This no fuss grilled corn on the cob is the ONLY way to grill corn! No messing with removing corn silks and the corn comes out juicy and tender every time.
Who doesn't love corn on the cob in the summer? Especially the sweet corn that just needs butter and salt. Am I right? I could literally eat five ears of corn in one sitting, haha! I think I actually saw my sister do that once, and it might have been when I grew my own Silverqueen corn. It was the BEST corn I'd ever had and I was so proud of myself for growing it from seed!
What Makes This No Fuss Grilled Corn on the Cob?
Here's what I always see: people tell us to pull back the husks from an ear of corn and remove the silks. Then wrap the husks back up over the corn and soak the whole cob for 10 minutes or more. Or remove the husks and silks and grill the corn directly on the grill with no husks at all.
The second method (no husks) is a method that my family and I have done many times. While I like the taste of the charred corn, sometimes the corn dries out too much using this method. And this method is a hassle because it requires removing both the husks and the silks beforehand, which can get really messy. Not to mention it's an added step I'd rather do without. But the first method also requires at least pulling the husks back and removing the silks, which again is a step that is messy and a pain.
I think I've mentioned before about taking some open-to-the-public classes at Johnson & Wales years ago. One of those classes was a grilling class and it was one of my favorites. The chef said there's absolutely no need to remove the silks when grilling corn. I thought he was crazy, but he showed us that simply putting the corn on the grill without doing anything to it allows the corn to steam perfectly. And when that happens, the silks pull right off with the husks as soon as you open them up! If you want a little char, just pop them right back on the grill for a few minutes. It's a no brainer, and Scott and I have been using this method ever since.
The Grill Setup
We've been through so many grills over the years, I can't even begin to count them! We've had charcoal grills, such as a traditional Weber kettle grill, and we've had gas grills. And dual heat grills where one side is charcoal and the other side is gas. Even still, we've had a couple different kinds of smokers (we love our smoked meats in this house). And every one of them eventually failed us and either broke or never lived up to its expectations.
That was until my son was working at our local Navy Exchange and said they had a grill I would love. It's called an Oklahoma Joe Rider DXL Pellet Grill and, as the name suggests, it's a pellet grill. Pellet grills use wood pellets as their heat source. What really caught my attention, though, was the fact that it has a searing ability and can get up to 650+ degrees. I'd say that's perfect for all my grilling (and smoking) needs!
This isn't a sponsored post and I have no affiliation with Oklahoma Joe. But I wanted to share this in case you're looking for a great grill/smoker combo because it's the best one we've ever had. If you have a gas grill with upper racks, turn your gas on to medium and set your ears of corn, still in the husks, on the upper rack. If you have a kettle style grill, fire up the charcoal and put the ears of corn around the outer edge in a circle. And if you have an Oklahoma Joe, set your corn on the top rack on medium temperature, searing method.
How Long Does it Take to Grill Corn on the Cob?
Scott will most likely take credit for this whole "recipe" because he's usually the one grilling the corn on the cob. But we all know I was the one who went to the class and found out how to grill them. Haha! Anyway, Scott does have it down to a science pretty much. Start your grill, put your corn on to the recommended heat setting, and they should be done in 45 minutes.
If you need to increase the heat for a short period of time (to grill something else), just leave the corn right where they are. As long as you're not grilling at a high temperature for an hour or more, the corn will be fine.
For Father's Day or any grill day, this no fuss grilled corn on the cob method will make it easy to get your fresh corn addiction with no mess!
No Fuss Grilled Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn on the cob, or more as desired (unshucked, no silks removed)
Instructions
- Set up your grill for medium heat. With a kettle style grill, you'll set up your coals in the middle of the grill. For a gas grill, heat it up to medium heat. If your grill has an upper shelf, you'll use that. If not, set it up for indirect heat grilling.
- Place your ears of corn on the top shelf of your gas or pellet grill, around the outer edge in a circle on a kettle style grill, or indirectly on the opposite side of the heat source for a gas grill with no upper shelf.
- Grill for 45 minutes, turning halfway through grilling and make sure the husks aren't getting too black.
- Remove from the grill and, carefully, pull back the husks. The silks will come right off with the husks and can be thrown away.
Gillie
Wow! This worked perfectly! No struggling with silk, no picking silk of teeth. It all came away in large sheets! Thank YOU!!!
Kim
So glad you liked it, Gillie 😍
Tina McCarthy
This is a great grilling recipe! If you do not have a grill, do not want to wait for it to heat up & are in a hurry, microwave for 4 min & it will do the same thing! (minus the char) good for a quick cook version.