A bowl of Charred Corn with just a bit of bacon and cream will steal the show at your next gathering or potluck. You don’t have to wait for the holidays for this easy side dish that can be ready in 15 minutes.
Looking for a side dish to round out your Thanksgiving dinner, or just a quick and easy side that goes well with almost anything? Charred corn is a simple dish that won’t take up any space in your oven so you don’t have to worry about timing your rolls and casseroles.
Maybe you’re trying to figure out what to make for your office potluck, this quick and easy to warm up side dish will go with anything.
A great dish when you have oodles of corn on the cob. If you were ambitious and froze corn during the summer, then this should be on the top of your list. If you’re like the rest of us, you can use frozen corn or if you can find fresh corn in your grocery that would be my first choice.
In the scheme of things it has less calories than my corn pudding recipe, but it still has a bit of cream and bacon so it’s pretty fabulous.
Why you’ll love it ❤️
- This side dish is great for a weeknight meal or served with a holiday spread
- Charred corn comes together in no time and doesn’t take up oven space
- Fresh or frozen corn can be used
- It’s flavored with bacon!
I made this for the first time in the summer and immediately thought of fixing this for Thanksgiving. It doesn’t take much time, and all the work is done on the stove. I find that half the battle with Thanksgiving dinner is coordinating everything with your oven.
For this dish, you char the corn a bit in a cast iron skillet and then combine it with sautéed onions and crisp bacon and a bit of cream. While it sounds like a simple side compared to broccoli or sweet potato casserole, it might just steal the show at your feast this year.
What you’ll need
- Sweet corn – fresh from the farmer’s market is my preference but frozen sweet corn works too! If using frozen, let it thaw first.
- Bacon – chop the uncooked bacon before you add it to the pan. It’ll cook quickly and crisp well. Applewood smoked or pepper bacon add even more flavor.
- Chives – these are more of an herb than an onion and look like grass but add lots of flavor. Chives are tossed in at the end so they don’t lose their flavor in the cooking process.
- Vidalia onion – use this slightly sweet, less sharp flavored onion to compliment the sweet corn.
- Heavy cream – half and half will work if you don’t have any cream.
- Butter, salt and pepper
Step by step directions for charred corn
This works best with two skillets, but you can do it all in one if you need to.
Step 1: Cook either fresh or frozen corn in an iron skillet for a couple of minutes, then add chopped bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp and the corn is charred. If using frozen corn, let it thaw first and pat dry so that it’s not wet.
Step 2: In a separate skillet, sauté onions until soft, add a little cream and add to the corn mixture. Season and top with chives.
Pro Tip: If you’re not eating at home and need to bring a dish, you can prepare this before you leave and just bring it in the skillet and warm it briefly before serving.
Happy Turkey day 🦃
FAQs and tips
Corn is rich in fiber and it also aids our digestive system.
Yes, you can corn raw. Just make sure it’s clean and fresh!
In order for an onion to be tagged as a vidalia, it has to be grown in Vidalia, Georgia where the soil is unusually low in sulfur and thus has a sweeter taste than other onions.
Whether you decide to use fresh or frozen corn, you want it to be dry and not wet so it chars well and doesn’t get soggy or mushy while cooking. Take a paper towel and pat it dry.
Yummy sides to have on your table
More recipes with sweet corn
Adapted from The Southerner’s Cookbook
Charred Corn Recipe With Sweet Corn
Ingredients
- 8 ears Fresh corn
- ¼ cup 2 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup vidalia onion chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chives chopped
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
Instructions
- Remove corn from ears. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add corn to the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add bacon and continue cooking until the kernels are charred and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate skillet, melt the butter and cook onion until it is softened. Add cream and add to the corn mixture. Simmer for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chives before serving.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- This works best with two skillets, but you can do it all in one if you need to.
- If you are bringing this dish along, prepare it at home, then cover it and it will keep warm in the cast iron skillet.
- Chives are a great garnish that add flavor to the dish, but shouldn’t be cooked but placed on the corn as you serve it.
- Make sure the corn is dry before adding to the skillet.
Nutrition
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I had 8 ears of corn I needed to use, and figured this recipe would be more kid friendly than a corn salad. Holy smokes is this ever good!!! I did not have chives and left them out. It would’ve been a nice touch and nice pop of green. So I’ll try it next time. I charred the corn in the cast iron skillet in two batches. I didn’t add anything to the pan til it started to char a bit then I added a couple tablespoons of bacon drippings. I sauteed chopped pre-cooked bacon with the yellow onion. And made sure to simmer the cream long enough to slightly thicken. Then tossed with the charred corn. Simple but with a “wow” flavor! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I’m planning to add some of this to a French omelet for breakfast!
Paulette, thanks so much for sharing. I’m thrilled that you found this recipe helpful. It’s corn season around here, so I’ll be making this dish this weekend, it’s always a favorite.