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How to Cook Corn on the Cob

There are many ways to cook corn on the cob. Here are some...
Servings: 4 cobs
Author: Various

Equipment

  • Steamer for the Steamed option

Ingredients

Boiled (Makinze Gore - Delish)

  • 4 ears corn shucked
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • Freshly ground pepper

Air Fryer (Jeanine Donofrio & Phoebe Moore - Love & Lemons)

  • 4 ears corn shucked
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Lime wedges for squeezing (optional)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instant Pot (June Xie - Delish)

  • 4 ears corn shucked
  • 1 cup water
  • Butter for serving
  • Kosher salt for serving

Microwave (Elise Bauer - Simply Recipes)

  • 1 ear corn unshucked (husk on)

Steamed (Lena Abraham - Delish)

  • 4 ears corn shucked
  • Water
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Jalapeño-Honey Butter (optional) (Lena Abraham - Delish)

  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • 1 Tbsp minced pickled Jalapeño
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • ¼ tsp Kosher salt

Instructions

Boiled

  • Shuck the ears of corn.*
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add corn to the boiling water and cook until kernels are slightly plump and bright yellow, about 4-7 minutes, depending on your preference for tenderness.
  • Drain corn. Transfer corn to a platter. Let it cool slightly before serving.
    Brush with melted butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Air Fryer

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  • Shuck the ears of corn.*
  • Place the corn on a large plate. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and several grinds of pepper. Rub with your hands to coat.
  • Place in the air fryer basket and air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the kernels are bright yellow and tender.
  • Remove from the air fryer and squeeze with lime juice, if using. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Instant Pot

  • Shuck the ears of corn.*
  • Place trivet in Instant Pot and add water. Place corn on top of trivet, arranging in a perpendicular direction if layering.
  • Lock lid and set to Pressure Cook on high for 2 minutes.
  • Let Instant Pot naturally release for 2 minutes, then follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release. Be sure to wait until cycle is complete before unlocking and removing lid.
  • Let cool slightly, then serve with butter and salt if desired.

Microwave

  • Do *not* shuck the cord - leave it in the husk.
  • Place the corn in the microwave, do not remove the husk. Microwave the corn on the high setting for 4 minutes.
    Note that every microwave is different. If this timing over-cooks the corn in your microwave, reduce it to 2 to 3 minutes the next time.
  • Use a kitchen towel or pot holder to remove corn from the microwave (it's hot!)
    Cut off the bottom of the corn, stem end, about one row of corn in from the stem.
  • Remove the husk and silk. Serve with butter and salt.
  • Note:
    These instructions are for 1 ear of corn. If you want to microwave more than 1 ear at a time, increase the cooking time by 2 minutes for every additional ear of corn, depending on the power of your microwave and the size of your ears of corn. You may need to experiment to find the right time for your microwave.

Steamed

  • Add 2 inches of water to a steamer, and set over high heat.
  • When water comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and add corn above water. Cover and cook until corn is bright yellow, 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Remove corn from steamer, using tongs.
    Serve with butter, salt, and pepper.

Jalapeño-Honey Butter

  • Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  • Serve with cooked corn ears, if desired.

Notes

*How to shuck corn. Starting at the tassel end, grab the husk and as much of the silk as possible and pull downwards, toward the stem of the corn. Repeat until all of the husk is off. Rub off as much of the lingering silk as possible. Shucking can get messy thanks to all the silk, so we recommend working over a trash can.