Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob is grilled to perfection and shows off the dreamy combination of lemon and pepper perfectly. This is a scrumptious summer side dish for a BBQ or any time!
This super simple recipe screams summer fresh deliciousness! And in this case, by "recipe," I mean throwing a few lovely flavors together on the grill.
Less is More
In many cases, the fewer the ingredients the better. I think this is often true when we're using produce at the peak of its season. The goal should be to highlight the produce, and we should be careful not to use competing flavors that might detract from its natural beauty.
And that's exactly what we do in this recipe. A little salt, pepper and lemon and voilà, it's perfect.
I promise you, if you serve this at a summer BBQ, you'll be a star.
How to Grill Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob
- First, peel away the corn husks and remove any excess silk (threads).
- Place the corn on a plate or baking sheet, slice a lemon in half and drizzle its juice over the entire surface, rotating it as you go -- preferably a Meyer lemon.
- Now sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the entire surface, again, rotating the cob as you go -- Kampot pepper, if you can swing it.
- Preheat the grill, drizzle the corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- When the grill is very hot, add the corn.
- Grill until each side is nicely charred and the corn is tender.
- Spread room temperature butter over the kernels.
(More detailed instructions are below.)
What to serve with it
I love serving this with grilled meat or chicken and salads. It makes for the perfect summer feast! Here are a few favorites:
- Chopped Mexican Salad with Spiced Pepitas
- Balsamic Glazed Watermelon-Avocado Chopped Salad
- Shredded Cobb Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Red Goddess Grilled Flank Steak
- Grilled Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers
I hope you enjoy every last kernel of this oh-so-scrumptious Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob!
Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob
Ingredients
- 4 ears fresh corn (with or without husks)
- 1 lemon
- salt, pepper
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
- If the husks are still on the corn, peel them off and remove any excess silk that sticks to the corn kernels.
- Place the ears of corn on a plate or baking sheet, slice the lemon in half and drizzle a bit of its juice over the kernels, rotating it as you go. Repeat on each ear of corn.
- Now sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the entire surface, again, rotating the cob as you go. (Be generous, but don’t get so enthusiastic, that it will be too strong.)
- Preheat the grill, drizzle the corn with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- When the grill is very hot, add the corn. You should hear a sizzling sound — if you don’t, the grill isn’t hot enough. Wait for the sizzle! Grill until each side is nicely charred and the corn is tender, about 8 minutes. (If it’s becoming too charred, turn down the heat and loosely cover the corn with foil until it’s ready.)
- Divide the butter among the 4 ears of corn, spreading it evenly. Serve!
Notes
Eddie
I love grilled corn. Have to look up Kampot peppr because I have never heard of it, but just the name makes me curious already 🙂
But most people don't let the grill get hot enough to make it taste good like you mentioned it has to sizzle !!
Glad you made a point of that in this recepie.
Thanks for sharing.
Eddie
valentina
Thanks so much, Eddie. The Kampot pepper is delicious!
Docmike5
Great recipe. My wife is from Wisconsin and Minnesota farming families on both sides - people who know how to serve corn. Her first words when she tried this corn was "Wow! This is a good way to make corn!" Thank you.
valentina
Thanks so much! You've made my day with this one. I'll take that as a big compliment from your wife! 😀 ~Valentina
Mike Forrester
This is really good. We've made corn this way several times when corn was in season. We don't get Meyer lemons consistently here, so we use regular lemon on the corn and Meyer lemon infused oil right before the grill. These cobs brown nicely, are fragrant and flavorful; so forth the little prep involved. My wife still raves every time she has one of these! Thank you again.