Crock Pot Corn On The Cob – A Great Way To Cook Sweet Corn

One of my favorite crock pot side dishes to make for a backyard cookout is Corn on the Cob. A slow cooker piled with tender, yet slightly crispy pieces of sweet corn.

Toss the corn with a little butter and salt and it is ready to eat whenever you are. This means no standing in a hot kitchen over a large pot of boiling water waiting for the corn to cook.

And because you can fit a lot of corn into a 6 or 8 quart slow cooker, you don’t have to cook the corn in batches to feed everyone. Simply stack the corn as high as it will go, add the lid and let the magic happen.

As much as I love the taste and texture of Grilled Corn on the Cob, sometimes it just isn’t practical to cook it this way. For instance, when you are hosting a cookout your grill grates might be filled with endless amounts of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Often times there is no available space to cook anything else on the grill. That is when I pull out my 6 quart programmable Crock Pot.

I can add the corn to the slow cooker in the morning. Then set the timer to begin cooking whenever I need it.

Once it cooks, the heat setting will automatically turn to the Keep Warm setting. So this means, there is always hot and ready to eat sweet corn whenever the guests arrive.

Fresh or Frozen Corn on the Cob

Because I most often make corn on the cob in the crock pot in the summer, I most often use fresh picked sweet corn. In Ohio, corn the cob is easy to find at produce stands, Farmer’s markets and even the grocery stores from July – September.

And just like every Mid West state, Ohio claims to have the best sweet corn in the country. Although I have tried sweet corn from several states, I have to agree, late summer sweet corn that is grown in Ohio is outstanding.

Therefore, I take advantage of the harvest whenever I get the chance. Unfortunately, that leaves me with several months that I don’t have the choice to use fresh sweet corn.

However, the good news is that you can use frozen corn on the cob instead! Grab a bag from the freezer section of your grocery store and throw it in the slow cooker.

Although fresh is always better, frozen sweet corn still has great flavor and texture. Cook it for 2-3 hours, or until the corn is bright yellow and the kernels are nice and tender.

It is a great alternative when fresh sweet corn isn’t an option.

Crock Pot Corn on the Cob Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Ears of Fresh Corn on the Cob (or as many as you can fit into your slow cooker)
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 3 Tbsp. Butter

INSTRUCTIONS

To cook sweet corn in the crock pot you must first shuck the corn. It is best to do this outside whenever possible because it can make quite the mess.

Remove both the husk and silk from the corn on the cob and discard. Then snap each piece of corn in 2-3 pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl.

*If you are using frozen corn on the cob you can obviously skip the shucking process. However, do not thaw the corn before adding the pieces to a large bowl.

You can add in however many pieces of sweet corn that will fit in your slow cooker with the lid closed. The recipe and cook time will remain the same.

Pour the extra virgin olive oil over the corn and toss to coat. Then sprinkle salt and pepper over the corn, to taste.

Place 2/3 cup of water in the bottom of the crock pot, then add the seasoned corn on the cob pieces. Place the lid on the slow cooker.

Cook Time

Cook on high power for 3 hours.

*Helpful Tip – Because slow cookers heat from both the bottom and sides, any corn pieces that are touching a dry surface are at risk of browning. Therefore, it is best to rotate or flip the corn that is directly touching the sides of the crock pot.

Once the corn is bright yellow and cooked through, place pads of butter on top of the corn pieces and toss to coat until melted.

Serve warm with additional butter, salt & pepper to taste.

Other Ways To Season Corn on the Cob

The traditional way to serve corn on the cob is to slather it with butter and then sprinkle it with salt & pepper. However, there are many other ways that you can season sweet corn.

Below I have listed some of my favorite seasonings that add a ton of flavor to the corn and can be served for various occasions.

1. Elotes

Also known as Mexican street corn, spread mayonnaise on the corn instead of butter. Then sprinkle on chile powder and add a little Cotija or Feta cheese on top. Finish it off with diced cilantro and you have yourself a delightful treat!

2. Roasted Garlic

Add natural flavor by mixing roasted garlic in with the butter. You can roast garlic in the oven by cutting the top portion off an entire bulb of garlic.

Then place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle the entire bulb with olive oil. Be sure that the exposed bulbs are covered in oil.

Wrap the bulb in the foil and roast in a preheated oven set at 400°F (200°C) for 40 minutes. Or you can make Air Fryer Roasted Garlic in half of the time.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle unwrap it from the foil. Then squeeze out a clove or two of garlic.

Mix the garlic in with softened butter and spread it on top of the sweet corn once it comes out of the crock pot. And to make the garlic taste shine even more, sprinkle the corn with Garlic salt!

3. Sweet & Spicy

If you want a great combination of flavors, there is nothing better than having both a sweet and spicy taste to the corn. Mix together honey and cayenne pepper powder for a burst of flavor in every bite.

4. Cinnamon Sugar

It sounds crazy but sprinkling the top of the corn with a simple cinnamon sugar mixture will really bring out the sweetness of the sweet corn.

5. Barbecue Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

Don’t keep your favorite barbecue dry rub just for your smoked meats. You can use it to season corn on the cob as well!

Sprinkle it on before cooking or when you serve it. The slight smoky flavor is a great compliment to the sweetness of the corn.

Enjoy! Mary

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