Easy Charred Corn Recipe (Blackened In Skillet)

Charred corn is the perfect side dish to go with tacos, burgers or any cookout meal. Charring corn takes only minutes and requires only a few simple ingredients!

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Why This Charred Corn Recipe Is The Best!

Charred corn has a great smoky flavor that really elevates the sweetness of the corn. While I love grilling corn and have even grilled frozen corn on the cob sometimes it's just easier to heat up my trusty cast iron skillet to char corn kernels. This is a fabulous side dish to serve with taco night or cookouts with burgers and barbeque. The sweetness of the corn will offer a little relief to spicy food but still offer that delicious smoky flavor.

What Is Charring?

Charring food is a culinary term that is taking food to an extreme brown without burning the food to where it is inedible. Most people think of charring steaks and chicken but vegetables are fabulous when charred.

Corn is a perfect vegetable to char because of the high sugar content. The char adds a great smokey flavor that pairs well with the sweetness of the corn. Another favorite charred vegetable of mine is brussels sprouts roasted in the oven.

Equipment Needed

Lodge cast iron skillet- I love using my cast iron to get a good char on foods in the kitchen without using my grill. If you do not have cast iron, you can use any skillet you have on hand and still get the same effect.

Key Ingredients

corn- you can make this recipe with fresh, frozen or canned corn. When using ears of fresh corn, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. With canned corn, make sure to drain the liquid from the can and rinse the corn kernels with water. If using frozen corn you can thaw it under warm water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of butter to the hot skillet to melt. Add the corn and seasonings to the melted butter.

Stir the corn frequently to make sure that it evenly chars the kernels.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many different ways to serve this corn dish. I like to add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro to the corn. But charred corn is terrific on its own or you can add it to salads or salsas like this corn and mango salsa or black bean and corn dip.

You can also make a corn salsa by adding chopped bell peppers, red onion, chopped cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped herbs. This is fantastic on fish tacos or chicken tacos.

Substitutions And Additions

butter- I like using butter because lets face it butter is delicious on hot corn but you can also use olive oil or any other neutral flavored oil.

seasonings- if you want to add extra seasonings to the fresh sweet corn, you can always add cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat. Garlic powder and onion powder are also good seasonings to add. You can also make this a true blackened corn recipe by adding a tablespoon of my favorite blackening seasoning in place of the other seasonings in the recipe.

seasoned salt- I like the flavor of seasoned salt but you can use regular salt in this recipe if you do not have this on hand.

Storage Recommendations

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat the corn, add it to the skillet and reheat for a few minutes over medium-high heat.

Looking For Other Corn Recipes? Try These!

How to Grill Frozen Corn

Grilled Corn and Mango Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Feta Cheese Dip

Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup

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