Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Garlic Butter
Grilling corn is easy and quick, making it perfect to throw on the grill after you’ve cooked your steaks, burgers, pork chops, or chicken.
In fact, the cooking time for the corn coincides perfectly with the rest time of a steak. There are a few steps, but the prep is easy and can be done well ahead of time. Soaking the husks along with hot coals and no flames, will keep the husks from igniting.
If you are having trouble sourcing Cotija (which is becoming increasingly common in grocery stores), you can substitute ricotta salata or pecorino romano. Lastly, don’t be afraid to throw an extra ear of corn, as any leftovers can be cut off the cob and reheated later for a lightly creamed chili lime corn.
Main Ingredients:
Corn: Select corn still in the husk. This is the best option for grilling, as it should have retained most of its moisture and not been dried out. Yellow, white, and bi-color varietals all grill very nicely. This is a quick cooking method, so the corn should still be “crunchy” when all is said and done.
Chili Lime Garlic Butter: This compound butter is the secret to this recipe. It can be made days in advance making the grilled corn quick and easy.
Citrus Crema: This citrus crema is the perfect topping for grilled corn, usually covered in an aioli. Instead, it provides a cooling effect to the charred corn and garlicky butter. Check out the recipe here and discover how delicious and versatile it is. You can always substitute sour cream.
Cotija: Cotija is a Mexican crumbling cheese. It’s similar to ricotta salata or pecorino romano, which are great substitutes. You can also use feta or parmigiano reggiano if you like.
Grilled Corn with Chili Garlic Lime Butter
Grilling corn is easy and quick, making it perfect to throw on the grill after you’ve cooked your steaks, burgers, pork chops, or chicken.
4
servings10
minutes5
minutes15
minutesKeep the screen on while I cook
Ingredients
4 ears corn on the cob with husks
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons Chili Lime Garlic Butter
cotija (to garnish)
Citrus Crema or sour cream (to garnish)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Method
- Shuck the corn by pulling back the husk, but don’t tear it off. Peel it down to the base and discard the silt.
- Tie off the husk with a butcher’s twine below the stalk.
- Fill a 2-quart jar with cold water and dip the husks just under the corn. Hold them there for 10 seconds so the husks soak up a little water.
- Rub them down with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill over hot coals for about 4-6 minutes, turning as the kernels get color. Transfer to a platter.
- Lather on the Chili Lime Garlic Butter, turning the corn so it melts all over and gets in the kernel crevices.
- Grate the Cotija directly on the corn. Then finish with a drizzle of Citrus Crema.
Take a Look
Field Notes
- Step 3 is essential when cooking over an open flame. This prevents the husks from catching fire, although they will char and get dark, which is okay.
- This recipe works best on a hot coal bed—not one that is still on fire but just glowing. There shouldn’t be any flare-ups, but you can better control how much color you put on the corn.
- Cotija is similar to Ricotta Salatta, but its texture is a bit crumblier and its flavor is milder. Pecorino Romano will also work, but it is funkier than both.
- Leftover corn can be cut off the cob and refrigerated. Keep the Citrus Crema and Chili Lime Garlic Butter in the storage container with the corn. To reheat, saute on medium/low until hot. This will create a creamy chili lime corn.
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