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Home » Recipes » Side Dish

Skillet Charred Corn - A Trick Not To Be Skipped!

Jump to Recipe· 4.5 from 2 reviews
Top down view of skillet charred corn in a blue serving bowl. Sprigs of cilantro sit atop the deep yellow, browned corn kernels.

This skillet charred corn recipe couldn't be simpler! Char up that corn to bring out all its toasty and sweet grilled flavour!

Huge Flavour Booster
In 15 Minutes Or Less
Super Simple
And Seasoned How You Like!

How To Char Corn In A Skillet

Let it burn!

Add your corn kernels to a hot skillet and let them get nice and toasty and slightly burnt!

Tips for charring your corn:

  1. Using a cast iron skillet means you don't even have to add any oil. BUT...
  2. If you don't have cast iron, drizzle a bit of oil into your pan so your corn kernels don't stick.
  3. Stir occasionally but letting the corn rest without constant stirring will give them time to char on each side.
  4. Salt and pepper are all you need to season the corn. BUT...
  5. Why not flavour it even more to suit the dish you're serving!
  6. Garnish with fresh chives, cilantro, or other herbs for an attractive summer side dish.

How Timely Is This Skillet Charred Corn

We find it takes about 15 minutes for our corn to get nicely charred.

After about 10 minutes you may start to hear the corn "pop" and that means it's nearly ready. Watch closely, stir more frequently, season how you desire, and once the corn reaches your desired toastiness... you're ready to eat!

Top down view of blackened, charred corn in a cast iron skillet. The kernels are golden and darkened with browned bits.

Recipe Cost

Really just the cost of the corn! Any additional seasonings added will likely be cents. So this skillet charred corn recipe costs us:

CAD $3.77 using frozen corn
And CAD $4.71 using 2 12oz cans of corn

Top down view of yellow corn kernels in a serving bowl before being charred in the skillet. Salt and pepper shakers lay beside the bowl.

*You can make this recipe with fresh corn on the cob. Just slice the kernels away from the cob OR take out a grill pan and char the whole cob to boost up the flavour! Lay the cob on the grill and every few minutes rotate it to char a new section! Brush with butter or oil before grilling to encourage even more blackening and season how desired!

How To Serve Skillet Charred Corn

Once you start charring your corn you'll want to add it to everything!

  • Fajitas, Burritos, and Tacos
  • Breakfast Scrambles
  • Sandwiches and Salads
  • Wraps
  • Fresh Bowls
  • Serve It On The Side For Summery BBQ's
  • Add It Into Burger Patties...

And if you want to char up some corn on the cob... you will love my Vegan Elotes (Mexican Street Corn) recipe! Char your corn on the cob, slather it in a vegan mayo/crema, a cashew based "cotija cheese", ancho chili powder and lime!

Top down view of two cobs of vegan Mexican street corn on a decorative clay platter. The grilled cobs of corn are coated in creamy and cheesy toppings, garnished with chives and chili powder, and served alongside lime wedges.

Let your imagination run wild! Let us know in the comments below how you serve up this skillet charred corn recipe and if you try my vegan elotes!

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Top down view of charred corn in a blue serving bowl. Sprigs of cilantro garnish.

Skillet Charred Corn - A Trick Not To Be Skipped!


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Kathryn Alexandre
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

15 minutes or less flavour booster! This skillet charred corn recipe is a simple way to infuse your corn kernels with tasty grilled flavour!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (2 12oz cans or 656g frozen)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • optional: ½ tablespoon oil
  • optional spicy add-ins: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chilli powder. Pinch of cayenne pepper or chilli flakes.

*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!


Instructions

  1. If using frozen corn, you can defrost it in the microwave (according to the package instructions) first if preferred. I find that the frozen corn doesn't let out much water so I tend to just toss it straight into the pan.
  2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. You can likely add your corn straight to the skillet without any oil, but if you prefer to use oil drizzle some in.
  3. Add in your corn and stir occasionally until the kernels are nicely browned and charred on all sides. 
  4. Season with salt, pepper, and any additional spices you desire (chilli powder, smoked paprika, and cumin would all be tasty choices)!
  5. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat when ready. Will last in the fridge for a week or so.

Notes

*Approximate Cost: CAD $3.77 using frozen bagged corn. $4.71 using canned corn.

*Garnish with fresh chives, cilantro, or however else you desire!

*You can use corn on the cob for this recipe. Use a knife to slice the kernels away from the cob OR char the whole cob! Place the corn directly on the grill with some butter or oil if desired and turn every so often to evenly char. Season however you desire! (You might love my Vegan Elotes - Mexican Street Corn recipe).

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Skillet
  • Cuisine: Mexican
Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Empress Of The Universe

    May 01, 2023 at 11:34 am

    Simple enough that I do this to canned corn before throwing it into my chili.

    Reply
    • Kathryn Alexandre

      May 01, 2023 at 12:02 pm

      I've never thought to do it before adding to a chili! That's a great tip. I actually made chili last night and now I wish I had thought of that! I'll try it next time for sure. Thank you for the idea!

      Reply
  2. Amy Hay

    February 26, 2024 at 7:10 am

    Hi there! How long do you cook the corn?

    Reply
    • Kathryn Alexandre

      February 26, 2024 at 8:26 am

      Hi! It takes about 8-10 minutes for the corn to start popping at get nicely browned over medium heat. If it's taking longer for you then just increase the heat of your skillet a bit. Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Rachele W.

      February 26, 2025 at 3:37 pm

      Had a hard time posting it to my Pintrest from Google searched recipients. Thank you, cooking it to go on Southwest Salads tonight for dinner!

      Reply
      • Kathryn Alexandre

        February 27, 2025 at 5:44 pm

        That sounds delicious! I hope you enjoyed it. I’ll look into the posting to Pinterest. Thank you!

        Reply
  3. Anonymous

    March 02, 2024 at 3:02 pm

    Reply

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I'm Kathryn! An actress, the recipe creator here, and the face of TTT. My husband Bryan is behind-the-scenes of our photos and videos. We hope you enjoy our easy recipes that make vegan cooking at home… Tasty, Thrifty, and Timely!

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