Buttery Sous Vide Corn on the Cob

There are few things better than buttery corn on the cob. With this recipe, you can even cook the ears from frozen! Using sous vide, your sweet corn will have just the right balance of crunch and tenderness. Simply vacuum seal with butter, salt, and garlic powder, add to the water bath, cook, and serve!

Corn on the cob is one of my favorite ever side dishes. Buttery, salty sweet corn with just a little garlic is my favorite way to enjoy it. I keep it simple! The first time I tried it sous vide, I knew I wouldn’t be cooking it any other way. The kernels have just the right amount of crunch while still being tender and delicious.

In general, I think sous vide veggies are underrated! Sous vide is a great way to make sure your veggies are always perfectly cooked. Make sure to try my Sous Vide Asparagus and Sous Vide Broccoli recipes, too!

I love to use sous vide to make my meal prepping routine easier (I mean, I did write a whole cookbook about it!). I suggest sous viding a batch of this corn at the beginning of the week and then throwing it in the fridge for a quick side all week long. While you’re at it, sous vide a whole chicken to keep on hand throughout the week, too!

Why Sous Vide is Great for Cooking Corn on the Cob

More common methods for cooking corn include grilling, oven-baking, boiling, even microwaving. These methods are great, but ultimately, they’re guessing games. The best corn is tender but not mushy. When you use one of the traditional methods, it can be difficult to get that timing just right.

Here are some reasons you should sous vide corn:

• It’s okay if the ears aren’t the same size, they’ll still all have the same perfect, tender texture.
• You don’t have to pay super close attention. Just drop them in the water bath and walk away.
• Easy clean up – when they’re done, just remove them from the bag (and all that melted butter!) and toss.

Sous Vide Corn Time and Temperature

This is going to feel a little long, but I promise you, it is so worth it!

Sous vide corn for 30 minutes at 181 degrees F.

How to Sous Vide Corn

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

• A vacuum sealer and vacuum seal bags
• An immersion circulator
• Some kind of container for your water bath. You can just use a stockpot if you want, but I use a clear, dedicated container.

Don’t have a vacuum sealer? No big deal. There are lots of air removal methods.

You’ll start out by shucking your corn if it wasn’t already and getting all the little “threads” off the cobs. Add them to the vacuum seal bag along with butter pats, salt, and garlic powder and vacuum seal.

If you happen to be a gardener with a lot of corn on hand, you can freeze after vacuum sealing to sous vide later! Pretty cool, huh?

When you’re ready to cook, add the vacuum sealed corn to a water bath preheated to 181 degrees F and cook for 30 minutes.

Once it’s done, remove the corn from the bag, pour the melted butter from the bag over the top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. It’s that easy! Serve it alongside Sous Vide Tri Tip or Sous Vide Shrimp for a real winner of a meal.

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Tips to Keep Sous Vide Bags Submerged

Corn is lightweight and the bag will want to float. There are a few different ways to keep the bag submerged and you may find a combination of methods to be helpful.

• Sous vide balls. These are really common, but I don’t use them.
• Sous vide magnets. I am obsessed with these. I use them almost every time I cook.
• Ceramic plates and bowls. Yep, the dishes in your cupboard! Ceramic dishes can stand up to heat. A small plate is easiest, but a bowl will be heaver if your bag is really trying to float.

Common Questions

• How should I store sous vide corn?
  • After cooking, you can serve right away or refrigerate.
• How long will the corn keep in the fridge?
  • You can keep cooked corn in the fridge for 5-7 days.
• Can I freeze sous vide corn?
  • Absolutely. I recommend freezing before cooking the corn. You can go directly from freezer to sous vide bath when you’re ready. Just add an extra 10 minutes of cook time.
• Tips for leftover corn?
  • Why, yes! Make my Grilled Corn Salad and sub sous vide corn for the grilled.

You can also view this recipe as a step-by-step web story here.