How To Grill Corn On the Cob (With Or Without Husks)

When it comes to cooking in the summer, most of us want to grill, grill again, and then grill a little more. One delicious, quick, and easy food we tend to grill more than any other is corn on the cob.

You simply can’t have a summer cookout without a sweet piece of grilled corn on the cob, with a generous serving of butter and some intense spices to boost the flavors. It makes a great side for steak and many other grilled foods!

However, how many of us actually know the best way to grill corn on the cob? Backyard barbecuers usually have their own way of doing things and their own opinions when it comes to grilling corn on the cob the “right way”. Some people throw it on the grill, others boil it first.

Some people wrap them in foil, while others cook them in the husks. 

With so many different ways to grill corn on the cob, it can be hard to know if you’re doing it right and making the most of the corn’s flavor. To give you a better understanding of how to grill corn on the cob, we have written this article.

In this article, we look at how you can grill corn on the cob with or without the husks. We have also included some of the tasty ways we like to serve our corn.

How Do You Grill Corn On the Cob With the Husks?

Grilling corn in its husks is a more unique method of grilling, but it is definitely worth trying and a good grilling idea. It is quick, easy, and most importantly delicious, providing a beautifully sweet, moist taste. 

This newer method of grilling corn requires a little more know-how than grilling corn without husks, so let us take you through the process. 

What Is the Husk?

Before we start looking at how to grill corn in its husk, it is important to know exactly what the husk is. In botanical terms, the husk is the outer shell or coating. In relation to corn on the cob, the husk refers to the leafy outer shell of an ear of corn.

When the husk is peeled back the sweet yellow corn that we love to grill so much is revealed.

It is worth noting before we go further into this article that the husk on a corn on the cob isn’t edible. 

Grilling Corn On the Cob With the Husk

Preparing and grilling corn on the cob with the husks is very straightforward and easy. Below you will find instructions detailing exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Prepare the Husks

To prepare the husks for cooking, gently peel back each husk from each cob, leaving it attached at the bottom. Prepare your grill for a medium-high heat.

Step 2: Remove the Silk

This part is optional because you can leave the silk on, but most people like to remove it to make the corn easier to eat. Carefully remove the corn silks from each cob. If a few silks stay clinging onto the corn don’t worry.

Step 3: Add Your Flavors

To give your corn extra flavors add whatever spices you feel necessary. We like to add salt and pepper, butter, infused oils, or spices to our cobs. Rubbing various spices on the corn will give your corn an exciting taste. Once you have flavored the corn, pull the husk back to its original place. Don’t worry if it’s a little loose, this is expected.

Step 4: Grill Your Corn

Place your corn on the grill, turning it occasionally until the cornhusks are black and charred. They should also begin to shrivel. After 15-20 minutes the corn inside should be nice and tender.

Step 5: Remove the Husks and Enjoy

Once the corn is done, carefully remove the husks and tuck into your tasty corn kernels.

You might get soot on your hands from the charred husks, but don’t worry it will wash off easily. Make sure the corn isn’t too hot before lifting it off the grill. If it is still too hot, consider wearing some grill gloves.

Pros and Cons to Grilling Corn With Husks

Advantages:

The best advantage to grilling corn on the cob with the husks is how easy it is to prepare. When grilling corn without the husk you have to spend nearly 20 minutes removing the husk and silk that the corn sits inside.

When grilling the corn with the husk, you can simply throw the corn on the grill, turning it occasionally until the corn is cooked. 

Protecting the corn with the husk also ensures that the corn itself doesn’t burn. The husk will be charred, but the corn inside will have steamed nicely, resulting in a sweet, delicious and somewhat healthy bite to eat. 

Disadvantages:

Handling the corn after it has been grilled in the husk can get messy. The husk will be charred so when you move it you could get black soot all over your hands. This is arguably only a small price to pay for how easy it was to grill the corn, but it could still cause some problems. 

The other disadvantage of grilling corn with the husk is the different taste the corn has at the end.

As the corn is steamed inside the husk, it doesn’t have the smokey taste you might enjoy from corn cooked directly on the grate. Therefore if you want a supremely smokey flavored corn, grilling it without the husk is a better option. 

How Do You Grill Corn On the Cob Without the Husks?

Grilling corn without the husk is the method most people tend to go for. There isn’t a massive difference between either style of grilling, but grilling the corn without the husk does give the corn a more smokey, chargrilled flavor that people prefer. Others prefer grilling the corn without the husk because it is easier to add flavors before grilling. 

You may think there is only one way to grill corn without its husk, but there are actually a few different ways to do it. Some people choose to soak their corn first while others throw it straight on the grill.

Below you will find our favorite way to grill corn without the husk. This is by no means the way you have to do it, but it is one that is popular with a lot of people. 

Grilling Corn On The Cob Without the Husk

Step 1: Remove The Husk

Firstly, you need to peel the husk back from the cob. Once the husk is removed you should also peel away the silk. Like our previous grilling method, if you can’t remove all the silk don’t worry.

Step 2: Flavor Your Corn

At this stage of the process, you can soak your corn for 20 minutes if you wish, but you don’t have to. Once all of the husks are removed from the cob, you can start adding your flavors.

Personally, we like to brush the corn with butter, add salt and pepper, or rub the corn with various spices.

Step 3: Heat Your Grill

Your grill should be turned to a medium-high heat of around 350°F-400°F. 

Step 4: Put The Corn On The Grill

When the grill has reached its heat, place the corn on the grill for 15-20 minutes. You should flip the corn throughout the grilling process to ensure none of the corn gets burnt. If some of the corn goes a brown color, that is fine.

Step 5: Enjoy Your Corn

When the corn is cooked you can remove it from the grill. You should do this carefully because the corn will be hot. Now all that is left to do is to enjoy your corn on the cob. 

Pros and Cons to Grilling Corn Without Husks

Advantages:

The main advantage of grilling corn without the husk is that you get a deep smokey flavor and char marks directly from the grill. This is great if you want an authentic BBQ experience.

This method of grilling the corn also makes it a lot easier to gauge how well done the corn is, and how fast it is cooking. This can prevent the under and overcooking of the corn.

Disadvantages:

Your corn that has been grilled without the husk may be drier than when the husk is left on. This is because the corn is cooked by the heat directly from the grill and not steamed by the husk.

The corn can also pick up too much char when the corn isn’t grilled with the husk. This can result in corn that is far too smokey if you aren’t careful.

How Should You Grill Your Corn On The Cob?

How you choose to grill your corn is ultimately down to personal preference. Both methods offer a great way to grill corn, both giving you a slightly different taste and texture. If you can’t decide which method to choose, why not use both.

A lot of cooks believe that the best option is to use a combination of both methods. One way you can do this is by allowing the corn to cook with the husks on, before then peeling it back with some cooking time left.

This gives the corn the opportunity to steam and also leaves a nice smokey taste and some char marks on the corn too.

How We Serve Our Corn On The Cob?

There are many ways in which you can serve your corn on the cob. Everybody has different flavors and tastes they enjoy. Here are some of ours. Feel free to give some of them a try.

• Butter, salt, and pepper – Sometimes traditional flavors are perfect.
• Butter and cajun seasoning – Add a rustic blend of spices to your corn.
• Roasted jalapeno cream sauce – If you want something fresh and spicy why not give this sauce a try.
• Corn relish – Slicing your grilled corn and putting it in a corn relish goes excellently with fish dishes.
• Pizza topping – Fresh smokey corn makes a lovely topping on a gourmet pizza or Caprese flatbread.

Final Thoughts

Corn on the cob is the perfect summer barbecue treat. This versatile vegetable can be used to bring delicious, smokey, sweet flavors to a meal, going nicely in a variety of dishes or when accompanying our favorite meats.

Personally, we love our corn with a nice juicy burger.

You can easily grill corn on the cob with or without the husk. The only real difference between the two is how smoky your corn will be. Now you’ve read this article, we hope you have a better understanding of how corn can be grilled.

Now you know how to grill corn with or without the husks, why not give it a try at your next family barbecue. We are sure you won’t be left disappointed by the results.