• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • All Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegan

Darn Good Veggies logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free
  • Subscribe
×

Home » Meal Type » Sides

Published: Jun 8, 2022 · by Laurel Perry · About 4 minutes to read this article. · This post may contain affiliate links

Easy Blackened Corn

  • Facebook
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Easy Blackened Corn with Cilantro Garlic Butter is a summer staple! Sweet corn is coated in a flavorful spice mixture, grilled, and doused in butter.

A plate of blackened corn with lime wedges.

This post is sponsored by Dandy®. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Darn Good Veggies!

This Easy Blackened Corn takes a summer staple to the next level! Sweet corn is coated in blackening seasoning and cooked until a crunchy flavorful crust forms. Doused in cilantro garlic butter, what could be better?

Reasons to love this recipe:

  • A great recipe to take advantage of fresh summer corn!
  • It can be made inside with a cast iron pan or outside on the BBQ.
  • It's gluten free and vegan (or not!).
A package of Dandy Sweet Corn with butter and limes.

Ingredients and substitutions:

  • Corn - we use Dandy Sweet Corn, the sweetest freshest corn out there, for this recipe. It comes pre-shucked. So easy!
  • Oil - any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work. We like avocado or grapeseed.
  • Smoked paprika - you can also use sweet paprika in a pinch, but I love the smokiness that smoked paprika gives.
  • Onion powder - also called granulated onion.
  • Garlic powder - also called granulated garlic.
  • Salt - brings out flavor.
  • Pepper - in this larger quantity, it adds subtle spice.
  • Dried basil - or use dried oregano.
  • Dried thyme - or use more dried basil.
  • Vegan butter - or regular butter if not vegan.
  • Cilantro - freshly chopped only!
  • Garlic - freshly minced only!
  • Lime wedges - optional, for serving.

How to make blackened corn:

Make the compound butter: In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, cilantro, and garlic.

Mix the blackening seasoning: In another small bowl, stir together all the blackening seasoning spices.

Coat the corn: Add the corn to the bowl and coat it in oil. Add in the blackening seasoning and toss to coat. It will seem like a lot of seasoning at first. Add more oil and continue tossing until the spices coat and adhere to the corn and no dry spice is left in the bottom of the bowl.

Cook: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once it is warm add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the corn on all sides until blackened. Try not to disturb the corn as it cooks. This encourages a crust to form.

Coat in butter: Once blackened, add a dollop of butter to the top of each corn. Let it melt over the sides, stirring as needed, until all the corn is coated in the butter. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!

A bowl of vegan cilantro garlic compound butter.
Blackening seasoning in a glass bowl.
Corn coated in blackening seasoning and oil.
Blackened corn in a cast iron skillet.

Storage:

Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Freezing is not recommended for this recipe.

Blackening seasoning 101

Blackening seasoning is a popular seasoning blend that combines flavors from cajun and creole cooking.

Our blend is mildly spicy and deeply flavored thanks to a mixture of paprika, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried herbs.

To use blackening seasoning, heavily coat the outside of what you are cooking, in our case, corn, with this blend.

Next, sear the corn until a dark, blackened, crust forms.

Be careful not to burn the crust! For something to be "blackened," you want a very dark, but not burned crust. It is best to cook over medium heat until a crust forms. If you use high heat, the spices will burn and become acrid in flavor.

Blackened corn in a cast iron skillet with cilantro butter.

The best pan to use for blackened corn:

For the best blackened corn, I recommend using a cast iron skillet. It creates even heat and a great surface area for blackening the outside of the corn.

If you want to cook the corn on a grill, I recommend using a cast iron griddle, or cast iron pan, for more surface area.

What to serve with blackened corn?

It compliments any protein. We love it with our smoked tofu, avocado tostadas, or veggie burgers. And pairs well with summery sides like baked beans and watermelon jicama salad.

Blackened corn with vegan cilantro butter.

More recipes with corn!

  • Vegan Corn Chowder
  • Gluten Free Cornbread
  • Vegan Corn Casserole
  • Sweet Corn Potato Salad
  • Grilled Vegetable Salad
  • Vegan Elote aka Mexican Street Corn
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Blackened corn with vegan cilantro butter.

Easy Blackened Corn

  • Author: Laurel Perry
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Cajun
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Easy Blackened Corn with Cilantro Garlic Butter is a summer staple! Sweet corn is coated in a flavorful spice mixture, grilled, and doused in butter.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 ears Dandy Sweet Corn, cut in half widthwise
  • Oil
  • Lime wedges, optional for serving

For the blackening seasoning:

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme

For the garlic cilantro compound butter:

  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter, softened slightly
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, cilantro, and garlic. Set aside.

In another small bowl, stir together all the blackening seasoning ingredients.

Add the corn to a large bowl and coat it in oil. Add in the blackening seasoning and toss to coat. It will seem like a lot of seasoning at first. Add more oil and continue tossing until the spices coat and adhere to the corn and no dry spice is left in the bottom of the bowl.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once it is warm add in oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the corn on all sides until blackened. Try not to disturb the corn as it cooks. This encourages a crust to form.

Once blackened, add a dollop of butter to the top of each corn. Let it melt over the sides, shaking the pan as needed, until all the corn is coated in the butter. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!


Notes

Storage: store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.

Grill: if you want to cook the corn on a grill, I recommend using a cast iron griddle, or cast iron pan, for more surface area.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅛th recipe
  • Calories: 182
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 363mg
  • Fat: 3g
  • Carbohydrates: 16g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: corn, paprika, onion powder, basil, thyme, black pepper, garlic, cilantro, vegan butter, butter, lime, grill, summer, spicy, creole, cajun

« How to Make a Hojicha Latte (hot or iced)
Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Laurel

Eating your veggies doesn’t have to mean bland steamed cauliflower and boring salads! My mission is to help people eat their nine servings of fruit & vegetables a day and LOVE it! About me →

Trying to Eat Healtier?

Subscribe and get our top tips for cooking veggies that you will CRAVE!

No spam. Ever.

Footer

↑ back to top

DARN GOOD VEGGIES

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Media Kit

CONNECT

  • Newsletter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

FOOD & RECIPES

  • 30 Minute Meals
  • 10 Ingredients or Less
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegan
  • Plant Basics

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Darn Good Veggies

Copyright © 2023 · Cookd Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in