili, thinly sliced

Substitutions

Red chili too spicy? Try topping with fresh chives instead.

Staying away from dairy? The best way to substitute is to add the parmesan, fresh herbs, garlic and cheese to 3 tablespoons of olive oil first so they have time to infuse the oil while you prep and cook the corn.

Equipment

Gas or charcoal grill

Knife

Small bowl

Aluminum foil (or cook in the husk; see ‘Cooking Tips’ for details.

Instructions

1. Heat grill to medium heat.
2. Cut ears of corn in half and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir butter, minced garlic, parmesan, parsley, and basil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve one quarter of the butter mixture for serving.
4. Rub each ear of corn half with the herbed compound butter and wrap securely in a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. 
5. Place corn on the grill and grill for 30 minutes or until soft, turning every 10 minutes. 
6. Remove the corn from the grill and set aside to cool for 5 minutes or until it is cool enough to handle. Once cool, remove the aluminum foil being mindful of any steam and place on a serving platter.
7. Garnish grilled corn with additional butter mixture, fresh red chili, parsley, and freshly shaved parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

No fancy ingredients for this easy side dish, but to get the best taste try to use fresh herbs, real butter (fresh butter is even better,) and of course, fresh sweet corn.

A gas grill gives you better temperature control than a charcoal grill (plus it’s easier to keep clean!), but as a grill and BBQ fan I go with traditional charcoal. Either way you grill corn, you’ll still get the perfect side dish with that yummy smoky grilled flavor!

No foil? No worries! Leave the husks on the corn and soak them in a pot of water, and cook on the grill with the husks on for 25 minutes, let the hot corn cool enough to handle and remove the husks then 5 more minutes on the grill. It’s just a little bit, but enough to impart that amazing flavor. They’ll steam inside the husks and cook perfectly!

Serving

Garnish thin slices of red chili, or chopped chives if that’s too spicy.

Pairs with

• Chardonnay
• Chenin Blanc
• Pinot Gris

Goes well with

Other grilled dishes, from hot dogs to our grilled balsamic marinated steak, and is complemented nicely with a fresh garden vegetable salad.

Storage Instructions

Stores in an airtight container up to three days in the refrigerator.

Got leftovers? Remove the kernels from the corn cobs and add to a salad (or make a corn salad!) or use to make some tasty street corn with tacos.

Make It A Meal 

Grilled corn is such a great side dish, it goes with almost any type of meat. Serve it with grilled steak, hot dogs or burgers, pork chops or chicken. Since it’s covered covered in melted butter, a lean meat is better than a high fat meat to balance out the fat in the meal.

Love those juicy ribeyes or brisket anyway? Try adding a fresh green salad or coleslaw.

Bragging Rights

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