Boiled Corn on the Cob
by Chungah
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Milk boiled corn! Basically a buttery milk bath for the juiciest, sweetest corn. Perfect summer corn. Tender, flavorful, and ready in 30 min!
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Why you’ll love this boiled corn on the cob recipe
- The only way to cook corn on the cob. This is truly one of the best ways to cook corn on the cob, in a buttery milk bath of course. The lovely milk bath brings out the natural sweetness of the corn – so juicy, so tender, and so perfectly sweet for your summer corn.
- Made in just 30 minutes or less. We have a short ingredient list with minimal effort – no fuss, no muss here.
- An absolute crowd-favorite. Milk boiled corn is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, perfect for picnics, backyard cookouts, barbecues and summer entertaining all season long.
what is milk boiled corn?
Milk boiled corn, also known as a “butter bath”, is a different way of cooking corn on the cob, simmering the corn in a mixture of whole milk, butter and sugar rather than water, yielding rich, creamy, tender, sweet corn kernels.
How to make milk boiled corn
- Bring water, garlic, salt and pepper to a boil, simmering for 10 minutes or so
- Adding whole milk, butter and brown sugar (if using), and bring to a boil again
- Add corn, simmering until tender, about 6-10 minutes
- Season with salt and pepper, garnishing with chives for a pop of color
- Serve immediately or keep warm off-heat and covered for 30-60 minutes
What to Serve with Boiled Corn on the Cob
Tools for this recipe
Dutch oven
Boiled Corn on the Cob FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
White or yellow whole fresh corn, with husks and silk removed, will work beautifully here.
The corn will turn a bright yellow color, becoming plump and tender. Overcooked corn will look shriveled.
No, once the milk is mixed with water and butter, the milk should not curdle here.
Depending on the freshness of the corn (fresher corn will cook faster), it can take anywhere from 6-10 minutes.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The corn kernels makes for great additions to mashed potatoes and creamy soups (ex. corn chowder). Leftover cobs can also be used for corn stock, simmering for 1-2 hours, and repurposing for soups and risotto.
Boiled Corn on the Cob
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 3 cloves garlic, halved
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6 ears corn, husks removed and halved
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Combine 4 cups water, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in milk, butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil; working carefully, add corn, reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 6-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for even heat distribution.
- Cut in half. Cut the corn cobs in smaller portions (thirds or halves) for easy serving.
- Fresh corn cooks faster. Fresh corn has a higher moisture content and will typically cook much faster than older corn. Be sure to keep an eye on the corn as overcooked corn can be tough and chewy.
- Use whole milk. While skim or 2% milk can work in a pinch, the fat content in whole milk is necessary here for maximum richness.
- Butter is key here. The butter will infuse the corn kernels with salty, buttery goodness. So good, you can skip the butter topping at the very end too.
- Omit the sugar. If you summer corn is already very sweet, skip the sugar. Alternatively, if you want to make this all year round (and you don’t have much faith in the corn), the sugar will make all the difference here.
- Make it vegan. Use non-dairy milk such as almond milk and swap out the butter for vegan butter.
- Season and serve. No need to slather on that softened butter. The butter bath has taken care of all that work for you. Simply garnish with chives (and season with s+p if needed) and serve.
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5 Stars – Delicious and Simple!
This boiled corn on the cob recipe is a keeper! I followed the directions exactly, and the corn turned out incredibly juicy and sweet. The perfect summer side dish. I’ve already added it to my recipe book and can’t wait to make it again!
I bet you could use the broth after to make either clam chowder or left over corn chowder with added fresh thyme.
Can you make it in the instant pot?
This might be the most disturbing recipe I’ve ever seen. There is no reason to add milk to boiled corn. Idk why this was even a thought. If you can’t boil corn without adding more dairy then you should stick to cereal. I’ve been cooking, smoking, bbq, grilling for over 30 years and your milk corn recipe is gna get people sick if they don’t know how to properly do it. And honestly the best corn on the cob only needs the spg and butter. You are trying too hard on an awesome easy side dish.
With all due respect you’re wrong. How is anyone going to get sick from boiling corn in milk. Just because you’ve been cooking for 30yrs doesn’t make you right. Maybe you cook like crap and nobody likes your food other than your family. I’ve been cooking for 35yrs to. What’s your point.
Can you remove kernels from cob and then cook per the recipe?
This is one of the recipes that encouraged me to sign–up for DamnDelicious recipes by email. I needed to add more milk to the pot. The wow’s and ummms from my guests echoed the many positive comments I read. No additional butter or salt was needed for this tender delicious corn.
If you are cooking about 50 half ears can you reuse the milk bath or do a new each time
nice corn
Can frozen corn on the cob be used? If so, should I thaw it first or just straight from freezer?
can something else be used instead of milk?
i love corn i love butter n i love tasty food n playing around
i just dont like milk or how it smells esp when hot
Almond milk
My new favorite way to make corn on the cob
!
I had some buttermilk powder to use up, so I reconstituted it and used it in place of milk. Delicious!
Pacific NW girl here and I agree with the person from the mid-West…we SHUCK corn! LOL
That said, I think the leftover broth from this (and some of the corn) would make a dynamite salmon chowder. I’m going to be cooking corn like this for sure and the salmon run is on now, so some good eating is on the way! Mary
I make this for my picky 12 year old and picky husband and they LOVE it! Thanks
Have you used the milk that the corn was boiled in for anything after? Like use it in a milk bread or chowder recipe? Just curious?
Do you think this could be made with almond milk instead of whole milk? I have a milk allergy so I only use almond milk.
Question..so you boil with the 4 cups of water and then..font drain the water and just add the milk and butter to the water?
DAMN RIGHT ITS DAMN DELICIOUS.. lol
Thank You
Julio Covington aka
Poppa J⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The recipe was amazing. But I did the substitute of my own and it turned out beautiful I did everything according to the recipe except for the milk I added sweet condensed milk one cup and one cup hot water and that’s what I added instead of milk.
Amazingly delicious!