42 Best Corn Recipes That Are Bursting With Summer Flavor
You'll be all ears for these tasty recipes! 🌽
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It doesn't need to be the first day of summer to love the flavor of sweet corn. There are tons of frozen corn recipes and canned corn recipes to get us through the off-season months. But once those ears of fresh corn start popping up at the farmers' market, you can't help but enjoy corn every which way! And that’s where this list of best corn recipes will come in handy. Whether you're looking for different variations of corn on the cob (the one wrapped in bacon is an all-time favorite!) or seasonal salsas featuring juicy corn kernels, these corn recipes will get you excited about shucking.
Many of these ideas are great for BBQ sides (like the corn soufflé or Mexican esquites), but you’ll also find ways to use corn in your weekday dinner recipes, too. Try a creamy chowder recipe packed with corn and chicken or opt for a pasta recipe featuring corn and tomatoes. There are also tons of summer sides, party dips, and recipes for a 4th of July menu. And once you try Ree Drummond's sweet corn fritters, you’ll want to put them on repeat again and again. So, go ahead and shuck some corn, we promise it'll be worth it.
Cowboy Pasta Salad
This delicious recipe is like a combination of all the best parts of cowboy caviar and classic pasta salad. It's packed with corn, veggies, kielbasa, black-eyed peas, cheese, and a light lime vinaigrette.
Get Ree's Cowboy Pasta Salad recipe.
Street Corn Pasta Salad
Everything you love about classic Mexican street corn, now in pasta form! This creamy and tangy salad features sweet charred corn, smoky peppers, zesty lime, and a touch of heat. All that goodness is folded into tender pasta and coated in a luscious homemade dressing.
Get the Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe.
Cowgirl Chicken Salad
You can whip up a big batch of this chicken salad on a Monday and eat it for lunch all week long. It's healthy-ish and filled with all the best summer ingredients: grilled chicken, corn, crunchy peppers, a can of black beans, cheese, fresh cilantro, and a light but just-creamy-enough dressing.
Get Ree's Cowgirl Chicken Salad recipe.
Esquites
Corn gets a little extra love here with a deliciously smoky char and a spicy kick from poblano peppers. What really brings it home is the creamy, garlicky dressing packed with lime juice, cilantro, chili powder, and a generous sprinkle of Cotija cheese. It's like Mexican street corn, minus the cob.
Get the Esquites recipe.
Corn Soufflé
This soufflé is exactly what corn dreams of becoming when it grows up: fluffy, sweet, and impossible to resist. Fresh kernels mingle with creamy canned corn and corn muffin mix, turning this easy dish into your new favorite comfort food.
Get the Corn Soufflé recipe.
Southwestern Salad
This salad knows the secret to success: texture! Creamy avocado, hearty beans, sweet corn, spicy pepper jack cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips all join forces. Each bite brings fresh, bold, southwestern flavors...and you won't want to put your fork down!
Get the Southwestern Salad recipe.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
Forget what you thought salsa should be. Here, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet corn kernels, and hearty black beans come together into a chunky, satisfying snack you'll be scooping until the bowl is empty. It pairs perfectly with tacos, grilled chicken, or your favorite tortilla chips.
Get the Corn and Black Bean Salsa recipe.
Taco Pasta Salad
Think pasta salad can't surprise you? Meet your match. Charred corn adds just enough smoky sweetness to balance spicy chorizo and pickled jalapeño. Finished off with crumbly cotija cheese and a creamy chili-lime dressing, it's pasta salad with some serious personality.
Get the Taco Pasta Salad recipe.
Pan de Elote
It's cornbread—but upgraded! This version uses whole corn kernels, making every bite delightfully sweet, buttery, and bursting with fresh corn flavor. Serve warm and watch it vanish.
Get the Pan de Elote recipe.
Hot Corn Dip
Some dips quietly sit on the table, but this one steals the spotlight. Gooey cheese and sweet corn kernels create melty perfection, while jalapeños and chili powder bring just enough heat to keep things exciting. One scoop and you're hooked.
Get Ree's Hot Corn Dip recipe.
Chipotle Corn Salsa
Why settle for takeout when you can whip up your favorite chipotle-style corn salsa at home? Bursting with bright, zesty flavor, it practically demands a bag of tortilla chips and a sunny afternoon.
Get the Chipotle Corn Salsa recipe.
Corn Salad
Corn is the undisputed star of this summer salad. Avocado and tomatoes provide color and creaminess, while a smoky, tangy chipotle-lime dressing brings out corn's natural sweetness. It's summer on a plate (and everyone at the cookout will want seconds).
Get the Corn Salad recipe.
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Looking for the best way to grill corn? Here you have it! This method has some husks peeled and some left on for a best of both worlds approach.
Get the Grilled Corn on the Cob recipe.
Corn Salsa
This summer salsa is like an explosion of color thanks to the corn, bell peppers, red onion, and jalapeño. It would also make a fun addition to taco night.
Get the Corn Salsa recipe.
Mexican Street Corn
Yes, you can make this popular street food right in your own backyard. All you need is fresh corn on the cob, mayo, cheese, and spices and herbs.
Get the Mexican Street Corn recipe.
Southwestern Pasta Salad
Tender-crisp corn adds a pop of summer flavor to this Southwestern-inspired pasta salad. But you can also use thawed frozen corn if needed.
Get the Southwestern Pasta Salad recipe.
Corn Fritters
When you have loads of extra corn, these corn fritters are just the thing to make. Take Ree’s advice and serve them up sweet with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Get Ree’s Corn Fritters recipe.
Chicken and Corn Chowder
Soup isn’t just for winter! This creamy, summer soup is loaded with sweet corn, bell peppers, green onions, and hearty chicken for a weeknight dinner that you’ll crave any time of year.
Get the Chicken and Corn Chowder recipe.
Creamed Corn
This creamy side dish celebrates the sweet flavor of summer corn by letting it shine with simple ingredients like butter, onion, milk, and fresh basil leaves.
Get the Creamed Corn recipe.
Bacon-Wrapped Corn on the Cob
Crispy pieces of bacon wrapped around fresh corn will be the highlight of your summer barbecue.
Get Ree's Bacon-Wrapped Corn on the Cob recipe.
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