Sous Vide Corn on the Cob Recipe

The Food Lab

Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

J. Kenji López-Alt
Sous Vide Corn on the Cob Recipe
*
  • Yield:Serves 4
  • Active time:5 minutes
  • Total time:35 minutes
  • Rated: 4.5

Corn cooked sous vide comes out extra-flavorful and juicy. [Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Why cook corn sous vide at all, when there are plenty of other already-incredible ways of cooking it like microwaving in-the-husk ears whole, boiling it in salted water, or any number of ways to grill it? Because sous vide allows you to get results that cannot be achieved through any other method. Juicier, more evenly tender-crisp, and packed with corn flavor.

Why It Works

The best way to get the most out of your cobs. Read the Whole Story
  • The sous vide cooker traps in juices from the corn, ensuring that it comes out extra moist with a more intense corn flavor.

Ingredients

  • 4 ears corn, still in the husk, both ends trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt
  • Aromatics such as cilantro, scallion, garlic, or dried chilies if desired (see note above)

Directions

  1. 1.

    Preheat a water bath to 183°F using a sous vide precision cooker. Place corn, butter, and aromatics inside 1 to 2 vacuum-seal bags and seal bags. Add two extra seals on each end to ensure sticking.

  2. 2.

    Clip a heavy metal spoon or knife to the edge of each sous-vide bag with a heavy-duty binder clip to weigh the court down. Place in sous vide cooker and cook for 30 minutes. Open bags, remove corn from husks, discard aromatics and husks, and serve corn, passing extra butter at the table.

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