34 Best Corn Recipes

Some look forward to summer for days by the pool and more hours of sunlight, but many foodies associate the summer months with one thing: corn season! If you're one such person, you're probably devouring sweet, juicy corn as much as you possibly can while it's plentiful and cheap in supermarkets, farm stands, and farmer's markets. You can pick the freshest cobs by using the silks to choose the best ears of corn. Corn on the cob can be grilled, steamed, boiled, and more. But be warned: Corn season is always over before you know it and then the only way you can get your fix is by stocking your pantry with canned corn or frozen corn.

Fortunately, there are so many ways to enjoy corn in all of its forms, whether it's on the cob, in a salad, baked into cornbread, in a tangy relish, or as an ingredient in pasta. So that you can make the most of corn season and beyond, we've rounded up the best corn recipes for every occasion. Take a look and find some new favorite ways to prepare this sweet and summery ingredient.

Elotes are a favorite street food in Latin countries. The grilled corn on the cob is topped with Mexican crema, chile powder, tangy lime, and fresh cilantro for a delicious snack that hits all the right flavor notes. If you can't take the trip to Mexico, Mexican-style street corn is easy enough to make at home. In our version, ears of corn are broiled, then slathered with a mixture of crema, mayonnaise, lime juice, chile powder, and cojita cheese. Top it with fresh cilantro, more cojita, and a generous sprinkling of Tajín. 

Recipe: Grilled Mexican Street Corn

Elotes are traditionally prepared with mayonnaise and Mexican crema, a creamy sauce that is similar to sour cream or creme fraiche and is often used to temper the spice level of Mexican food. If you can't find it in stores or want your meal to be healthier, try substituting thick Greek yogurt for the crema. The trick is to work fast: The moment you pull the corn off the grill, brush it with the yogurt and sprinkle with the cheese, cilantro, chile powder, and salt, so everything sticks to the kernels. 

Recipe: Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

If you're looking for a fresh appetizer to serve at your next party, elote-style corn dip will be a big winner. It has all the flavors of the favorite Mexican street food: corn, fresh lime, mayo, cojita cheese, cilantro, and Tajín seasoning. The addition of red onion, jalapeño, and tomatoes makes this dip an elote and salsa mash-up that's perfect when scooped up with tortilla chips. 

You can really up your party-host game by whipping up some homemade tortilla chips to go with this corn dip. Leftovers would be delicious on a quesadilla or burrito.

Recipe: Elote-style corn dip

Elotes and esquites top the list of Mexican foods you should try before you die, and while elotes are served on the cob, esquites include similar flavors and ingredients, but they are served in a cup. 

Try our recipe for Mexican street corn salad, which features corn charred in a grill pan then stripped from the cob and combined with red pepper, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and a tangy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and Tajín seasoning. 

Recipe: Esquites (Mexican street corn salad)

Corn can be a superstar in summer salads, the sweet juicy kernels complementing other veggies, fresh herbs, tangy dressing, and creamy cheese. In this simple corn salad, an apple cider vinaigrette is drizzled over a combination of corn, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and feta cheese. You'll need to cook the corn first, and we like Ina Garden's mess-free method for cutting kernels off the cob, which makes short work of an otherwise tedious task. 

Recipe: Corn salad

Every cook needs an excellent salad in their repertoire, one that, when you're invited to a party, the host says, "Can you bring that salad?" We think this could be one such salad. Grilling the corn and poblanos gives it a smoky flavor, and cutting the squash two different ways — in ribbons and rounds — on a mandoline slicer adds to the visual appeal of this recipe. If your market has squash blossoms, grab them. They make the prettiest garnish for this salad, guaranteeing you another invitation. 

Recipe: Grilled Corn and Summer Squash Salad

Canned corn is a convenient alternative to fresh corn, especially in recipes like casseroles. Fans of cornbread will love this recipe for loaded cornbread casserole, which includes two different forms of canned corn: corn kernels and creamed corn. The hearty dish is flavored with bacon bits and topped with a gooey layer of cheese. Serve it with the same sort of dishes you'd pair with cornbread: chili, fried chicken, BBQ. It yields 10 generously sized pieces, so consider it next time you need a crowd-pleaser at a barbecue ... or even Thanksgiving dinner.

Recipe: Loaded Cornbread Casserole

Rich and savory, corn pudding is straight out of "Little House on the Prairie." In this recipe, the surprise ingredient of ricotta cheese makes it super creamy, and scallions and cheddar cheese add a delicious counterpoint to the sweet corn. This corn pudding recipe serves eight, making it a good candidate for a group meal, whether it's a summer potluck or Thanksgiving dinner. But, even on an uneventful weeknight dinner, we think this dish would go great with your favorite grilled chicken recipe or roast pork. Ma Ingalls would be proud. 

Recipe: Creamy Corn Pudding

A box of cornbread mix is the shortcut starting point for this corn casserole, which also includes cans of creamed corn and corn kernels — in the summertime, you can use fresh corn for the latter. Although it cooks for an hour, it takes only minutes to assemble, freeing you up to prepare the main course. Our recommendations for the best dishes to serve alongside corn casserole would be pork tenderloin or roast chicken, or you could let it star as the main course and serve a fresh green salad on the side.

Recipe: Moist Corn Casserole

This Tarragon creamed corn recipe was dreamed up by Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, the chefs at the Memphis restaurant Hog & Hominy, a Southern-Italian fusion restaurant. To prepare, the corn cobs are steeped in cream (to pack in as much corn goodness as possible) before adding the kernels, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh tarragon.

It's just as indulgent as it sounds and such an elevated version of creamed corn deserves a place alongside filet mignon, lobster, or another equally indulgent main course.

Recipe: Tarragon creamed corn

If you're looking for an easy side dish equally at home at a summer barbecue or a fall harvest dinner, try this recipe for easy crockpot cream corn. Canned corn is cooked low and slow in a slow cooker with milk, cream cheese, and butter to make a decadent side dish. 

The best part of this dish is that since it's made in a crockpot, it frees up the burner space (and the cook!) to make the rest of the meal. Serve it with sticky-sweet barbecued chicken and a salad.

Recipe: Easy Crockpot Cream Corn

For many, corn on the cob is just a conduit for the star flavors: butter and salt. But we're loving the many creative alternatives to this classic topping, such as this garlicky butter that gets brushed onto the corn before it hits the grill, and again when it comes off, for layers of flavor. Removing the husks before you grill the corn will also get those little charred bits that elevate the flavor of this perfect backyard dish.

Recipe: Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob and Garlic Butter

For an unusual twist to buttered corn on the cob, try making an Asian-inspired compound butter with nori (dried seaweed), bonito flakes, and gochugaru. This dark green butter makes a dramatic presentation on a platter of corn and grated lime zest adds a tangy accent.

You'll probably have plenty of seaweed butter left over, but we promise you'll find plenty of ways to enjoy it, whether it's slathered on toasted cornbread, stirred into hot rice, or spread onto toast for avocado toast.

Recipe: Best Corn on the Cob Recipe with Seaweed Butter

Umami-rich miso is an unexpected complement to grilled corn. We have chef Peter Serpico of Serpico restaurant in Philadelphia to thank for this surprising marriage of flavors. In his recipe, he mixes white miso and butter to brush on hot ears of corn. A sprinkling of scallions completes the presentation and furthers the fusion twist on corn on the cob. 

Because miso itself is naturally salty, you won't need to salt the corn before digging in.

Recipe: Grilled Corn with Miso Butter

In her cookbook, Latin Grilling, author Lourdes Castro advises cooks to soak corn, husks intact, in water before grilling them, then pulling the husks back and grilling them a few moments longer to char the kernels. This process may seem a little fussy, but the results are well worth it. Castro's recipe tops this perfectly charred corn with homemade chipotle crema for a delicious riff on elotes. 

Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Crema

You won't be able to eat just one of these corn fritters, which have a crispy, golden exterior, and a creamy center. It's a great recipe to make when fresh corn is out of season since it uses canned cream corn instead of fresh or frozen kernels. Corn fritters are a fun appetizer (try them dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with hot honey), or they could stand in for hush puppies for a seafood feast. The secret to their airy, puffy consistency is whipped egg whites. 

Recipe: Corn Fritters

Chef Ford Fry of The Optimist, a seafood restaurant in Atlanta, combines two fried favorites into one irresistible recipe. His fresh corn hush puppies are given the beignet treatment with a dusting of confectioner's sugar. The batter, which is made in a saucepan, starts with corn kernels simmered in milk, before whisking in flour, cornmeal, eggs, and scallions.

You'll want to serve these fried treats straight out of the fryer, alongside heaping platters of seafood ... or maybe a bowl of corn chowder.

Recipe: Fresh Corn Hush Puppies

There's just something oh-so-satisfying about a big bowl of corn chowder. Accompanied by a hunk of crusty bread and a green salad, it's a pretty perfect dinner. This recipe for creamy comforting chicken corn chowder is packed with bits of chicken, chunks of potato, and kernels of corn, topped with crispy crumbles of bacon. Though the ingredient list calls for frozen or canned corn, there's no reason you can't use the same quantity of fresh kernels if they're in season. 

Recipe: Creamy Comforting Chicken Corn Chowder

Corn season is fleeting, but you can extend the season by cooking up a batch of corn stock while corn still plentiful at your local farmstand. This long-simmering recipe only needs four ears of corn, and you'll use both kernels and the cobs to make a stock with an intense corn flavor. Keep a stash in your freezer to use in place of chicken or vegetable stock in soups or as the cooking liquid for grains. Try it as a base for one of the corn chowders on the list.

Recipe: How to Make Corn Stock

Tender, sweet crabmeat goes great with corn, and both ingredients star in this recipe for crab and corn chowder. With a broth enriched with crème fraîche, this elegant chowder also includes chunks of carrots and potatoes and a topping of fresh chives. 

We think a chowder this thick and unctuous would be perfectly served in a homemade bread bowl. You could even take a cue from Panera's double bread bowl and hollow out two bowls into a loaf for a cute presentation for a dinner for two.

Recipe: Best Crab and Corn Chowder

Fresh or frozen corn works great in this hearty classic corn chowder recipe. Bacon adds a smoky flavor and serves as the cooking fat to cook the onions and potatoes before adding the corn and chicken broth. It's finished off with a splash of heavy cream to add creaminess to the broth. 

This recipe makes eight servings, enough for dinner tonight and leftovers to pack in a thermos for tomorrow's lunch. The chowder will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days ... but we doubt it'll last that long.

Recipe: Classic Corn Chowder

Most corn chowder recipes include bacon, heavy cream, and chicken stock, making them off-limits for vegetarians and vegans. But vegans can happily indulge in this recipe for vegan corn chowder, which contains none of the above. Instead, coconut milk and vegetable broth make up the base and smoked paprika replicates that smoky flavor from the bacon.

Blending half the soup until it's smooth, then stirring it back into the pot, makes this soup even creamier, sure to entice vegans and omnivores alike.

Recipe: Vegan Corn Chowder

You can never have too many chowder recipes in your arsenal, and this roast potato and sweet corn chowder recipe is a delicious and interesting take on the original. The potatoes and corn are roasted in the oven to get browned and crisp, and the soup is flavored with maple syrup, chipotles, and smoked gouda.

The recipe calls for chicken stock, but it can easily be made vegetarian by using a vegetarian chicken-flavored stock, vegetable stock, or corn stock.

Recipe: Roast Potato and Sweet Corn Chowder

There's clam chowder and there's corn chowder ... so why not both? That seemed to be the thought process of chef Matthew Jennings of the restaurant Townsman in Boston, who is an expert in the ways of making authentic New England chowder. His rich and delicious recipe includes fresh corn, bacon, littleneck clams, and potatoes, all swimming in a cream-based broth that's flavored with the cooking liquid from the clams as well as a bevy of fresh herbs. 

Seafood lovers and corn lovers alike will want to have this recipe on repeat at their dinner table.

Recipe: Clam and Corn Chowder

If the idea of tucking into a steaming bowl of chowder during a heat wave makes you break out into a sweat, you'll love this chilly alternative. Chilled corn soup with pickled corn relish is a must for true corn lovers because corn is used in three different ways in the recipe: Corncobs are simmered into a stock, their kernels are sauteed, and even more, corn is pickled for a colorful and tangy garnish.

Keep the oven off by serving this with a caprese sandwich. 

Recipe: Chilled Corn Soup and Pickled Corn Relish

If your favorite part of Chinese stir-fry is the chunks of baby corn, we have just the recipe for you. In this unique dish, canned ears of baby corn are the star. They're battered and fried, then combined with other veggies and bathed in a mouth-tingling spicy sauce. It's delicious served on top of rice or noodles.

As a fun variation, try serving the breaded, fried baby corn it as an appetizer with ranch dressing for dipping. 

Recipe: Crispy Baby Corn Chili

Calabacitas, which means "little squash" in Spanish, is a favorite Mexican vegetable dish that features chopped squash and corn sauteed with seasonings. This version includes poblano pepper, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and crumbled cojita cheese for a delicious side dish that would be at home alongside quesadillas, fajitas, or grilled chicken. While the recipe calls for kernels cut from fresh ears of corn, frozen corn would be a convenient substitute. 

Leftovers would make a delicious filling for burritos or tacos. 

Recipe: Veggie-Loaded Mexican Calabacitas

If you're a fan of British-style chips doused in malt vinegar as well as corn dripping with butter (and really, who isn't?), you'll want to bookmark this recipe. New potatoes are boiled, then smashed and deep-fried, and corn is sauteed in butter. These two starchy favorites are then drizzled with a mouth-puckering but rich reduction of vinegar, lemon, and butter and sprinkled with fresh herbs. 

It's a gorgeous and complex dish that would be delicious alongside a perfectly grilled steak.

Recipe: Crispy Potatoes with Malt Vinegar and Corn

In this super-moist cornbread recipe from chef Red Hauge of the beloved, but now-closed restaurant Dragon Ranch in Chicago, fresh corn is pureed and stirred into the batter to make a dense, intensely flavored cornbread that has a deliciously crisp crust. His tip for that caramelized exterior: Heat a cast iron pan in the oven until it's scorching hot, then spoon the batter into it. 

Hauge includes instructions for a honey-bourbon butter to spread onto the hot cornbread for a delicious side dish that's great with chili or fried chicken.

Recipe: Fresh-Cut Cornbread

Corn is used in two different forms in this recipe: Fresh kernels are stirred into creamy polenta, which is made of ground, dried corn. The rich polenta is a lovely base for cherry tomatoes that are sauteed with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs. A sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese brings it all together, for a comforting and savory meal that any Italian nonna would be proud of.

Recipe: Fresh Corn Polenta with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

A favorite summer menu item from Flour + Water Restaurant in San Francisco is its corn cappelletti. This stuffed pasta is filled with a mix of fresh corn, fromage blanc, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and herbs, then served up in a buttery sauce drizzled with honey to intensify the sweetness of the corn.

Making fresh homemade pasta is a skill worth perfecting, especially if you can use the pasta sheets to make this decadent and sophisticated recipe. It's an impressive dish to serve when guests are at your dinner table.

Recipe: Corn Cappelletti

A dessert featuring corn doesn't seem so far-fetched when you consider how sweet the starchy veggie can taste at its peak. The recipe is a fun project: First, you'll make homemade corn ice cream and a pan of honey-sweetened cornbread. Then you'll assemble the sandwiches, topping them with a mixture of crushed Corn Nuts and Corn Pops cereal. 

Yes, that's corn in four different forms. And once you try these sandwiches, you'll be sorry to go back to those traditional chocolate-and-vanilla versions from the ice cream truck.

Recipe: Cornbread Ice Cream Sandwiches

Corn Pops® cereal shows up again in this dessert that's childlike and sophisticated at once. Semifreddo is a semi-frozen dessert (the name is Italian for "half-frozen") with an airy texture thanks to the whipped cream that's folded into the custard. In this version, the dessert is flavored with a puree of cereal and fresh corn. The dishes of the semifreddo are topped with a crunchy mixture of more Corn Pops and espresso powder. The kid in you will love this recipe ... and so will the grown-up.

Recipe: Corn and Corn Pops Semifreddo

Corn joins forces with another seasonal favorite—peaches—in this recipe for charred-corn Johnnycakes with peach compote, which would be an elegant brunch recipe or a refreshing dessert. Developed by chef Gabe Kennedy, the recipe involves cooking up cornmeal pancakes studded with kernels of charred corn and topping them with peaches simmered with ginger and honey and a dollop of mascarpone. Our suggestion: Grill a couple of extra ears of corn one night when your grill is lit, and plan to make this recipe for the next morning's breakfast.

Recipe: Charred-Corn Johnnycakes With Peach Compote