How to Grill Frozen Corn on the Cob
Frozen vegetables often receive an unfair reputation for being of poorer quality than fresh vegetables. However, frozen vegetables are often frozen soon after harvesting, they are cheaper than fresh vegetables, they last longer, and they are super-convenient to have on hand to avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store to stretch out your shopping trips.
Frozen corn is perfect when you don’t want to go shopping for fresh corn or when it is out of season.
Preparing Frozen Corn on the Cob for Grilling
One of the best things about cooking with frozen vegetables, specifically frozen corn, is that it is unnecessary to thaw the corn on the cobs before throwing them on the grill, which is an excellent time saver and perfect for a last-minute, thrown-together dinner.
There are multiple schools of thought when it comes to grilling frozen corn. Some people swear by wrapping the corn in aluminum foil with a pat of butter; others prefer to oil the cobs and place them directly on the grill.
You must portion the butter, seasoning, and enough aluminum foil for the first method. You can wrap each corn individually with its own pat of butter or make one large bundle of cobs and butter to serve family style.
Individual packets make a lot of sense from a cleaning-up perspective and ease of serving. If you go with the bundle approach, it would be wise to go with the heavy-duty aluminum foil or double wrap, or you might end up with a mess or accidentally burn the chef with boiling hot butter.
If your preferred method of grilling is to place the corn husk directly on the hot grill grate, you will definitely get a more blackened and grilled corn perfect for Mexican dishes or for removing the kernels from the cob serve or adding to another dish. The grilled corn on the cobs will require oil or melted butter coating before being placed on the grill.
Grilling Frozen Corn on the Cob
Once you have selected a method and are ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium heat. If you have the ability, place the corn in indirect heat. The frozen corn-on-the-cobs have been blanched before freezing, so they take less time to cook than regular corn.
After 10 minutes or so of grilling, flip the corn. It is advisable to check the unwrapped corn before the 10-minute mark and turn down the heat if needed. Once the time is up, remove the corn from the grill and turn it onto a vegetable platter.
If individually wrapped, you can decant the wrapped vegetables directly onto people’s plates; this is also helpful if the meat or main dish isn’t quite ready, as the corn will keep warm. Now is an excellent time to add a flavored butter mixture or an infused oil for unwrapped corn.
Similarly, corn can be garnished with parmesan cheese, chili powder, black pepper, salt, lime juice, and herbs, which elevates the final product. Finely chopped parsley is a wonderful addition to corn on the cob.
Serving Grilled Frozen Corn on the Cob
Corn is a delightful side dish to add to other dishes. It is sweet and starchy and can play many roles within dishes. Corn is often a BBQ side dish as most of us hold events when the weather is good, which coincides with sweet corn season.
Corn is an excellent addition for a pop of sweetness and crunch in pasta salads, as a salad topper, or served whole. Although it’s not great for those watching their waistlines, butter is a classic pairing for corn, elevating the dish entirely.
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