I love naked corn. Grilled just right with a little char. SO GOOD. This is the ultimate grilled side dish and so easy to do. Why serve anything else?
Editor’s Note: Originally Published August 20, 2010. Last Updated June 8, 2018, with re-edited text and pictures.
I felt compelled to do this post since I have seen many other grilled corn articles on the web. Most requiring work. I’m allergic to work that is not necessary and give poorer results.
For many years I tried other techniques, but I have used this one for 7-8 years. It’s the perfect side with no significant work. It is perfect for a grilling side dish.
Please note that I avoided the opening line of “I grill corn naked.” It was just too easy.
My Rating
I’m from Iowa, and it is corn. An obvious 5. A little char is great.
Recipe Notes on Naked Grilled Corn
I’m not a fan of any grilling that involves tightly covering something and then “steaming” it on the grill, and then you call it GRILLED?
I don’t see that grilling corn in the husk is much different from steaming it. If you want to do it, remove the silks, and place over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes rotating every 5 minutes. The husks should be almost black. You get to deal with that.
I’m not discussing foil but see above paragraph. It should take about 15 minutes.
You might as well cook it in the microwave and not have to burn your fingers cleaning the hot corn after cooking. Now I do microwave corn in the winter, and it’s quite good but get real here.
Timing and Grill Temperature issues
This takes about 10 minutes over 450-degree grill surface temperature. That is medium-high on most grills. Corn can tolerate high heat but will take a few minutes less if your grill is high.
For more discussion see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
Husk and clean corn. Brush with vegetable oil. You can salt and pepper to taste at this point or after grilling.
Grill over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes turning and moving around every 2-3 minutes. Cook until some kernels are starting to char.
Salt, pepper, and butter to taste.
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Naked Grilled Corn
Ingredients
- 2 ears corn - husked and cleaned
- vegetable oil
- salt
- pepper
- butter - to taste
Instructions
- Husk and clean corn. Brush with vegetable oil. You can salt and pepper to taste at this point or after grilling.
- Grill over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes turning and moving around every 2-3 minutes. Cook until some kernels are starting to char.
- Salt, pepper, and butter to taste.
Recipe Notes
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Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published August 20, 2010.
Patty
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
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
Yummy
Charlene
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
Sounds simple enough even I could do it :)
Dr Dan
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
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.