Sweet, juicy, and butter-infused grilled corn in foil is a necessary side dish any time you fire up the bbq. Follow along and I’ll show you how to make the most flavorful grilled corn seasoned with compound butter for your next dinner.
Why bother grilling corn on the cob in foil?
Cooking corn on the cob in foil is a great way to get succulent and infused corn for your next bbq or camping trip. But why can’t you just grill it with the husk on you ask? Well, one benefit is that you can clean the corn of excess silk and dirt when you remove the husk and then cook it in the foil.
Another reason for cooking corn in foil is that sometimes you can’t get fresh corn in the grocery store, but they do have pre-packaged corn in containers. The foil helps to keep the corn from burning on the grill.
Not only does this help keep the corn clean on the grill, but it’s also helpful to preseason your corn with compound butter or other seasonings since it’s cooked in a foil packet. Seasoned, grilled corn on the cob in foil is one of my favorite ways to cook corn, especially when I’m already grilling other items (like Filipino bbq skewers, chicken inasal or veggie kabobs) and need more easy side dishes.
If you don’t have access to a grill, you can also bake these in the oven at the same temperature, just make sure to check on them every so often so they don’t burn.
Seasoning with compound butter
This recipe can be customized to many different palates and my favorite way to infuse flavor into grilled corn in foil is to make compound butter. What’s great about making compound butter for this recipe, is that you can use the leftover butter for other recipes, like smashed potatoes, dipping sauce for Dungeness crab, microwaved corn on the cob, or spread it on shokupan–the possibilities are endless.
If you want to take a trip to flavortown, here are some of my favorite infused-butter combinations:
- Roasted garlic: fresh roasted garlic with sweet onion
- Miso chives: umami-packed red miso with fresh chives
- Lemon herb: a fragrant combo of oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and citrus
- Chile lime: spicy gochugaru powder, fragrant roasted garlic, and lime juice
If you don’t have time to make compound butter, you can easily slather your corn with butter (or oil) and sprinkle the ingredients on the corn before wrapping it in aluminum foil.
How to grill corn on the cob in foil
When you’re wrapping your corn in aluminum foil, do not tightly wrap the foil around the corn–leave a little space between the corn and foil. Grilled corn in foil works similar to a steamer and an oven.
The steam created in the foil will help cook the corn and give us succulent kernels. I leave about ¼ to ½ inch of space in between the corn and foil as I roll it into a log and then fold the sides in.
How do you know when the corn is done on the grill?
The surefire way to know when the corn is done cooking is to take one corn and open the foil to check the plumpness of the kernels. Carefully use your tongs to unfold the foil and a fork to remove one or two kernels and taste test it for doneness.
Cooked corn should burst in your mouth with flavor and have a tender texture. If it tastes too raw, or starchy, then place it back into the foil and grill for an additional 2-5 minutes and then test it again.
How long do you need to grill corn?
Preheat your grill or oven to medium heat, which is about 350 °F, and then place your corn in the center of the grill and cook for about 15-20 minutes. I like to turn each foil packet over once about halfway through to make sure the corn is cooked evenly.
Do you need to wash corn on the cob before grilling?
I always like to wash my corn whether it’s to remove the attached silks after shucking the husk or if it comes with its husk removed in a container. This just makes sure all extra dirt is removed before cooking.
Grilled Corn on the Cob in Foil
Ingredients
Roasted garlic
- 2 bulbs garlic whole with the peel intact
- neutral cooking oil vegetable oil preferred
Roasted garlic compound butter (makes ½ cup serving)
- ½ c butter unsalted and softened
- 2 tbsp roasted garlic
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Chile lime compound butter (makes ½ cup serving)
- ½ c butter unsalted and softened
- 1 tbsp roasted garlic
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp gochugaru or dried chile pepper powder
- ½ lime zest
- ½ tsp lime juice
Miso chive compound butter (makes ½ cup serving)
- ½ c butter unsalted and softened
- 3 tbsp red miso
- 1 tbsp chives sliced thinly
Lemon herb compound butter (makes ½ cup serving)
- ½ c butter unsalted and softened
- 1 tsp basil minced
- 1 tsp parsley minced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Corn
- 4 corn husks removed and cleaned
- kosher salt if necessary
Equipment Used
- Bowls (amount depends on number of compound butters you want to make)
- Spatulas
- knife and cutting board
- plastic cling-wrap
- aluminum foil
- grill
Instructions
Compound butter
- Roasted garlic compound butter only: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Take a whole bulb of garlic and slice off the top so that you can see a sliver of the naked cloves. I typically chop about ¾ from the bottom. Place the bulb in a sheet pan and drizzle vegetable oil onto the bulbs. Make sure you thoroughly drench the bulbs and the crevices. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until the cloves are golden brown and you can easily pierce the cloves with a knife. Let it cool on the counter before peeling the garlic cloves.
- Choose a compound butter recipe above and combine all its ingredients. Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Cut out a piece of cling-wrap that’s about 12 x 12 inches.
- Place the butter in a line in the center of the cling-wrap. Take the bottom of the cling-wrap and fold it over the middle of the butter. You’re going to now roll it upwards and shape it into a log. Roll upwards until you reach the top. Take the sides and twist them to tighten the roll.
- Use butter as directed below for corn. If you want to save the butter for future use, allow it to harden and form in the fridge for about 45 minutes or until fully solidified before using.
Corn
- Preheat the grill to medium heat (about 350°F).
- Remove the husk, wash the corn, and cut the ear in half if desired.
- Cut foil that’s large enough to roll the corn at least 2 times, about 12 x 12 inches.
- Take one piece of corn and slather with about 1-2 tbsp of compound butter.
- Place the corn towards the bottom center of the foil and roll it up loosely. Fold in the sides to secure. Repeat with all the corn.
- Place them in the center of the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes turning the corn about halfway.
- Remove the corn from the grill and carefully open the foil. Serve with extra compound butter and salt on the side.
Notes
Like this recipe? Subscribe to my newsletter!
