How to Cook Corn (All Our Favorite Methods)

"Boiled" Corn

The thing to note here is that I've put "boiled" in quotes. That's because the result is like a classic boiled ear, but the methods are optimized for the very best results—which, it turns out, means we don't actually boil the corn at all. Instead you can choose one of three great methods depending on your available time and setup.

For those with a big pot and access to an instant-read thermometer, my very favorite method is a cold-start poach in which the corn and its water are brought up to 180°F, then covered and left to sit for at least 10 minutes. This process perfectly gelatinizes the corn's starches so that there's no chalky texture to the corn milk, but avoids breaking down the kernels' natural pectin, preventing wrinkly, collapsed, mushy corn.

Alternatively, you can steam the corn, which works great and is quick, thanks to the need to heat a much smaller amount of water, or you can microwave the ears in the husk, which is my go-to method when I just want an ear or two (though I've had success with microwaving up to four ears at once).

Grilled Corn

Grilling corn produces one of the more flavorful cobs we've ever eaten, the sweetness concentrated and contrasted with a roasty depth. Once again, we offer options here: You can grill the cobs naked on the grill for the most intense grilled flavor, in aluminum foil for low-mess cobs for a crowd, or in the husk, which produces a kind of hybrid steam-grilled flavor with lightly smoky and grassy notes from the charred husk.

No matter which you choose, you won't be sorry.

Sous Vide Corn

The truth is that sous vide produces corn on the cob that tastes just like boiled, so in theory I could have just lumped it into the "boiled" section above. But the method is different enough, and requires enough specialized gear, that I think it's worth highlighting it separately. The method comes with advantages and disadvantages, so let's just take a quick look:

Pros

• Foolproof results due to precise temperature control.
• Ability to infuse corn with flavor by adding aromatics to the bag.

Cons

• Wasteful: Works better when you double-bagging the cobs in disposable plastic.
• The 30-minute cooking time is on the longer end for corn.
  

Sautéed Corn

If you take a few minutes to cut the kernels off the cob, a whole set of other techniques opens up to you. You can, for instance, sauté those kernels—the high heat, light coating of fat, and near-constant movement produces corn that's perfectly cooked, lightly browned, and very flavorful—and that's before we even add flavorings to it. There are lots of ways to sauté corn, but one of our favorites is the classic Mexican esquites with lime, mayo, and cotija.

If you want to diverge from the classics, let this recipe for sautéed corn with chorizo act as your guide. Whether you cook this exact recipe or not, the basic technique applies to other flavorings and ingredients: Start with any ingredients that need longer cooking like diced onion or pieces of fatty meat or sausage, then add the corn, and finally finish anything that needs to maintain its freshness and not cook long or at all.

Cooked in Soups and Stews

This is a broad category of techniques that can span anything from a smooth and creamy corn soup or chowder all the way up to a much chunkier stewed vegetable dish like succotash. For brothier or creamier corn dishes, make sure to take advantage of the flavor packed into the cobs themselves if at all possible by scraping the corn milk from them and adding it to the pot, or even simmering the cobs in liquid to extract as much flavor as possible.

For more stewed corn dishes with less (or even minimal liquid), the key is simply to not overcook the corn. Add it towards the end so that it cooks long enough the grow tender, but not so long that it becomes mushy and loses its fresh sweetness.

Baked Corn

While there is a broad world of baked corn dishes like cornbread that use dried ingredients like cornmeal, I'm focused solely on fresh corn here. And yes, you can still bake it, often in combination with dried corn. Stella Parks' excellent corn casserole is a beautiful one-skillet dish that goes from oven to table, golden and bubbling. It's loaded with sweet corn and just enough cornmeal to thicken the batter up.

And we also have a buttery sweet-and-savory Pennsylvania-Dutch corn pudding that is cornmeal-free. The key to this one is to grind the corn kernels into a very chunky purée to form a thick slurry that is set with the corn's natural starches, eggs, and just a touch of cornstarch.

Salad-ized

Ah, this is kind of a cheat because "salad" isn't really a technique at all, and most corn salad recipes start with one of the other cooking methods. But at this point I've discussed tender corn on the cob, roasty grilled corn, puréed corn, and baked corn, and I feel like cold, refreshing ways of serving corn have gotten left out in the process. So just don't forget: You can cook corn in some of the above ways, and then turn it into a salad. That's cool, literally, and that's welcome in this damn summer heat.

Here are a couple great ideas: grilled corn, tomato, and feta salad and this killer Thai corn salad with salted duck egg.