When you’re in Wisconsin, no outdoor event is complete without roasted or grilled corn. Here is our guide for how to roast corn that tastes just as good as the State Fair corn on the cob!
Summer Corn: Boiled or Roasted?
For as long as I can recall, I remember my mom boiling corn on the cob in the summer.
It was such a treat when she would come home with a bag full of corn in the husk, and we would get to sit outside shucking the corn before popping it into the biggest pot she owned.
It was not until I came to Wisconsin, however, that I learned there was another way to cook corn on the cob that makes it a staple at every outdoor event in the state.
Wisconsin State Fair Corn on the Cob
From the Wisconsin State Fair to small family BBQs, you will nearly always find someone holding an ear of roasted sweet corn by the husk and chowing down.
It’s just the way they do summer up here.
How To Choose Fresh Corn
Buying corn from the store or the farmer’s market can seem like a grab bag.
How do you know if those little yellow and white kernels are actually plump and juicy and not brown, withered, and dry?
The easiest way to know is to look.
Really.
No one wants a nasty surprise when they open their perfectly roasted husk. So, take a peek. Just a small one is all you need.
Grab the corn by the tip and separate the silk until you can see the first inch of the ear. If those kernels are plump, then you’ve got good eating. If they are dry, pale, or brown, then you want to find another ear.
Roasted Corn On The Grill
Once you get them home, fire up the grill. (Some places that kick out a lot of roasted corn have huge, rotating roasting ovens, but we’ll stick to the grill for now.)
Now, this is the VERY important part.
Are you listening?
Take those ears of corn and submerge them – husk, silk, and all – in cold water for 15-30 minutes. You want the husk and silk to get nice and soaked.
If you skip this step, there’s a possibility you won’t get roasted corn at all.
What you will have instead is a fire that starts on top of your grill grates (or in your oven’s broiler, if you’re craving corn and it’s too snowy to grill… not that we’ve ever experienced that one…).
How To Roast Corn On The Cob
Place the corn on the grill and cover the grill. Check it every 5 minutes or so, and once the husks start to dry out and you have nice grill lines on the bottom side, flip them.
Unfortunately, there isn’t really a set amount of time to cook your corn. It all depends on how hot your grill is.
A good rule of thumb is that when the husks have dried out, your corn is probably good to go.
(That’s another reason to soak the corn. It’s your timer!)
Eating Corn On The Cob
Now comes the tasty part!
Back home, whenever we had corn on the cob, the ends were neatly cut and we used cute little corn-shaped skewers to hold the ears so our hands didn’t get all buttery and salty.
But, I’ve found that up here, even with as much corn on the cob as they eat, it’s rare to find a family that owns those corn skewers.
They just peel back the husk and use it as nature’s handle.
Maybe they just can’t be bothered to take the time fussing with getting the skewers situated right. I guess I don’t blame them.
Wisconsin sweet corn is some of the best corn I’ve ever tasted!
Makes sense they’d want to dive right in.
Wisconsin Roasted Corn
Ingredients
- 4 plump ears Wisconsin sweet corn (yes, we are bias)
- Optional toppings: butter, salt, season salt, pepper
Instructions
- While the grill coals are heating, submerge your corn in cold water. Leave to soak 15 -30 min.
- Place the corn on the grill, avoiding any intense hot pockets, and cover.
- Check corn every 5 minutes or so to be sure nothing is burning and your coals are still hot.
- Once the husks start to dry out, and you have nice grill lines on the bottom side, flip the ears. Repeat the same process with this side.
- The corn is done when the outer husks have dried out.
Tomorrow I am going to roast some corn on the acorn grille. I was born in Beaver Dam, WI. We had a dairy farm in Burnett with a motorcycle racetrack, and there they would have corn roasts and the game with the paddles where you would win six packs of beer. Wow I miss that so much, this was back in the late 60s.
What fun memories! Hopefully the roasted corn brings you back!
Roasted corn is so delicious!
I’ve never roasted corn in the husk before but I’m interested in trying it. I’m with you on checking the corn before buying-if you don’t look there’s no telling what you might be getting!
oh this is fabulous! I have never grilled corn still in the husk! I will try this! yummm!
This is the ONLY way to do corn, IMHO. Bravo!
I love roasted corn, but we usually shuck them and wrap them in tin foil for the grill. Next time we will have to try it your way!
This sounds like such a great idea! I bet it makes the corn so flavorful!
Perfect for summer!
I LOVE roasted corn, and I actually have fond memories of eating them at the WI state fair when we used to live there….the corn….and the cream puffs (maybe more importantly)!
I miss the corn roasts we had at our motorcycle racetrack in Burnett, WI.
This is so true! I grew up (and still live) in WI and roasted sweet corn is by far one of my favorite parts of summer!
What a fun recipe, and man, I’m getting hungry! I love to grill corn too, and didn’t think to use the husks as a handle lol! Love it!
Yummmmmmmmmm grilled corn, the ONLY way to go 🙂
Mmm, this corn looks so fresh and delicious. I love grilling corn!
Grilled/roasted corn is one of my favorite summer dishes.
What a great recipe to cook corn. It looks so lovely!!
There is nothing better than corn cooked on the BBQ and smothered in butter – and these look wonderful!
What I find most interesting about this recipe, is that the corn remains a perfect color, like an uncooked kernel! Nice technique!
Love roasted corn on the grill! Sweet corn, fresh from the farmers market or your own garden, is one of the great pleasures of summer grilling season up here in the North… Im from Michigan, i can relate.
Grilled corn is the best! This is the first year I’ve tried it and I am hooked! I like it when there’s enough of the stalk on the end to use that as a handle, but we do keep a few of those corn shaped handles on hand just in case. 🙂
I can’t wait to try some local sweet corn. And thanks for the reminder to grill some…a yummy option!!!
Oh man! I SO miss good Wisconsin grilled corn. I grew up in southern WI and we had that all the time. It smells SO good grilling away outside. No BBQ was complete without it. We did have the little corn skewers, but only used them for boiled corn. Grilled corn already has the handle 😉
I am from Iowa and after moving to the East coast the one thing I miss most is the corn. It is just not the same out here.
I loooooooove grilled corn. Ain’t nothin’ better!
It doesn’t get easier than this to have the wonderful taste of roasted corn from the grill. Great instructions on this recipe.