When You Should Use Foil When Grilling Corn

Of all the best barbecue side dishes, corn on the cob is the simplest, most classic side to throw on the grill alongside burgers, hot dogs, or smoked meat. Just as the grill enhances a burger's flavor and provides a crispy, charred exterior, grilling corn can bestow the same taste and textural benefits. That said, you can manipulate texture and flavor with the use of tin foil. Tasting Table has consulted private chef and Brazilian grill master Silvio Correa for his expert opinion on when you should use foil to grill corn.

Wrapping corn on the cob in foil before grilling it will effectively insulate it from the smoke and intense heat of the grill grates. The foil-wrapped corn will use its own water content to "steam the kernels, resulting in tender corn with less char," Correa explains. You'll get a sweeter, juicier bite of corn with this technique. Correa says, "This method is ideal for adding flavored butter or herbs inside the foil for extra taste."

Correa also shares the merits of omitting foil altogether to impart "a beautiful char and smoky flavor. It's perfect for those who enjoy a more rustic, slightly crisp texture." Foil is what makes the difference between sweet, juicy kernels and charred, smoky kernels. It's really a win-win situation! Both methods require you to turn the cobs every three to five minutes for even cooking.

While you can butter foil-wrapped corn before cooking it on the grill, this will increase the cooking time, which is already around twice as long as cooking the cobs naked. Furthermore, if you don't wrap the corn tightly, the melted herb butter might leak out before penetrating the kernels. So for good measure, reserve a portion of the compound butter to rub or drizzle over the corn fresh out of the foil. You can make compound butter easily in a food processor while the grill preheats.

Corn's sweet flavor will pair well with numerous compound butter recipes, whether you infuse it with herbs, citrus, spices, or aromatics. A dill and lemon butter would bring bright herbaceous notes, while a butter infused with lime, cilantro, and garlic powder would add more savory depth. Of course, you can also instill that smoky barbecued flavor with spices like paprika or a sprinkling of smoked salt. 

Charred and smoky grilled corn will also take on the flavors of a post-grill seasoning. Infuse butter with onion powder and chili powder for a spicy, aromatic complement to the sweet, savory, smoky profile of charred corn. You could also blend chipotles in adobo with mayonnaise or this vegan mayonnaise recipe for a creamy coating that enhances grilled corn's smokiness and sweetness. Whichever method you use, seasoning the corn while it's still hot gives you the best chances for it to stick and infuse it with flavor.