Liven up a simple supper with this easy, Seasoned Corn Off the Cob. It comes together in minutes and makes for an ideal side dish without the fuss.
Bright yellow and white cobs of corn, slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt are one of the joys of summer. Sure, you might get a mess of butter on your cheek and look funny eating corn on the cob, but it’s worth it!
Summertime is pretty much the only time to eat sweet corn. At least the kind straight off the cob.
It tastes better. It had less far to travel. And it’s abundant and delicious.
However, you can enjoy corn off the cob all year long.
Boiled corn on the cob was a regular feature on our dinner table when I was growing up. I loved it slathered in butter and salted generously.
Today, while my kids love gnawing on the cob, I prefer it off the cob. It’s so much easier to eat that way, and I don’t spend the evening picking silk strings out of my teeth. TMI?
Whether you buy your corn whole and shuck it yourself or buy it in a bag or can, this dish for seasoned corn off the cob is absolutely delicious.
It’s so much simpler than wielding a tower of corn cobs, hoping none fall off, waiting for the butter hog to pass the butter, etc. Plus, you don’t have the shorn cobs to deal with later when you’re clearing the table.
Do you have to cook corn before cutting it off the cob?
You can actually do either, cook it before or after. For this recipe, I recommend sauteeing corn kernels already removed from the cob. I like using frozen corn kernels for this recipe.
However, you can just as easily cook all the corn on the cob (if it’s summertime when it’s fresh) and then let the folks at your table decide how they want to eat it.
What is the best way to cut corn off the cob?
Cutting corn off the cob can be kind of a messy job. They make special gadgets to help you do it, or you can just take a knife and slice the corn kernels off at the base, while holding the ear perpendicular to a plate or cutting board.
Check out these 3 easy ways to get the job done.
How To Make Seasoned Corn Off The Cob
- In a large skillet over medium heat, place the corn and 1/4 cup water.
- Simmer for 4 minutes or until the corn is hot.
- Drain off the water.
- Add the butter to the hot corn and melt, stirring.
- Add the dill, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cheese and cilantro. Serve hot.
Can I use frozen corn?
Yes you can. Corn off the cob is just simpler in so many ways: easier to eat, easier to serve, easier to prepare. Plus, you can stock up on bags of corn on sale and fill your freezer.
You can also cut the kernels off your own farm fresh corn cobs if you’d rather. I’ve done that when we got a produce box, and I was always very happy to pull “fresh” corn out of the freezer. I’d say commercially frozen corn is not bad at all, but it’s true, it can’t compete with fresh sweet corn.
Can you freeze corn yourself?
If you find a great deal on sweet corn, you can absolutely prep it to freeze yourself.
For freezing on the cob: blanch 6 to 10 minutes, longer for longer cobs. Cool, drain, and wrap in plastic. Store in ziptop freezer bags.
For freezing off the cob: blanch 5 minutes. Cool, drain, and cut from the cob. Package into freezer bags or airtight containers and freeze.
This dish is perfectly simple, comes together in about ten minutes and won’t heat up the kitchen or require you to heft big pots of steaming water over to the sink. And it still tastes of summer. Without all the work.
How to save money making Seasoned Corn off the Cob
Here are some of the strategies I use to make this recipe more economical:
- Buy in bulk. Costco and Sam’s often sell large bags of frozen vegetables or you may find corn on the cob on sale during the summer months at grocery stores and farm stands. Buying a bulk order of corn and stashing it away for later can help you stretch your grocery dollar.
- Grow your own herbs. Fresh herbs add great flavor to dishes but they can be pricy at the grocery store. Grow your own herbs to enjoy this luxury in abundance.
Tools I use to make this recipe easy:
Having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- skillet – this is a great open stainless steel skillet
After you’ve prepared the recipe, would you do me a favor? I’d really appreciate it if you came back and left a starred review. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
- 10 ounce package frozen corn (or about 5-6 ears of corn)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (melted butter can be used instead)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh cilantro
- In a large skillet over medium heat, place the corn and 1/4 cup water.
- Simmer for 4 minutes or until the corn is hot.
- Drain off the water.
Add the oil to the hot corn, stirring.
- Add the dill, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cheese and cilantro. Serve hot.
Note: using oil instead of butter in this recipe will allow you to serve it as a cold salad as well as a hot side dish.
Feel free to vary the fresh herbs to suit your preferences. Try chopped fresh basil or parsley for a slightly different flavor.
5 Quick Last Minute Desserts
Easy Roast Potatoes You’ll Want to Keep All to Yourself
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (Freezer-Friendly)
Bulk Batch Herbed Stuffing with Onion and Sage
Mushroom and Onion Gravy Recipe for the Freezer
Interesting idea. I’ll be the first to agree that the frozen corn in the store doesn’t compare to fresh from the field frozen corn. But I no longer receive lots of the fresh grown and frozen kind. So I am slowly learning to settle for what they have at the store.
I usually cook frozen corn and other vegetables by putting them in a corning-ware casserole and microwaving them. That way I don’t have to drain the water off. But, next time I think I will try adding the butter and seasonings and see if that doesn’t improve the flavor and make up for the lack in the store bought variety.
Thanks for the idea and the other links. I’m going to try the thyme seasoning, for sure.
Let me know what you think!
We almost always eat our corn off the cob. Like you said it is so much easier and less messy. We did sixty ears of fresh corn off the cob last year supporting a friend’s farm stand with an electric knife and a bundt pan on a large cookie sheet. It kept the mess contained and we got 50 bags of corn>
I’ll give this recipe a try for something different
What a great summer preserving project!
I didn’t know corn was “allowed” on the whole 30 diet? I’m new at this!
Corn is not allowed on the Whole 30 diet. Not all my recipes are Whole 30. You’ll want to limit your search to those here: https://goodcheapeats.com/category/whole-30/