These easy summer corn recipes are perfect side dishes for your summer cookout or backyard parties — from a trick to making juicy grilled corn on the cob to creative corn salads, crockpot corn casserole, and savory Mexican corn dips, we’ve got all the delicious ways to enjoy this summer staple.
6 Of Our Best Summer Corn Recipes Ever!
I love summer corn season and wished it lasted longer, so I try to make corn every chance I get for the season. These are my go-to corn dishes when I’m looking for easy dinner side dishes or need a pitch-in dish for summer parties.
Easy Corn Dishes For Summer
These are my favorite ways to make corn in the summer:
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Corn in the air fryer (when we don’t have time to grill)
- Mexican street corn (off the cob)
- Traditional Mexican corn on the cob
- Corn and bean salad
- Simple slow cooker corn casserole (great to take to summer backyard bbqs!)
My favorite corn recipe tip: if you’re not growing your own corn, buy up all that summer sweet corn you can find from local farmers and farmers’ markets. Then, freeze it to use later in the year for any of these fabulous recipes for corn dishes!
Best Summer Corn Recipes You Gotta Try This Year!
Juicy Grilled Summer Corn On Cob
Corn on the cob on the grill always says summer to me!
There’s something about roasting corn on the BBQ that brings out an extra flavor that you don’t get by oven cooking corn or boiling corn.
This corn recipe gives you secret tips for keeping your corn on the grill juicy and sweet without drying it out.
Learn How To Make Juicy Corn On The Cob On The Grill Without Husks or Foil!
Air Fried Corn on Cob
Don’t have time for grilling corn?
Pop those ears of corn into the air fryer oven for easy dinner sides on summer nights when you don’t feel like cooking!
This air fryer corn on the cob summer recipe will quickly become your easy side dish recipe.
Air frying corn amplifies the taste and gives the corn a perfect sweet, crispy, and grilled corn taste.
Get The Air Fryer Corn On The Cob Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Off The Cob (Esquites Recipe)
Mexican street corn off cob, or esquites, is also called Mexican corn in a cup because it is often sold my street vendors in a cup with a spoon and a fresh wedge of lime.
(Some people sometimes call it Mexican street corn salad.)
It’s one of our favorite corn dishes in our house! We make it as a side dish, but (honestly) I like it as a lunch salad on it’s own.
I esquites warm or at room temperature, but some people eat it cold. (It reheats easily!)
If you are making it ahead of time, I would leave off the toppings until you’re ready to serve it and then add them add the party.
TO MAKE STREET CORN IN A CUP, YOU’LL NEED:
- Roasted corn
- Butter
- Cotija cheese (the Mexican street corn cheese)
- Mayonnaise
- Lime juice
- Smoked paprika or chili powder
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR MEXICAN STREET CORN OFF COB
How To Make Mexican Street Corn On The Cob (Elotes Recipe)
Mexican street corn on cob, or elotes, is the traditional street corn recipe.
After roasting the corn on the cob, you slather it with the creamy street corn sauce and top it with chili powder and Cotija cheese.
If you can, grill the corn on the cob. It gives it that extra charred corn flavor that really pops with the strong sauce flavors.
TO MAKE TRADITIONAL MEXICAN STREET CORN ON COB, YOU’LL NEED:
- Roasted corn / grilled sweet corn on cob (fresh corn cobs)
- Sour cream or Mexican Crema
- Cotija cheese (Mexican cheese) or queso fresco
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic
- Fresh cilantro
- Ground chipotle pepper or smoked paprika
- Fresh lime juice
- Lime wedges
- Salt
- Pepper
GET THE FULL RECIPE FOR MEXICAN CORN ON THE COB
Summer Corn and Black Bean Salsa
This is one of my daughter’s favorite dip recipes, so definitely don’t count it out for kids at your summer party (especially if you can get fresh sweet corn and cut it off the cob!).
It’s a simple recipe and a last minute dip ready in minutes.
Eat these black beans and corn with corn chips or tortilla chips like a chunky salsa or even serve it as a simple summer side dish with hamburgers, hotdogs, or barbecue.
Recipe for Black Bean and Corn Salad Dip
Crockpot Corn Casserole
Can I let you in on a secret?
This is my go-to easy corn recipe for all year, but I especially love this slow cooker corn casserole for summer parties.
It’s easy to dump everything in the crockpot for a one-pot recipe and then unplug the crockpot after it cooks and take it to the potluck pitch-in or I serve it right from the crockpot at our own cookouts.
This corn recipe is always a huge hit and we never have any leftover.
IMPORTANT RECIPE TIP: This corn casserole cooks differently in different crockpots. You may want to test it out in your crockpot before you make it for a party.
GET THE RECIPE FOR CROCK POT CORN CASSEROLE
MORE SUMMER RECIPES TO TRY: Summer Salads Perfect for Every Occasion — From Picnics To Patio Cookouts!
I hope you enjoy these easy summer corn recipes!
