The best grilled corn on the cob is quick and easy with a few tips. Pick the best corn, husk, and a brush of oil with salt and pepper, and finish by grilling over medium heat until tender with some delicious char. It's not hard, and it's so good—no husk and no aluminum foil are needed.
🌽Ingredients
Ears of corn
Vegetable oil
For serving—salt, black pepper, butter.
Other seasoning options—smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning if served with seafood, or Ranch powder.
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For us, grilled sweet corn is the perfect side dish for grilled burgers, steaks, chicken, or any grilled meal. It is fast, easy, cheap, and so good.
I prefer my corn grilled without the husk. The corn will develop char, a Maillard reaction, and a smoky flavor everybody loves. Corn still in the husk or wrapped in aluminum foil will steam cook from the trapped moisture.
Don't miss the super easy Microwave Corn on the Cob—perfect corn for two. Or other grilled side dishes, like Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Baby Potatoes, Grilled Mixed Vegetables, and Grilled Tomatoes
👨🍳How to Grill Corn on the Cob Without Husks—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Clean and oil grill grates with a temperature of 400°to 450°,
2. Husk and clean corn of silks. Brush with vegetable oil and a light sprinkling of salt and black pepper.
3. Grill for 10-12 minutes, turning and moving around every 3-4 minutes.
4. Cook until you are getting the char you want. Add more seasoning of your choice.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
How Long to Cook Corn on the Grill
It will take about 10 to 12 minutes to grill corn without the husk and not in foil at 450°. Grill until the corn is tender and has moderate char.
Corn on the cob wrapped with foil or still in the husk will take about 20 minutes to cook. All methods require frequent moving of the corn and will vary by the grill temperature and size of the corn.
🌡️What grill temperature to grill corn on the cob?
The best grill temperature for corn on the cob is 400° to 450°, which is medium to medium-high on most gas grills. This is the correct temperature for husked, unhusked, or foil-wrapped corn.
That's the same temperature range for most grilled chicken recipes and pork, such as grilled pork chops and tenderloins.
Grilling at high temperatures may burn the surface of the corn before it is tender. If you are cooking with high heat on your gas grill, like grilling New York strip steaks or grilling burgers, decrease the heat in an area of the grill for the corn.
Charcoal grills may be used, but it is harder to control the grill temperature. For more discussion, see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
🌽How to Pick the Best Corn on the Cob
- Do not peel back the husk to look; it provides no useful information and will accelerate the deterioration of that corn—bad for you if you buy it and for the seller if you don't.
- The first step to the best corn is where you get it. The best, in order, is your garden, your neighbor's vegetable stand, the farmer's market, and finally, the supermarket.
- Examine the tassel; it should be brown and silky, not black and dry, which are signs of older corn.
- The husk should be bright green and tight against the corn. It should have good moisture and not be turning yellow or brown on the edges.
- Look for little brown holes in the husk, usually near the top. Those are wormholes. Just say no.
- Feel the kernels through the husk to ensure they are even and plump.
How to grill corn on the cob in the husk or aluminum foil?
Both methods depend on the corn's internal moisture to steam cook it in a closed space. Both will take about 20 minutes or more to cook at 450°, although the corn with husks may take a few more minutes. Be sure to rotate every 4 minutes.
To grill in the husk, soak the corn in the husk in water for 20 minutes after trimming off the silks and loose husk. To grill in foil, remove all husk and silks and wrap tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil or double wrap in standard foil.
❓FAQs
There are several hundred types of corn on the cob, commonly called sweet corn. Some have enhanced the sweetness; you wouldn’t know the variety unless you planted the corn.
What you can control is the freshness since the sugar in the corn starts to deteriorate rapidly as soon as picked and, in 3-4 days, will be mostly starch. The easiest route for most of us to the sweetest corn is getting the freshest corn.
Mexican street corn, known as elote, is sold by street vendors. The husk is peeled back and tied with twine, then grilled and coated with a spicy sauce of mayo, sour cream, crumbly cheese, and spices, commonly topped with lime juice and cilantro.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Corn on the Cob Without Husks
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Ingredients
- 2 ears corn - husked and cleaned, do as many as you need
- vegetable oil
- salt
- pepper
- butter - to taste
Instructions
- Husk and clean corn of silks. Brush with vegetable oil and a light sprinkling of salt and black pepper.
- Grill over medium-high heat of 400° to 450° surface temperature for about 10-12 minutes, turning and moving around every 3 minutes.
- Cook until you are getting the char you want. Serve with the seasoning of your choice.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Assuming you are cooking this with something else, corn can tolerate a hot grill but cooks much faster and can easily burn. Most chicken and most pork recipes are cooked at the suggested temperature for corn. For steak or burgers, create a lower temp section on the grill.
- Fresh corn equals the sweetest corn.
- You don't need to peek at the corn under the husk. The silk needs to be brown and moist, not black and dry. The husk should be moist and bright green, and the kernels should feel full through it.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally Published August 20, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Patty says
I only make corn on the cob 2 ways. This is my favorite way! But occasionally I will milk boil it. Milk boiled reminds me of my Granny. That's how she always made hers. The 1st time I told my oldest granddaughter that I was going to grill the corn naked...she couldn't understand why I could GRILL naked but had (at the request of their parents) told her & her brother that they were to old to SWIM naked. Of course being from the south we don't ever think we're too old to skinny dip. But that's a whole different story...lol.
DrDan says
Hi Patty,
This is just a post title I just had to use. I remember my mother and grandmother always boiled the corn with a splash of milk in the water.
While I love that char from the grill, recently, I seem to never have the space on the grill and end up with the microwave method which is always good. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/how-to-cook-corn-on-cob-three-easy/
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Lori says
Yummy
Charlene says
I wanted grilled corn this last week, and my husband thought it should be wraped in foil on top of the husks. It was horrible, not even as good as corn in the husks I do in the microwave. Thanks for these tips, I'll do the grilling myself next time and do it right!
Julie says
Sounds simple enough even I could do it :)
Dr Dan says
It's not grilled corn without char. Corn boiled is great for what it is and in January I'm fine with it but not in the summer.
Chris says
Whatever way I grill my corn (I've tried many of the ways you mention), I like to have char on it at the end so they end up naked at some point.
Hard to be that taste on the cob or in a salsa.