This easy grilled corn is fresh sweet corn brushed with garlic herb butter, cooked on a hot grill until the kernels are juicy and lightly charred, then served with more of that lemony compound butter melting over the top. It is simple enough for a weeknight cookout and good enough to steal attention from the main dish.
To grill corn on the cob, preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat, brush the husked corn with melted herb butter, place the buttered side down on the grill grate, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side. If you like softer kernels, wrap the grilled ears in foil and let them finish on a cooler area of the grill for 5 to 8 minutes.
What Is Grilled Corn with Garlic Herb Butter?
Grilled corn with garlic herb butter is fresh corn on the cob cooked over medium-high heat until the kernels are sweet, smoky, and lightly charred, then served with compound butter made from softened butter, chives, parsley, thyme, lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like summer: fresh corn, a hot grill, and smoky flavor are hard to beat.
- The butter does the heavy lifting: herbs, lemon zest, garlic, and red pepper flakes make every bite more interesting.
- You can control the texture: serve it lightly charred and crisp-tender, or finish it in foil for softer kernels.
- It pairs with almost anything: burgers, ribs, steak, chicken, brisket, pork chops, and shrimp all work.
- The extra butter is useful: spread leftovers on baked potatoes, warm bread, grilled vegetables, or seafood.
Recipe At-a-Glance
| Flavor | Sweet corn, smoky char, garlic, lemon, herbs, butter, and mild heat |
| Texture | Juicy kernels with light grill marks; softer if finished in foil |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 to 18 minutes |
| Yield | 8 ears of corn |
| Best Occasions | Summer BBQs, cookouts, steak nights, burger nights, and holiday grilling |
Where This Corn Fits Best
This corn belongs beside anything coming off the grill. Serve it with easy smash burgers, grilled sirloin steaks, BBQ grilled shrimp, ribs, chicken, pork chops, or smoked brisket. For a full cookout plate, add Southern potato salad, baked beans with bacon, classic creamy coleslaw, or strawberry watermelon salad.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Salted butter: softened butter is the base for the compound butter.
- Fresh chives and parsley: these give the butter a fresh, savory flavor and pretty green flecks.
- Fresh thyme: thyme adds an earthy note that works beautifully with smoky corn. Use 1 teaspoon dried thyme if needed.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest: lemon keeps the butter bright so the corn does not taste heavy.
- Garlic: one minced clove gives the butter a savory backbone without overpowering the sweet corn.
- Red pepper flakes: use the tested tablespoon for a lively kick, or reduce it for milder corn.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: these season both the butter and the corn kernels.
- Fresh sweet corn: use 8 ears with the husks and silks removed.
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Tools That Make It Easier
- Gas grill or charcoal grill
- Small mixing bowl
- Fork, spoon, or spatula for mixing the compound butter
- Pastry brush for melted herb butter
- Long tongs for turning the corn
- Aluminum foil, if you want a softer finish
- Serving platter
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Buy Now → How to Make Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Make the garlic herb butter. Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the chives, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- Chill or melt as needed. Transfer the butter to a serving dish, or shape it into a log with waxed paper and refrigerate until firm. If using it as a grilling baste, melt about half of the butter just before cooking.
- Heat the grill. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat.
- Butter the corn. Brush one side of each ear of corn with melted herb butter.
- Grill the first side. Arrange the corn on the grill with the buttered side facing down. Close the grill lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until light charring and grill marks develop.
- Turn and finish. Brush the tops with more melted butter, turn the corn, and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Use foil for softer kernels. If desired, gather the grilled corn into a large sheet of aluminum foil, seal tightly, and move the packet to a cooler area of the grill. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes more.
- Serve hot. Transfer the grilled corn to a serving platter and serve with the remaining herb garlic butter alongside.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
Use medium-high heat instead of a screaming-hot grill. Corn has natural sugars, and the butter has milk solids, so you want light charring and grill marks rather than blackened kernels. If your grill runs hot, turn the corn a little sooner and use the cooler side of the grill for the foil finish.
Brush in stages. Buttering the first side helps the corn pick up flavor right away, then brushing again after turning keeps the kernels glossy and seasoned without sending all that good garlic herb butter into the grill at once.
A Few Easy Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving silks behind: they burn quickly and cling to the kernels.
- Walking away too long: corn can go from lightly charred to overdone fast on a hot grill.
- Using all the butter as baste: save plenty for spreading over the hot corn at the table.
- Skipping the foil option when needed: if you want softer kernels, the sealed foil rest is your friend.
A Few Things That Make This Recipe Better
The lemon zest matters as much as the lemon juice. Zest gives the compound butter bright citrus flavor without thinning it out too much. Fresh herbs also make a difference here, but if thyme is the only herb you need to swap, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme works in place of the fresh tablespoon.
If your crowd is spice-sensitive, start with less red pepper flakes and add more to taste. The tested tablespoon gives the butter a noticeable kick, which is delicious with sweet corn but easy to dial down.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Store leftover grilled corn in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the grill, in the oven, or in the microwave just until warmed through. The kernels will soften a little after chilling, but the flavor stays good.
Store garlic herb butter in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Wrap it as a log or freeze it in small portions so you can slice off exactly what you need later.
Can You Make It Ahead?
You can make the garlic herb butter ahead and keep it chilled until grilling time. You can also husk the corn earlier in the day and refrigerate it, covered, until the grill is ready. For the best texture, grill the corn close to serving time.
Cooked corn can be frozen in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently. The compound butter can also be frozen and used later on baked potatoes, grilled vegetables, seafood, or warm bread.
What to Serve with It
Serve this grilled corn with steak, chicken, pork chops, burgers, barbecue ribs, smoked brisket, or shrimp. It also fits right into a summer plate with grilled asparagus, grilled corn salad with fresh lime dressing, BBQ red potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, watermelon, or Southern Potato Salad.
FAQs
How long does corn on the cob take on the grill?
Husked corn usually takes 6 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat for light charring, plus 5 to 8 minutes in foil if you want softer kernels.
Should I grill corn with the husks on or off?
This recipe uses husked corn so the kernels can touch the grill grate and pick up smoky flavor and grill marks. Husk-on corn steams more, while husked corn chars more.
Can I make this on a grill pan?
Yes. Use a hot grill pan over medium-high heat, brush the corn with melted herb butter, and turn every few minutes until the kernels are lightly charred and hot.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. Salted butter works, but reduce the added kosher salt and season to taste so the compound butter does not become too salty.
What can I do with leftover corn?
Cut leftover corn kernels from the cob and add them to salads, tacos, quesadillas, soups, casseroles, scrambled eggs, or a quick skillet side dish.
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Grilled Corn on the Cob with Garlic Herb Butter
Sweet summer corn gets smoky on the grill, then is brushed with rich garlic herb butter made with fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic. This easy grilled corn on the cob is a simple barbecue side dish that's ready in under 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Herb Garlic Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Corn
8 ears fresh sweet corn, husks and silks removed
Instructions
Prep
- Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl.
- Add the chives, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Mix until the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the butter is smooth.
- Transfer the butter to a serving dish, or shape it into a log using waxed paper and refrigerate until firm.
- If using as a grilling baste, melt about half of the butter just before cooking.
Cook
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat.
- Brush one side of each ear of corn with the melted herb butter.
- Arrange the corn on the grill with the buttered side facing down.
- Close the grill lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light charring and grill marks develop.
- Brush the tops with more melted butter, turn the corn, and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- For softer kernels, gather the grilled corn into a large sheet of aluminum foil, seal tightly, and move the packet to a cooler area of the grill.
- Continue cooking for 5 to 8 minutes, if desired.
Assemble
- Transfer the grilled corn to a serving platter.
- Serve with the remaining herb garlic butter alongside for spreading over the hot corn before eating.
Notes
Substitutions
- Replace fresh thyme with 1 teaspoon dried thyme if needed.
- Salted butter may be used; reduce the added kosher salt to taste.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes for a milder or spicier butter.
- Fresh basil or dill can be substituted for part of the parsley or chives.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
- Serve with grilled steak, chicken, pork chops, burgers, barbecue ribs, or smoked brisket.
- Pair with potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, watermelon, or a fresh garden salad for a complete cookout meal.
- Spread any extra butter over baked potatoes, grilled vegetables, seafood, or warm bread.
Storage
- Store leftover grilled corn in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Herb garlic butter can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Slice off portions as needed.
Freezing
- Freeze cooked corn in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the grill, in the oven, or in the microwave.
••Freeze the compound butter as a wrapped log or in small portions for convenient use later.
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