I'm fortunate that in Los Angeles, you can get almost any produce year-round. Granted, it won't be as good during the off-season, but it's still available. Sometimes I can't help but buy corn in October but once summer hits, I'm buying it weekly. The naturally sweet kernels plump with all that juice are just so satisfying to bite into. Today I wanted to dress up my corn on the cob with spices to give it a twist. If you like elote corn, I think you'll like this blackened corn on the cob. Easy to prepare and delicious!
Blackened Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob husks and silk removed
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- fresh lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat grill to high heat or preheat grill pan to high.
- Make blackened spice butter. Combine melted butter with paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until well combined. Set aside.
- Lay corn on the grill and cook, turning often until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Remove corn from the grill and brush butter evenly on all sides.
- Place corn on serving platter and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons parmesan per corn. Sprinkle chopped chives and serve with lime wedges.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Corn on the cob is fantastic on its own but it also doesn't hurt to dress it up sometimes. Take this blackened corn on the cob for instance. It's just a simple combination of spices and butter but it adds so much flavor. The grated parmesan, chives, and squeeze of lime help elevate it even further.
Now there are many different ways you can cook corn. You can steam it, boil it, bake it, or grill it. Since it's the summer, I decided to grill it.
Even with grilling corn, there is more than one way to approach it. You can grill the corn with the husks on, remove the husks entirely, or even boil them first and then grill them. I went with the most straightforward and quickest approach, which was to remove the husks. I did pull them back and kept them attached just so I can flip the corn easily, but that's entirely optional.
If you decide to do the same, you should soak the corn for 20 minutes before grilling to prevent the husks from burning. I would also suggest that you tie the husks together with string to keep it neater.
Unfortunately, I don't have an outdoor grill but a grill plate works just as well. Preheat your grill or grill plate on high heat for about 10 minutes.
Place the corn on the cob on the grill and cook until slightly charred, about 10 minutes. Keep rotating the corn so that all of the sides cook evenly.
Once the corn is cooked, remove them from the grill and brush with the spiced butter evenly. If you're preparing more than 4 corn on the cob, multiply the recipe for the spiced butter as needed.
Sprinkle a good amount of grated parmesan on top and chopped fresh chives. Give the corn a squeeze of fresh lime and these are ready to be devoured.
Whether you serve this blackened corn on the cob at a barbeque or just a regular weeknight dinner, they'll win you over. The flavors are simple but delicious at the same time. And sometimes, that's just all we want, right?
For more side dish inspiration check out this brown butter roasted tomato recipe!
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