You can call a summer side dish any name you want but this spicy-sweet street corn recipe couldn't be more simple to make for your next cookout.
Some people may call it Elotes, Mexican street corn, Esquites, corn cup, corn in a cup, and even corn salad.
But I call it spicy-sweet street corn and it tastes like summer to me.
I look forward to the summer. Most of us do. But some for different reasons than others.
I guess the sweet corn of summer is something I'd taken for granted.
When I wrote The Flipping Awesome Backyard Griddle Cookbook, one of the most fun and delicious side dishes I created was bacon-wrapped corn cooked on the griddle.
But this summer, I'm experimenting with different ways to make corn delicious.
First, I tested and proved the best way to make fresh corn on the cob using an appliance many of us already own.
This gave me some ideas on how to improve the corn dish in my cookbook and I couldn't be happier with the results.
How to cut corn off of the cob with ease
I love the taste combination of bacon and corn.
I also appreciate enjoying fresh corn, that's already been cut off of the cob.
I've been cutting corn off of the cob since grade school, so I've got my corn cutting down to a science.
Honing my knife with the WorkSharp ceramic honing rod
There are two main factors to efficiently removing corn from the cob.
- Use an extremely sharp knife to safely and evenly cut corn from the cob
- Find an effective way to catch the cut corn so it doesn't make a huge mess
Fortunately, I've mastered both of these items.
Keep a sharp knife
All of my knives are special to me. But like a teacher's pet, a few of them get special treatment.
I find that the WorkSharp E5 sharpener is perfect for keeping my knives extremely sharp and in perfect working order for whatever I'm cooking.
When I'm cutting a few different items, especially switching from meat to veggies, I wash my cutlery after each use.
After washing and drying, I like to use the WorkSharp ceramic honing rod for a quick polish on the edge before I'm on to my next task.
The combination of these two sharpeners not only keeps my knives sharp but it prevents me from tearing through foods when slicing which I feel makes my food look and taste better.
Use the two bowl cutting method to catch more corn
I am always a-maized at the places I find corn after it's been cut off of the cob.
The best way to keep the corn from becoming a huge mess is to use what I call the two bowl method of removal.
A good metal bowl set with graduating sizes is a kitchen essential in my opinion.
Place a smaller bowl inverted inside one of the larger and wider bowls.
Stand the corn on its end atop the inverted bowl and cut the corn from the cob, starting at the tip and working toward the stem.
Keep the blade parallel to the cob for evenly sized kernels. When the corn is cut away it gets caught in the larger bowl.
This method is significantly less messy than any other I've tried.
If you have a better method for removing corn from the cob please leave me a comment and I will investigate further.
This spicy-sweet street corn dish is practically made for cooking on the Blackstone Griddle.
The fun part about this dish is that all the cooking is done outside so there is no need to steam up the kitchen on a hot summer day just to cook some corn.
If you don't have a Blackstone Griddle, there's no need to panic.
The dish can be made simply and deliciously on any griddle plate, cast iron pan, or even on your stovetop in an absolute emergency. I cooked this recipe on the AirFryer Combo griddle and use the warming basket to keep things warm until it's time to eat. You can learn more about it in this article about Blackstones AirFryer Griddle Combo.
I like cooking this spicy-sweet street corn dish on the outdoor griddle for a variety of reasons
All of the ingredients in this dish play well off of each other when cooked on the griddle.
When you start by rendering the bacon first, it leaves behind some grease (and flavor) for sauteing the onions.
Griddles can easily be set up to cook in two zones with a flame on one side (or zone) and carryover heat in the other area.
Bacon beginning to render on the Blackstone Griddle
Two-zone cooking on a griddle is especially helpful when cooking a dish like this because ingredients that cook at different speeds can all come together at the same time when the dish is done.
Optional toppings bring a fun citrusy brightness to the dish.
Although an optional ingredient for this dish, Tajín is a wonderful spice blend to keep in your pantry
It's a blend of lime, chili powders, and sea salt. Tajín makes some dishes sing with flavor and it's perfect for this spicy-sweet street corn. It's also insanely delicious on certain fruits like watermelon and mango.
If you're new to griddle cooking, this article answers some of the most common questions about cooking with a griddle.
If not, give this recipe a try. Maybe even serve it with this carne asada recipe.
Regardless of what you call it, I'm sure you will find it as delicious as I do.
📖 Recipe
Spicy-Sweet Street Corn: a Blackstone Griddle Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- ½ cup pickled jalapeno
- Optional toppings:
- Juice of ½ lime
- ½ cup Cojtilla cheese
- 1 tablespoon Tajín Clásico Seasoning
Instructions
- Shuck corn. Take care to make sure all silk has been removed
- Use a sharp knife and the two bowl method to remove the corn kernels from the cob
- Stack the bacon slices on top of each other
- Make a slice down the center of the bacon and then cut across the bacon to dice. The diced bacon should be about a half-inch in length and not much wider than the width of a pencil
- Dice your sweet onion
- Roughly chop the jalapeno rings to break them up slightly
- Preheat your Blackstone Griddle to medium-high and set it for two-zone cooking
- Render the bacon first, cooking it to about 80% done
- Slide the bacon to the cool side of the griddle
- Saute the onion in the bacon grease for three minutes
- Add the jalapenos to the onion and cook for an additional three minutes
- Slide the jalapeno and onion to the cool side of the griddle
- Add the corn to the warm side of the griddle and saute for two minutes, stirring constantly
- Add a tablespoon or two of water or oil if the corn seems to be sticking to the griddle
- Saute the corn for about 5 minutes, then combine it with the bacon, jalapenos, and onions.
- Cook for an additional two or three minutes to combine the flavors
- Serve in a bowl and optionally garnish with Cojtilla cheese, lime juice, and Tajín Clásico Seasoning
Always looking for good griddle recipes besides breakfast!
It's delicious- Please let me know how it turns out when you make it!
Also- have you seen my book with 50 recipes for the griddle?
https://amzn.to/3ipMQcp
OMG! Absolutely delicious! I made it w 6 ears of corn and 6 slices of thick cut bacon and 1/2 c diced jalapenos
Definitely a must keep!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's a favorite around here-
Omg growing up in sweet corn country it’s always on the Cobb. This is the bomb. Quick sweet n spicy. I’ll put it on a lot of Mexican tacos in burritos. I added a little less jalapeños and a little chil powder. But it is amazing
Glad you enjoyed it, Tom!
It's basically a yummy blank canvas you can take in any direction you want with your seasonings-
Can't wait to give this one a try! Looks delicious!
the best method I have found to cut corn off its cob is to use a bundt pan. settle the end of the cob onto/into the hole, stabilizing it, and sever away. The released kernels drop into the pan, your cob remains secure, and cleanup is a breeze. You're welcome!
Nice tip- thanks!