34 Best Corn Recipes

Some look forward to summer for days by the pool and more hours of sunlight, but many foodies associate the summer months with one thing: corn season! If you're one such person, you're probably devouring sweet, juicy corn as much as you possibly can while it's plentiful and cheap in supermarkets, farm stands, and farmer's markets. You can pick the freshest cobs by using the silks to choose the best ears of corn. Corn on the cob can be grilled, steamed, boiled, and more. But be warned: Corn season is always over before you know it and then the only way you can get your fix is by stocking your pantry with canned corn or frozen corn.

Fortunately, there are so many ways to enjoy corn in all of its forms, whether it's on the cob, in a salad, baked into cornbread, in a tangy relish, or as an ingredient in pasta. So that you can make the most of corn season and beyond, we've rounded up the best corn recipes for every occasion. Take a look and find some new favorite ways to prepare this sweet and summery ingredient.

Elotes are traditionally prepared with mayonnaise and Mexican crema, a creamy sauce that is similar to sour cream or creme fraiche and is often used to temper the spice level of Mexican food. If you can't find it in stores or want your meal to be healthier, try substituting thick Greek yogurt for the crema. The trick is to work fast: The moment you pull the corn off the grill, brush it with the yogurt and sprinkle with the cheese, cilantro, chile powder, and salt, so everything sticks to the kernels. 

Recipe: Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Elotes and esquites top the list of Mexican foods you should try before you die, and while elotes are served on the cob, esquites include similar flavors and ingredients, but they are served in a cup. 

Try our recipe for Mexican street corn salad, which features corn charred in a grill pan then stripped from the cob and combined with red pepper, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and a tangy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and Tajín seasoning. 

Recipe: Esquites (Mexican street corn salad)

Every cook needs an excellent salad in their repertoire, one that, when you're invited to a party, the host says, "Can you bring that salad?" We think this could be one such salad. Grilling the corn and poblanos gives it a smoky flavor, and cutting the squash two different ways — in ribbons and rounds — on a mandoline slicer adds to the visual appeal of this recipe. If your market has squash blossoms, grab them. They make the prettiest garnish for this salad, guaranteeing you another invitation. 

Recipe: Grilled Corn and Summer Squash Salad

Rich and savory, corn pudding is straight out of "Little House on the Prairie." In this recipe, the surprise ingredient of ricotta cheese makes it super creamy, and scallions and cheddar cheese add a delicious counterpoint to the sweet corn. This corn pudding recipe serves eight, making it a good candidate for a group meal, whether it's a summer potluck or Thanksgiving dinner. But, even on an uneventful weeknight dinner, we think this dish would go great with your favorite grilled chicken recipe or roast pork. Ma Ingalls would be proud. 

Recipe: Creamy Corn Pudding

This Tarragon creamed corn recipe was dreamed up by Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, the chefs at the Memphis restaurant Hog & Hominy, a Southern-Italian fusion restaurant. To prepare, the corn cobs are steeped in cream (to pack in as much corn goodness as possible) before adding the kernels, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and fresh tarragon.

It's just as indulgent as it sounds and such an elevated version of creamed corn deserves a place alongside filet mignon, lobster, or another equally indulgent main course.

Recipe: Tarragon creamed corn

For many, corn on the cob is just a conduit for the star flavors: butter and salt. But we're loving the many creative alternatives to this classic topping, such as this garlicky butter that gets brushed onto the corn before it hits the grill, and again when it comes off, for layers of flavor. Removing the husks before you grill the corn will also get those little charred bits that elevate the flavor of this perfect backyard dish.

Recipe: Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob and Garlic Butter

Umami-rich miso is an unexpected complement to grilled corn. We have chef Peter Serpico of Serpico restaurant in Philadelphia to thank for this surprising marriage of flavors. In his recipe, he mixes white miso and butter to brush on hot ears of corn. A sprinkling of scallions completes the presentation and furthers the fusion twist on corn on the cob. 

Because miso itself is naturally salty, you won't need to salt the corn before digging in.

Recipe: Grilled Corn with Miso Butter

You won't be able to eat just one of these corn fritters, which have a crispy, golden exterior, and a creamy center. It's a great recipe to make when fresh corn is out of season since it uses canned cream corn instead of fresh or frozen kernels. Corn fritters are a fun appetizer (try them dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with hot honey), or they could stand in for hush puppies for a seafood feast. The secret to their airy, puffy consistency is whipped egg whites. 

Recipe: Corn Fritters

There's just something oh-so-satisfying about a big bowl of corn chowder. Accompanied by a hunk of crusty bread and a green salad, it's a pretty perfect dinner. This recipe for creamy comforting chicken corn chowder is packed with bits of chicken, chunks of potato, and kernels of corn, topped with crispy crumbles of bacon. Though the ingredient list calls for frozen or canned corn, there's no reason you can't use the same quantity of fresh kernels if they're in season. 

Recipe: Creamy Comforting Chicken Corn Chowder

Tender, sweet crabmeat goes great with corn, and both ingredients star in this recipe for crab and corn chowder. With a broth enriched with crème fraîche, this elegant chowder also includes chunks of carrots and potatoes and a topping of fresh chives. 

We think a chowder this thick and unctuous would be perfectly served in a homemade bread bowl. You could even take a cue from Panera's double bread bowl and hollow out two bowls into a loaf for a cute presentation for a dinner for two.

Recipe: Best Crab and Corn Chowder

Most corn chowder recipes include bacon, heavy cream, and chicken stock, making them off-limits for vegetarians and vegans. But vegans can happily indulge in this recipe for vegan corn chowder, which contains none of the above. Instead, coconut milk and vegetable broth make up the base and smoked paprika replicates that smoky flavor from the bacon.

Blending half the soup until it's smooth, then stirring it back into the pot, makes this soup even creamier, sure to entice vegans and omnivores alike.

Recipe: Vegan Corn Chowder

There's clam chowder and there's corn chowder ... so why not both? That seemed to be the thought process of chef Matthew Jennings of the restaurant Townsman in Boston, who is an expert in the ways of making authentic New England chowder. His rich and delicious recipe includes fresh corn, bacon, littleneck clams, and potatoes, all swimming in a cream-based broth that's flavored with the cooking liquid from the clams as well as a bevy of fresh herbs. 

Seafood lovers and corn lovers alike will want to have this recipe on repeat at their dinner table.

Recipe: Clam and Corn Chowder

If your favorite part of Chinese stir-fry is the chunks of baby corn, we have just the recipe for you. In this unique dish, canned ears of baby corn are the star. They're battered and fried, then combined with other veggies and bathed in a mouth-tingling spicy sauce. It's delicious served on top of rice or noodles.

As a fun variation, try serving the breaded, fried baby corn it as an appetizer with ranch dressing for dipping. 

Recipe: Crispy Baby Corn Chili

If you're a fan of British-style chips doused in malt vinegar as well as corn dripping with butter (and really, who isn't?), you'll want to bookmark this recipe. New potatoes are boiled, then smashed and deep-fried, and corn is sauteed in butter. These two starchy favorites are then drizzled with a mouth-puckering but rich reduction of vinegar, lemon, and butter and sprinkled with fresh herbs. 

It's a gorgeous and complex dish that would be delicious alongside a perfectly grilled steak.

Recipe: Crispy Potatoes with Malt Vinegar and Corn

Corn is used in two different forms in this recipe: Fresh kernels are stirred into creamy polenta, which is made of ground, dried corn. The rich polenta is a lovely base for cherry tomatoes that are sauteed with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs. A sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese brings it all together, for a comforting and savory meal that any Italian nonna would be proud of.

Recipe: Fresh Corn Polenta with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

A dessert featuring corn doesn't seem so far-fetched when you consider how sweet the starchy veggie can taste at its peak. The recipe is a fun project: First, you'll make homemade corn ice cream and a pan of honey-sweetened cornbread. Then you'll assemble the sandwiches, topping them with a mixture of crushed Corn Nuts and Corn Pops cereal. 

Yes, that's corn in four different forms. And once you try these sandwiches, you'll be sorry to go back to those traditional chocolate-and-vanilla versions from the ice cream truck.

Recipe: Cornbread Ice Cream Sandwiches

Corn joins forces with another seasonal favorite—peaches—in this recipe for charred-corn Johnnycakes with peach compote, which would be an elegant brunch recipe or a refreshing dessert. Developed by chef Gabe Kennedy, the recipe involves cooking up cornmeal pancakes studded with kernels of charred corn and topping them with peaches simmered with ginger and honey and a dollop of mascarpone. Our suggestion: Grill a couple of extra ears of corn one night when your grill is lit, and plan to make this recipe for the next morning's breakfast.

Recipe: Charred-Corn Johnnycakes With Peach Compote