How To Grill Frozen Corn On The Cob-EASY AND QUICK!
Aside from potatoes and vegetables, my favorite side dish during barbecue weekends is corn.
Grilling frozen corn on the cob might pose new challenges for beginners, but it is not that hard.
Corn is a great choice for vegetarian diets as well as gluten-free ones.
It is also light in the stomach, so it is like a palate cleanser for me when eating a hearty steak meal.
Corn’s sweet and buttery flavor gives other recipes the needed freshness to keep you eating, while corn also contains a bit of protein, making your meal even healthier.
So maybe you have corn stocked in your freezer and want to have a delicious side dish during your cookout.
While you can grill corn easily, it is different when it comes to frozen corn on the cob. Fresh corn on the cob is hard to beat, but your frozen corn is not that bad.
The process of grilling frozen corn on the cob might be a little different from grilling a fresh one, but in this post, we will look at how you can get the same delicious results with frozen corn on the cob.
How To Prepare Fresh Corn On The Cob?
You should boil fresh corn on the cob before you throw it on the grill. This ensures that the interior is soft, and you only need to crisp the outer parts of the grill.
Remove the husk from the cob, and then prepare your stove. Pull off the silky threads on the corn with a sharp knife.
Get a pot with water and make sure that the fresh corn on the cob is submerged in the water. This will take around 3 minutes until the corn is slightly soft.
I recommend not boiling frozen corn on the cob. When I did this, it lost all the flavors after grilling it so it is best to go straight on the grill.
When it comes to fresh corn on the cob, it will also cook faster on the grill than frozen corn, so make sure that you always keep an eye on the corn while it is cooking.
If you go straight on the grill, you can do it with frozen corn on the cob.
No thawing is necessary, but it will take longer to cook, and you risk burning the outer parts.
To deal with this issue, you can wrap the frozen corn on a cob after putting your favorite toppings on it before placing it on the grill.
How To Prepare Frozen Corn On The Cob?
Before cooking frozen corn on the cob, wrap them in foil. This is to prevent them from burning and drying out.
The cooking process for frozen corn takes longer, so there is a risk of drying out. The aluminum foil helps prevent this by locking in moisture and flavors.
Use your favorite seasonings or toppings on the corn. Corn does not have too much flavor besides the sweet and buttery flavor.
So the best way to elevate your corn flavors is to experiment with other seasonings and toppings to see which flavor you like on the corn.
Always preheat your grill to medium heat to ensure the corn does not overcook or get burnt.
There is no need to thaw the corn from the freezer; you can put them straight on the grill and let them cook, although it will take a bit of time to fully cook through.
What About Foil? Do I Need It?
You must wrap the frozen corn in aluminum foil to ensure it stays juicy when cooked. It allows little steam to escape and keeps the corn kernels from drying out.
Again, the risk of cooking frozen corn on the cob directly on the grill is burning the outer parts of the corn before the interior is even cooked through.
By wrapping the frozen corn on the cob in foil, you get to help prevent direct flames and heat from getting to the corn and burning the surface.
Since the interior of the corn is still cold, the aluminum foil helps keep and redistribute the heat inside the corn, so it cooks the middle without burning the outer parts.
The foil will also prevent the frozen corn on the cob from sticking to the grill grates. So you need foil when grilling frozen corn on the cob for these reasons.
Preparing Frozen Corn For The Grill
Preparing frozen corn for the grill is easy. You just have to remove the husk and silky threads and wrap them in aluminum foil.
You can cook the frozen corn on the cob directly on the grill. It will take longer to cook compared to fresh corn but within minutes, you will have yourself a delicious side dish.
What You Need:
- Your favorite corn seasoning (I keep it simple with butter and salt)
- 1 package of frozen corn on the cob
- Aluminum foil
- A pair of tongs
Follow These Steps:
Step 1: Preheat The Grill
Set up your grill and clean it if necessary before cooking on it. Set the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or medium heat, and then let it preheat for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2: Season The Frozen Corn
Get some soft butter or melted butter, and then rub a thin layer of it on the frozen corn. Sprinkle some salt and you are ready to go.
I usually keep it simple but you can use any toppings or seasonings you like. Combining seasonings and herbs can also accentuate the flavor of the corn.
The key is to experiment with which combination you prefer. That is one way to find which seasonings you like on the corn.
Step 2: Wrap The Frozen Corn
While the grill is preheating, cut up some aluminum foil and then wrap each piece of corn in the cob with it. A single layer of aluminum foil will be enough for each cob.
Do not wrap the foil too tight as you will need the heat to circulate inside. Also, leave a really small opening or a loose part before closing the foil so some steam will be released.
Step 3: Grill The Frozen Corn
Place the seasoned and wrapped frozen corn directly on the grill. Make sure that the temperature is stable and is set to medium heat.
Allow the corn to cook while turning them every 3 or 4 minutes to cook them evenly. Once they are cooked through, remove them from the grill and remove the aluminum foil.
Step 4: Serve
Place the corn on the cob on a plate and serve it with any food that you like. Enjoy!
How Long Does It Take To Grill Frozen Corn On The Cob?
Frozen corn on the cob takes about 25 to 30 minutes to cook on the grill if you have directly put the corn on the grill without thawing it first.
Since the corn is frozen, it will take longer to cook on the grill. Finding the right balance between thawing the corn and grilling it is essential.
I use medium heat when cooking frozen corn on the cob. It is the right temperature to thaw the insides of the corn while it cooks it all the way through.
If you wrap it with aluminum foil, it takes about 25 minutes to cook the frozen corn on the cob. That is a little longer than fresh corn, which cooks on the grill for 10 minutes.
At medium heat, the corn is not applied to too much heat, so it slowly defrosts inside the foil. Medium heat is also hot enough to cook the corn through within 25 minutes.
Best Recipe To Make Frozen Corn On The Cob
Another great thing about frozen corn on the cob is it is very versatile. There are various recipes that you can make with it.
I like to keep my corn recipes simple, but there is nothing wrong with a little bit of flare when you cook it. It is already a simple food, so adding a bit of seasoning and garnish is not bad.
My favorite and perhaps the best recipe to cook when using frozen corn on the cob is the grilled corn nibblers. Here is how to do it.
What You Need:
- 1 package of frozen corn on the cob
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley.
- 3/4 cup of butter
- 1/3 cup of finely chopped onions
- 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup of chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of lime juice
- Half a teaspoon of garlic salt
Steps
- Preheat The Grill
Preheat the grill and set it to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or medium heat. Allow the grill to preheat for at least 10 minutes to evenly distribute the heat.
- Cook The Toppings
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions stirring them frequently until they are soft before adding the cilantro and bell pepper.
Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring in the lime juice and garlic salt. Turn the heat off and let the toppings cool down for a bit.
- Wrap The Frozen Corn
Cut up some foil and then lay them on a flat surface. Put the frozen corn in the center of the foil and then drizzle the toppings evenly over the corn.
Fold the foil until the edges meet, and then fold the edges over and over until they tightly wrap the corn. Close the foil on the top and bottom parts of the corn to seal the flavors.
- Grill The Frozen Corn On The Cob
Place the corn on the grill and allow them to cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Turn them occasionally to make sure that they cook evenly.
Once the corn is thoroughly cooked, cut up a hole on top of the foil and sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley as your garnish.
Close the foil again, and then remove the corn from the grill.
- Serve And Enjoy!
You can also garnish the corn after removing them from the foil, and are already on a plate. Serve while the corn is still warm, and enjoy!
Are You Supposed To Boil Corn Before Grilling?
No, boiling corn before putting them on the grill is unnecessary. While most cooks do this with fresh corn on the cob, I highly recommend NOT boiling frozen corn on the cob before grilling.
Boiling corn before grilling takes some flavors away, especially with frozen corn. You will only remove the sweet flavors of frozen corn if you boil it.
You will get a sweeter and smokier flavor if you grill frozen corn straight out of the freezer. That is hard to make if you boil the corn first.
Here’s the thing, there is nothing wrong with boiling fresh corn before grilling it but I prefer not to do that as I just go straight ahead and grill it right away.
If you boil corn before grilling it, it also messes up the timing. Since the boiled corn is slightly cooked, it is more likely to overcook on the grill.
So if you prefer boiling the corn before throwing it on the grill, keep an eye on it so it does not get burnt or overcooked.
Do You Thaw Frozen Corn On The Cob Before Cooking?
Frozen corn on the cob can be cooked straight from the freezer. You can, however, soak the corn in water or place them in the fridge for a few hours to reduce the cooking time.
Using medium heat when cooking frozen corn on the cob does the job for you. It is low enough to thaw the corn even when it is cold while also being hot enough to cook it all through.
This is why I love cooking frozen corn on the cob. Although it takes longer to cook, I do not need to wait too long to defrost it and it also helps keep the moisture inside the corn.
What To Serve With Grilled Corn On The Cob
I grill corn on the cob as a side dish usually. I love pairing it with steaks and burgers to give my meal at least a bit of a healthy portion.
Other recipes pair well with corn on the cob. Again, corn is a very versatile type of food since it does not overpower other flavors.
Here are some of my recommendations:
- Leafy salad – you can either eat the corn as a side or put the kernels and mix them with the salad.
- Pork chops and pork ribs – meat and corn go together, which is just proof of that.
- Steaks and burgers.
- Potato salad or mashed potatoes
- Grilled chicken – this is one of my favorite pairings during barbecues. Corn and chicken are the perfect combos as the corn provides the carbs for the protein-filled chicken.
- Seafood like salmon and trout.
How To Store Leftover Corn On The Cob
Although it is rare, there are times when my family and I have some leftover corn on the cob. I love corn, and it hurts me to just throw the leftovers away.
Luckily, there is a way to store your leftover corn so you can have some in the following days.
Step 1: Wrap each corn on the cob with plastic wrap. This is to make sure that they keep the moisture inside while they are in the fridge.
Step 2: Place the wrapped corn in an airtight container, preferably with a sealed cover or a zip-lock bag.
Step 3: Put the leftover corn in the refrigerator; it will last 3-4 days. Make sure to refrigerate the leftover corn 2 hours after cooking it.
Tips For Storing Leftover Corn:
- Make sure to refrigerate the corn 2 hours after cooking so bacteria do not develop.
- Removing the kernels from the cob can also help keep the corn fresh and moist.
- Always use an airtight container when storing leftover corn – this also goes with other types of food to prevent moisture from escaping and cross-contamination.
- You can also freeze the corn kernels to last longer – approximately 10 to 12 months in the freezer.
- Wrap the individual cobs to maintain their moisture content.
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