BBQ Corn Foil Herb Butter (Printable)

Sweet corn grilled in foil, brushed with herb butter, perfect for summer grilling.

# What You'll Need:

→ Corn

01 - 4 ears fresh corn, husked

→ Herb Butter

02 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
05 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
06 - 1 garlic clove, minced
07 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

09 - 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Lime wedges, to serve

# Steps:

01 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine softened butter, parsley, chives, thyme, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until well blended.
03 - Place each ear of corn on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread 1.5 tablespoons of herb butter evenly over each ear.
04 - Wrap corn tightly in foil, sealing the ends securely to prevent steam and juices from escaping.
05 - Place foil-wrapped corn on preheated grill. Cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until corn is tender with light charring.
06 - Remove from grill and rest for one minute. Unwrap carefully and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh lime juice before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything happens in foil, which means no complicated cleanup and no kernels rolling across your grill grates.
  • The herb butter infuses so completely that each bite tastes like you spent hours on flavor development, when really you just mixed softened butter with fresh herbs.
  • It's the rare side dish that works alongside anything—grilled steaks, vegetarian spreads, casual weeknight dinners—without demanding attention.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of actually sealing the foil well, because I learned the hard way that leaking butter means dry corn and a messy grill, neither of which is the goal here.
  • Turning the packets matters more than you might think because it ensures the kernels steam evenly, and skipping this step leaves you with some tender rows and some still-firm ones.
03 -
  • Make herb butter ahead and freeze it in portions wrapped in plastic—this way you always have flavor on hand for impromptu grilling.
  • If your grill isn't perfectly level, rotate the packets so the bottom side gets direct heat for a couple minutes, which creates subtle caramelization and better texture.
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