Description
Mexican street corn sizzles with smoky charm, bringing zesty lime and creamy cotija together in a soulful dance of summer flavors. Backyard grills become culinary stages where sweet kernels caramelize into irresistible golden bites you’ll savor until the last delicious morsel.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 ears of sweet corn
Water and Soaking Liquid:
- 2 cups water
Seasoning and Topping:
- 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Carefully strip away the outermost two layers of protective green husks from each ear of sweet corn, maintaining some natural covering to shield the kernels during grilling.
- Submerge the corn completely in a spacious water-filled container, allowing them to soak for a full hour to ensure optimal moisture retention and prevent rapid burning.
- Calibrate the outdoor grill to a precise temperature of 450°F (232°C), creating an ideal heat environment for charring.
- Extract the corn from the water bath, gently shaking off excess moisture, and position each ear directly onto the hot grill grates over direct heat.
- Rotate the corn every 5 minutes to achieve uniform charring and prevent uneven cooking, maintaining a total grilling time of approximately 20 minutes.
- After achieving a beautiful golden-brown exterior with slight blackened edges, carefully transfer the corn from the grill and allow it to cool sufficiently for safe handling.
- Delicately peel back the grilled husks, revealing the perfectly cooked kernels, then generously coat with softened butter and sprinkle with preferred seasonings like sea salt, black pepper, or fresh herbs.
Notes
- Soaking corn in water creates a protective barrier, preventing the husks from burning too quickly and keeping the kernels moist during grilling.
- Leaving some husk layers intact helps steam the corn internally while allowing beautiful charred marks on the exterior.
- Rotating the corn every 5 minutes ensures even cooking and prevents any single side from becoming overly charred or dried out.
- High grill temperature of 450°F creates perfect caramelization and smoky flavor while maintaining juicy corn kernels.
- Let corn cool slightly before peeling husks to avoid burning your hands and allow the corn to finish steaming.
- Butter and seasoning after grilling allows the corn to absorb maximum flavor and lets you customize each ear’s taste profile.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 94 kcal
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 135 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.6 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg