Sous vide corn on the cob is so intensely corn flavored – I bet you’ve never tasted anything like it! In this tried and true recipe, you’ll learn the best time and temperature for sous vide corn recipes, and how to sous vide corn poached in butter.
Did you know: there’s a new version of this recipe available. And it comes with a tasty green sauce. See how to make sous vide sweet corn with ears of corn, cilantro, lime and jalapeno to spice things up!
Table of Contents
Sous vide corn on the cob VS. boiled corn on the cob
Why bother putting corn in a vacuum sealed bag and cooking it in hot water with the sous vide machine? Because the corn cooks in a buttery sous vide bag, without touching water directly. Which means it’s super juicy, and buttery, while none of the nutrients or flavor are lost to the water.
Traditional ways of cooking corn, like boiling corn in water, takes a ton of the flavor out of sweet corn. If you like your corn super corny, then the sous vide method is your best bet.
The time and temp for sous vide corn is high and fast, so you’ll probably never bother with any other way to cook corn. Once they’re done, top them with a variety of seasonings and flavors.
My favorite way to season sous vide corn on the cob is a Mexican flavor pairing of cracked pepper, cotija cheese, and cilantro.
Other times, I’ll cut it off the corn stalk and use it in Mexican tortellini pasta salad, to top zucchini soup, or in my make ahead Mexican salad with ranch.
Ingredients
It couldn’t get much simpler. All you need is fresh shucked corn, butter, and garlic salt.
How to sous vide corn on the cob – step by step
First, shuck fresh corn.
Add the shucked corn, butter, and salt to a vacuum sealer bag in a flat layer.
Time and temperature
Then, drop the bag in the sous vide bath at 182ºF for 30 minutes.
Cooked corn on the cob floats in the sous vide bath, so weigh it down with something that can withstand the heat. In this picture the corn is weighed down with a small cast iron pan. You can also use commercial sous vide weights.
When done, remove the corn from the hot water. Preserve the butter if desired to drizzle on top of the cooked corn.
Enjoy this tasty sous vide side dish as is or grill sous vide corn on the cob on high heat, rotating a couple times, every 30 to 60 seconds, until grill marks appear.
Grilling is one of my favorite ways to enjoy sous vide corn with other sous vide dishes for BBQs, like sous vide chicken breast and sous vide wings.
So what’s the texture like for sous vide corn on the cob?
Cooking corn on the cob sous vide should soften the corn, but not so much that it becomes mushy. Instead, corn should be firm but not hard. Don’t leave the corn in the water bath for longer than the recipe calls for.
What to put on corn on the cob
- Old Bay (okay, we love Old Bay because we’re from Maryland!)
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Garlic butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime (“Mexican style” like in my sous vide cookbook)
What to serve with corn on the cob
Other finger foods are perfect for serving with corn on the cob. Or, cut the corn off the cob and mix it with other veggies. Here are a few mains and sides we love with corn on the cob.
- Cajun shrimp
- Sous vide pork chops
- Sous vide kebabs
- BBQ or buffalo style chicken wings (like these juicy sous vide bbq wings)
- Grilled or roasted veg (try my favorite garlic dill carrots) or this simple sous vide asparagus
How to refrigerate sous vide corn on the cob
Refrigerate corn on the cob as-is, or cut it off the cob and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Leftover corn on the cob is tasty as a cold side dish. I love adding corn to salads and sous vide pork tacos.
Wine pairings
Try a sweet, nutty Australian or Californian Chardonnay to compliment corn on the cob’s natural sweetness.
Plating tips
Take advantage of corn on the cob handles to make eating easier and for a more polished end product. If you don’t have the little handles to stick into the ends of your corn, try using wooden skewers.
For an extra dash of color and flavor, add some tasty garlic herb compound butter to your cooked corn. It’s also great on smoked corn on the cob.
Tasty tips and notes
- Corn floats in the sous vide bath, so use something to weigh it down like commercial sous vide weights.
- Plating tips. Plate with other finger foods, like sous vide wings.
- Serving suggestion. Fresh sous vide corn also tastes great on salads. When it cools, cut the corn off the cob and sprinkle on salads with tomatoes, cheese, and red onions.
FAQs
In my experience, corn on the cob will float even when vacuum sealed. If you’re using a ziplock bag (immersion technique) instead of vacuum sealing the corn, you may have more of an issue with it floating because of the air in the bag. Try clipping the ziplock bag to the edge of the container, and not completely sealing it shut. This will allow extra air in the bag to release while cooking. (Read more on sous vide cooking with ziploc vs vacuum sealed bags).
Another option is to use these handy commercial sous vide weights. If you’re in a pinch, add something heat-safe to the water bath to hold down the corn, like a small cast iron pan.
Technically, if you stay within the right time and temp, it shouldn’t be overcooked. If you leave it in the sous vide bath too long, however, the proteins in the corn may break down too much.
When it comes to corn on the cob less is more, even when cooking it sous vide. There’s no way to go back in time and un-cook the corn on the cob, unfortunately, but maybe you can turn it into corn chowder with a little cream!
Readers also love these sous vide recipes
- Sous Vide T Bone Steak
- Sous Vide Wings
- Sous Vide Spare Ribs with BBQ Sauce
- Sous Vide Turkey Legs
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast
- Sous Vide Pulled Pork
- Sous Vide Short Ribs
- Sous Vide Onions in Beer
- Sous Vide Cookbooks for Beginners
- Easy sous vide bone in pork chops
- Sous Vide Brussels Sprouts
- Sous Vide Beef Kebabs
Let me know when you make sous vide corn on the cob. Be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It means so much to hear from Sip Bite Go readers and I love seeing photos of your food! Don’t forget to tag me @sipbitego on Instagram so I can see how the recipe turned out. And sign up for the Sip Bite Go newsletter.
Butter Poached Sous Vide Corn on the Cob Recipe (Sip Bite Go)
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn shucked
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat sous vide machine to 182ºF.
- Vacuum-seal corn, butter, and salt in a flat layer and drop the bag in the sous vide bath at 182ºF for 30 minutes. When done, remove the corn from the hot water. Remove corn from the bag. Preserve the corn butter if desired.
- Enjoy as is or grill sous vide corn on the cob on high heat, rotating a couple times, every 30 to 60 seconds, until seared with grill marks.
Video
Notes
- Corn floats in the sous vide bath, so use something to weigh it down like commercial sous vide weights.
- Plating tips. Plate with other finger foods, like sous vide wings.
- Serving suggestion. Fresh sous vide corn also tastes great on salads. When it cools, cut the corn off the cob and sprinkle on salads with tomatoes, cheese, and red onions.
Anjali says
I’ve always been a bit nervous to try sous vide recipes – but you inspired me with your easy-to-follow recipe and super helpful tips!! Thank you so much!
Erica Schwarz says
Guess I’ll be adding a sous vide bath to my Christmas list! I can totally see how sealing in the flavor would make this corn delicious.
Denisse Salinas says
OMG how delicious! Corn on the cob is a favorite and I am seriously intrigued by the sous vide method! I will try this next weekend!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
I’ve never tried corn on the cob this way. Thanks for sharing, it looks easy and delicious!
Lisa Huff says
I would never have thought of making corn this way!! And now I’m starving and want corn so badly…