Grilled Corn with Herb Compound Butter
Grilled corn on the cob is the defining side dish of the American summer barbecue — requiring almost no preparation, producing spectacular results, and improving everything eaten alongside it with a hit of smoke and sweetness. When corn is grilled directly on hot grates without the husk, the natural sugars caramelize against the hot metal, producing the characteristic charred, lightly sweet flavor that boiling or steaming cannot replicate. A herb compound butter — softened butter blended with fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon zest — is made ahead, rolled into a log, and sliced into rounds that melt over the hot corn the moment it comes off the grill. This recipe also includes a Mexican elote variation: the classic Mexico City street corn treatment of mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime that transforms the same grilled cob into something entirely different.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of fresh sweetcorn
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- 115 gunsalted butter
- 2 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbspfresh chives
- 1 tbspfresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsplemon zest
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- ½ tspfine salt
- ¼ tspblack pepper
- ¼ tspchilli flakes
- 2 tbspflaky sea salt
Method
- Make the herb compound butter ahead of time. In a bowl, combine the softened butter, parsley, chives, basil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes if using. Beat together with a fork until fully combined and the herbs are evenly distributed throughout the butter. The butter must be genuinely soft — not melted, not cold — so the herbs incorporate rather than clump. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface. Spoon the butter in a line along the center. Roll the cling film over the butter and roll into a tight cylinder, twisting the ends to compress it into a neat log about 4 cm in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes. The butter keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks and frozen for 3 months.
- Prepare the corn. Remove all husks and silk from the corn. Run your fingers along the cob to remove any remaining silk strands — a damp paper towel helps. Brush each ear lightly and evenly with neutral oil. The oil serves two purposes: it prevents the corn from sticking to the grill grates, and it conducts heat more efficiently than dry corn, producing more consistent browning across the kernels.
- Grill direct over medium-high heat. Preheat your charcoal or gas grill to medium-high — approximately 220°C (430°F). Clean and oil the grates. Place the oiled corn directly on the grates. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes total, turning a quarter turn every 2 to 3 minutes to expose all four sides to the direct heat. The corn is done when the kernels are lightly charred and browned in patches, the color has deepened from pale yellow to a warm golden, and the surface looks slightly dry and caramelized. Some kernels will blister and a few will char darker — this is not a problem; the char adds flavor.
- Apply the herb butter immediately. Remove the corn from the grill and place on a platter or individual plates. Immediately — while the corn is still steaming hot — slice a 1.5 cm round of the cold herb compound butter and place it on each ear. The temperature difference between the hot corn and the cold butter is what creates the effect: the butter melts into every crevice between the kernels, basting the entire cob in herb-scented fat as it liquefies. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve with lemon wedges for additional brightness.
- Mexican elote variation. For the elote (Mexican street corn) version: after removing from the grill, brush each cob generously with mayonnaise using a pastry brush. Roll or sprinkle immediately with cotija cheese (or finely grated Parmesan if unavailable). Dust with chilli powder or tajín. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Serve with additional lime wedges. Elote is best eaten immediately, standing at the grill — it is unabashedly messy and requires full commitment. Skip the herb butter for elote; the two preparations are distinct.
FAQ
Both methods are valid and produce different results. Husk-on grilling: the corn steams inside its own leaves, producing kernels that are very moist, sweet, and tender with virtually no char. The husks protect the corn from the direct heat. This method is excellent for very fresh, delicate sweet corn where you want to preserve the natural sweetness without adding any smoky character. Husk-off grilling (this recipe): the kernels are exposed directly to the grill heat, which caramelizes the sugars and produces char — the flavor is deeper, smokier, and more complex. Kernels have a slightly drier, more concentrated texture. This is the method that pairs best with compound butter, as the charred, slightly dry surface absorbs the melting butter. If using husk-on: soak the ears in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling (the water prevents the husk from catching fire and creates steam), then grill 15 to 20 minutes turning occasionally.
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