Grilled Corn in Foil with Parmesan Butter
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Naturally sweet and gluten free, grilled corn in foil couldn’t be any simpler or tastier. Slather fresh ears of corn on the cob with my simple Parmesan herb butter, wrap them in foil, and toss on a hot grill. Twenty minutes later you’ll be enjoying some of Summer’s best flavors!
Grilled corn on the cob is a quick, easy, and fresh side dish that is the perfect complement to so many Summer favorites — grilled chicken, pork chops, smoked ribs, and fried catfish.
No grill? No problem! You can also roast corn in foil in the oven!
Looking for more ways to enjoy Summer corn? Mexican Street Corn salad with feta cheese, fresh lime juice, and sliced scallions is perfect for taco night. Or, my corn succotash and fresh corn and avocado salad are tasty and colorful dishes, too.
Key ingredients
- Sweet corn — When choosing fresh corn at the farmer’s market or produce aisle, make sure the husks are bright green and tight to the cob, the tassels (silks) are sticky to the touch and not dry. If the tassels look black, the corn is old.
- Butter — Don’t try substituting margarine because it has too much water content. To make the flavored butter, use softened unsalted butter.
- Grated Parmesan cheese — Parmesan cheese is naturally salty so you only need to add a little salt.
How to grill corn in foil
STEP 1 | Prep the corn
- Remove the husks and silks from each ear of corn, rinse under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
- If you’ve never shucked fresh corn before or you have trouble removing all the silks, check out this farmer’s easy instructions!
STEP 2 | Make the buttery spread
- Garlic powder gives the herb butter a little zing. If you like, mince a clove of garlic instead.
- Place softened butter, grated Parmesan cheese, freshly chopped parsley, garlic, and a bit of salt into a bowl.
- Stir together until everything is incorporated. If you make the butter ahead of time and refrigerate it, be sure to let it come to room temperature before using.
STEP 3 | Grill in foil
- Place each ear of corn on a square of aluminum foil, then generously spread the butter all over the corn. Wrap the corn tightly in the foil and twist the ends to seal.
- Place on a hot grill and cook corn for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the corn feels soft when you squeeze it with tongs.
tips
- Be sure to use heavy duty aluminum foil (or a double layer of regular aluminum foil) to keep the corn from scorching on the grill.
Frequently asked questions
Cook the corn too long and the kernels will get chewy and tough. Perfectly cooked corn should still be crisp and look steamed when you unwrap the foil.
Follow the same recipe instructions (slathering the corn with butter and wrapping in aluminum foil), then pace the corn on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven. Turn the corn with tongs every few minutes until it is tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Parmesan Corn Grilled in Foil: behind the recipe
One of the best things about Summer is getting to enjoy fresh garden vegetables, especially fresh corn! Last Saturday at the Market Square Farmer’s Market I couldn’t resist buying a few dozen ears from a Jefferson City farmer… he reminded so much of my Dad.
My Dad believed in teaching us how to work by giving us “opportunities” to help in the garden. As a teenager, the problem was that the farm schedule and my schedule didn’t always match up.
When it was time to shuck the corn, snap the beans, dig potatoes, pick strawberries, or whatever other vegetable was ripening on the vine, it didn’t matter that there might be something else I wanted to be doing instead. When I left home for college, I decided I’d had enough of farm life. Too much work. Too many bug bites. Too hot!
Now that I’m older and wiser, I appreciate the life lessons I learned growing up on the farm. My genuine appreciation for farm-fresh food stems from knowing first-hand all the work it takes from seed to harvest. I love farmers and I love fresh corn!
Easy Parmesan Grilled Corn
Ingredients
- 8 ears fresh corn on the cob
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 – 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat, around 400 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine the softened butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and parsley.
- Generously spread the butter mixture onto each ear of corn. Wrap them individually in heavy duty aluminum foil, being sure to seal them tightly and twist the ends.
- Place the corn on the hot grill and cook for 16 – 20 minutes, turning several times, until the ear of corn feels soft when squeezed with tongs.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with more butter or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
Grilled corn is already delicious but then you threw in parmesan and I was sold!
Story of my life!!! During the summer break, my parents would send us to my granny’s farm where we would spend the entire break! Not a moment of fun! Everything was: pick these, clean that, weed here and so on!
Now I wish I had my own garden to grow a few veggies.
Love grilled corn and haven’t had some in a while. I’m craving some right now!
Another farm girl! We’re better people for all that hard work! 🙂
I usually just make boring grilled corn with a bit of butter but this looks so much better and flavorful!
Grilled corn is one of my favorite foods in the summer! I’m loving that delicious parmesan butter! Yum!
Everything’s better with a little Parm!
I love grilling corn! This recipe sounds like a really flavorful version of it!
What a perfect corn on the cob! I am going to have to try this!
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this tomorrow when I grill chicken for dinner!
Thanks so much, Laura!