How to Cook Corn on the Cob in the Oven

If it's too cold to pull out the grill but you're bored with the taste of boiled corn on the cob, consider cooking it in your oven. Corn on the cob can be roasted or broiled, and you can leave the husks on or remove them prior to cooking.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

4 ears of corn
4 Tbsp (60 ml) butter or olive oil
Salt, to taste (optional)
Ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley, to taste (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Roasting in the Husk

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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Meanwhile, place one of the interior racks into the center position of the oven.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Note that you do not need to prepare a baking sheet for the corn. For this method, you'll need to place the ears of corn directly onto the oven rack. Do not cover the oven rack in aluminum foil, either.
2
Rinse the corn. Quickly clean the outer husks by rinsing them beneath cool, running water. Use your fingers to scrub away any visible dirt or debris.
- Do not remove the husks from the ears of corn.
- If there are any silks hanging out of the ends or leaves peeling away from the sides, use clean kitchen scissors to trim them away.
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3
Cook the corn for 30 minutes. Arrange the ears of corn in a single layer directly on the center rack. Cook the corn until it becomes tender.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If there's another oven rack above the center rack, you can let it remain in place as long as it does not come into contact with the corn. If it does, you should remove it completely or move it to a position beneath the center rack.
- Try to keep the corn in a single layer. If you need to stack it, you may need to increase the overall cooking time. You'll also need to make sure that the pile of corn does not touch the upper heating element of the oven.
- To check for doneness, gently squeeze the sides of the ear. It should be firm, yet soft enough to press through the husk.
4
Peel down the husks. Remove the finished corn from the oven and let it cool for several minutes. When the husks are cool enough to touch, carefully peel them down from each ear.
- Consider holding the base of each ear with an oven mitt before peeling down the husks. Also note that the steam escaping from the corn will be very hot, so you should never point the ears directly at your face.
- You can wrap the husks around the base of each ear to serve as a handle or remove them completely. The choice is yours to make.
Brush the corn on the cob with melted butter or olive oil, if desired, and consider seasoning it with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to taste. Serve the finished corn on the cob while it's still hot.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Roasting in Foil

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1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).^{[3]XResearch source} Move one of the interior racks into the center position of the oven.
- Meanwhile, prepare four sheets of aluminum foil, sizing each so that it is 1-1/2 times as large as any one ear of corn.^{[4]XResearch source}
- If there's another rack sitting above the center rack, you can leave it in place as long as it will not block or touch the ears of corn once they're in the oven. If this problem does occur, you'll need to remove the top rack or place it beneath the center rack.
2
Remove the husks. Peel the husks down from each ear of corn, removing them completely. Snap off the stem at the base of the ear.
- Rinse the exposed cobs of corn under cool, running water while using your hands to gently scrub the corn and remove as many silks as possible. Dry with clean paper towels when finished.
3
Season the corn. Center each ear of corn over one sheet of aluminum foil. Brush the corn with butter or oil, then add salt, pepper, and chopped parsley as desired.
- Melting the butter beforehand may make it easier to spread evenly over the ear of corn, but doing so is not strictly necessary since the butter will melt over the corn as it roasts.
- Sprinkle any seasonings over all sides of each ear to distribute them evenly.
4
Wrap up the foil. Loosely fold the foil around the corn, then fold and pinch the sides together to create a seal.
- Arrange the wrapped corn on an uncovered, ungreased baking sheet. Keep the corn in a single layer; if possible, do not stack the ears.
5
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the corn in the preheated oven and bake the ears until they feel thoroughly hot and tender-crisp.
- After the first 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet to promote even cooking on all sides of the corn.
- Check the corn after 20 minutes by carefully squeezing the sides of the foil. Wear an oven mitt as you do this to protect your hands. When ready, the corn should give a little through the foil without breaking or feeling mushy.
6
Unwrap carefully. Remove the finished corn from the oven. Allow it to cool for several seconds, then carefully unwrap the foil from around the ears.
- The foil will likely release very hot steam as you unwrap it. To protect yourself against burns, do not hover your face or arms over the corn while removing the foil.
- After unwrapping the corn, poke one of the kernels with your fingernail or a fork. When ready, the juice should shoot out from the kernel when pierced.^{[5]XResearch source} If this doesn't happen, you may need to loosely wrap the corn and return it to the oven for another few minutes.
The roasted corn on the cob should be ready to serve. Eat it while it's still hot to enjoy the best flavor and texture.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Broiling Whole

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1
Preheat the broiler. Switch on the broiler setting of your oven and allow the heating element to warm up for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Some broilers only have on and off settings, while others also have high and low settings. If yours is the latter, switch the broiler onto high.
- Place the upper oven rack roughly 6 inches (15 cm) away from the upper heating element of the oven. This upper heating element is the only portion that turns on when you use the broiler.
2
Peel and wrap the husks. Peel the husks back, revealing the entire ear of corn, but do not remove them. Instead, use scissors to cut the husks down to a length of roughly 4 inches (10 cm), then wrap the hanging husks in aluminum foil.
- Pick away any hanging silks during this step, as well.
- Wrapping the husks with foil is a necessary step. If you don't do this, the husks will quickly burn under the intense heat of the broiler and may even catch on fire.
- If you don't wish to use the husks and stem as handles while serving the corn, you can remove them completely.
3
Coat the corn with oil and seasonings. Arrange the ears of corn in single layer on a baking sheet, then drizzle them with olive oil. If desired, you may also season the corn with salt and pepper.
- You can cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil, if desired, but doing so is not necessary.
- Note that olive oil is a better choice than butter for this method since it has a higher smoking point and will be less likely to overheat in the broiler.
4
Broil for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the ears of corn under the preheated broiler. Watch the corn carefully, and rotate the ears each time the kernels on that side begin charring.
- You'll need to rotate the after the first 3 to 5 minutes, then twice more every 3 to 5 minutes after that. When ready, the corn should be lightly and evenly charred, and tender throughout.
- Note that you can also remove the foil from around the husks during the last 2 minutes, if desired, so that they can char lightly without burning.
Remove the corn from the oven and sprinkle it with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve it while it's still hot.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Broiling Sectioned

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1
Preheat the broiler. Turn on the broiler portion of your oven and allow it to preheat for at least 5 minutes.
- If your broiler has high and low settings, switch it onto high. Note that some broilers only have on and off settings; in this case, the general on setting is fine.
- Make sure that the upper rack of the oven is about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the top heating element.^{[6]XResearch source}
2
Cut each ear into four sections. Completely remove the husks and all visible threads from the ears of corn. Use a knife to chop each ear into four equal sections.
- Depending on the thickness of the corn, it may be possible to break the ears apart by hand instead of using a knife. Doing so will give you less control over the size of the sections, though, making it harder to keep the sections even.
3
Brush the corn with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Arrange the corn cob sections on a large baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Lightly brush each section with oil or melted butter, and sprinkle the corn with salt and pepper (if desired).
- Since olive oil has a higher smoking point than butter, it's usually the safer option for the broiler. Since the corn should cook quickly when sectioned, though, you should also be able to use butter without much trouble.
4
Broil for 6 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Place the corn beneath the preheated broiler. Cook the cob sections for 3 to 5 minutes, or until some of the kernels begin to char, then flip them over to their other sides. Continue cooking until the other sides char, as well.
- Consider brushing the other sides with additional oil and butter before returning them to the broiler. Note that doing so may result in more splatter inside your oven, though.
Remove the corn cob sections from the oven and let them cool slightly. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, if desired, and serve the corn hot.