BBQ Corn Salad

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This, my friends, is the most perfect BBQ Corn Salad known to man. It's easy, wildly flavorful, feeds a crowd and it's great alongside a big pile of ribs for my Ribs Dinner Party Menu! Trust me when I tell you, you'll want to add this BBQ Corn Salad along with my epic Chili Lime Creamed Corn and Charred Corn Guac recipe to your summer rotation!

A white bowl with charred BBQ corn salad garnished with leaves of basil sitting next to a rack of BBQ ribs in a white plate.


 

Why I Love This Recipe

Grilled corn is everything in the summer months. It's juicy and flavorful and just bursts in your mouth for a true flavor explosion. This BBQ Corn Salad is incredibly easy. Once the corn is charred, it gets tossed with some quickly sautéed garlic and red pepper flake situation with butter and olive oil. Add some seasonings and basil and voila. The BBQ Corn Salad is ready to eat and makes an amazing side dish. And while you're at the grill, give this Mexican street corn a try and you're gonna love corn in all its forms!!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise-en-place of all the ingredients to make BBQ Corn Salad.
  • Corn on the Cob - you can either grill the corn on the cob with the husk or without. If you leave the husk on, you'll steam the corn rather than char. But either works!
  • Olive Oil
  • Butter
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Red Pepper Flakes - these can easily be omitted if you're trying to avoid any spice! But they are used in a very small quantity and just lend a slightly spice to this recipe!
  • Basil - or any fresh herb works here! Chives or parsley would be a great substitution!
  • Salt & Pepper - I gravitate towards Maldon and freshly ground black pepper, always!

*For a full list of ingredients see the BBQ Corn Salad recipe below

How to Make BBQ Corn Salad

A rectangular white ceramic dish with lightly charred corn on the cob without the husk, with tongs placed in the platter.

Step 1: Grill the corn on an indoor or outdoor grill until lightly charred. Remove kernels from the cob.

A skillet with butter, along with minced garlic and red pepper flakes.

Step 2: In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes sauté for 60 seconds.

A skillet with the grilled corn kernels removed from the cob.

Step 3: Add corn and season with salt and pepper.

A white bowl with BBQ corn salad garnished with basil leaves.

Step 4: Remove from heat and taste and adjust as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool slightly. Add the basil, salt and pepper to toss to combine.

How to Store BBQ Corn Salad

You can store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Bring it to room temperature or warm it if you prefer it warm when its time to eat.

How to Freeze BBQ Corn Salad

I wouldn't recommend freezing this. If you would like to have this on hand, I would recommend using frozen corn instead of freezing the final salad. You can sauté it in the pan to get some of that char once its thawed.

Tips & Tricks

I like to remove the husks before grilling my corn. It makes it easier to cut the corn off the cob when you're ready to toss it into the salad!

You can also prep the corn ahead of time and slice it from the cob and store it in an airtight container for a few days before using!

FAQs

Should I boil my corn before grilling?

No need! You can just throw your corn on the cob right on the grill and it will char up. Hot tip: you can actually eat raw corn! So even if it just slightly chars, you're still golden.

How do you grill corn without drying it out?

Corn is juicy! It's not going to dry out. This recipe calls for about 5-10 minutes on the grill - that's just long enough to get a great char and you won't have to worry about it getting too dry.

Can you just throw corn on the grill?

Sure can! You can throw it on still in the husk or without the husk. Then just peel the husk off and use the corn as needed.

Pairs Well With

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today

BBQ Corn Salad

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 3 votes
This BBQ Corn Salad is loaded with basil, garlic, red pepper flakes plus a little butter and olive oil.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 5 ears corn on the cob husks removed and cleaned
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup torn basil
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Grill the corn on an indoor or outdoor grill until lightly charred, about 5-10 minutes. Remove kernels from the cob.
  • In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes sauté for 60 seconds. Add corn and season with salt and pepper.
  • Remove from heat and taste and adjust as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool slightly. Add the basil, salt and pepper to toss to combine.

Notes

  • I like to remove the husks before grilling my corn. It makes it easier to cut the corn off the cob when you're ready to toss it into the salad!
  • You can also prep the corn ahead of time and slice it from the cob and store it in an airtight container for a few days before using!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 461IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious and so easy! I’ve made this a few times and it’s always a hit. I like to make this instead of corn-on-the-cob for backyard bbqs because it’s easier to serve (no husks, corn holders and big platter for cobs). I also take the easy road and cook my corn in the oven beforehand - I’m sure it’s even better with a char, but I’m lazy. 😉

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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