Corn on the Cob With Old Bay and Lemon

By Emily Fleischaker

Corn on the Cob With Old Bay and Lemon
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(332)
Notes
Read community notes

If you’ve had the pleasure of eating your way through a bucket of Maryland blue crabs poured out onto newspaper, you’ve probably had Old Bay seasoning. It’s a blend of celery salt, black pepper, crushed red-pepper flakes and paprika, and any member of its fiercely loyal Mid-Atlantic fan base will tell you that it should be present at any proper crab or shrimp boil. In this recipe, you get lots of that seaside flavor without having to source fresh blue crab.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4ears fresh corn, shucked
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1lemon, zested and cut into wedges, for serving
  • ¼teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

194 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 17 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until cooked through and lightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively, add corn to a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.)

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together butter, half the lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning.

  3. Step 3

    Slather hot corn with butter mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining zest and Old Bay seasoning, to taste. Serve with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing.

Ratings

4 out of 5
332 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Janice

You can also put the Old Bay on, wrap in foil and grill. Gives the corn an "almost sweet" taste. Either way - it's Yumbo!

Ben

The Old Bay compound butter is a revelation, definitely a future barbecue mainstay.

Dorian

Replaced the butter with vegan Mayo and added some miso worked beautifully with the lemon and old bay seasoning

Cheryl

Throw out your salt, throw out your pepper, throw out your cayenne, throw out your Tabasco, throw out your celery salt, throw out your Adobo, throw out your Krazy Mixed Up Salt! Old Bay does it all. Buy it by the pound. Use it on everything. Well, maybe not dessert. It's great in a Bloody Mary, for example. It's Just. Perfect.

Sally

Old Bay on everything! Baked chicken thighs with Old Bay! Old Bay in cheese biscuits too.

Lock McShane

I always grill corn on the cob with the husk on. It steams the corn nicely and you can still put some char on it after shucking.

Mary

I recommend lime instead of lemon.

Stephanie

A quarter of a teaspoon? Why so stingy? We sprinkle Old Bay directly onto our corn, probably that much per ear. The lemon sounds like an interesting addition,

EllJay

A quarter teaspoon of Old Bay for 4 Tbs butter??? Must be far-north folk. As others have said...liberally sprinkle Old Bay on the cobs before grilling. Or at least 1 tsp in the butter!

Rita

I've been making corn like this, since, like, a long time. But I use olive oil instead of butter. I pour the olive oil on the cooked corn and dump a whole mess of that old bay right on top of it. Then I roll that corn around in this good flavor and eat. delish!

Art Seaman

I have found that a 3 minute boil of sweet corn is best. A longer boil results in mushy corn. Grilling is a matter of taste, and if done right a coating of oil or mayo keeps it from drying out the kernels. It also requires constant turning to avoid burns.

Rachel

Years ago NYT gave this method for boiling corn: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add shucked corn. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. For farm fresh corn, this is fool proof.

BFF

Crowd pleaser! I found the quarter tsp the right balance with the lemon rind.

jules

We have grilled them and seasoned them with Tabasco and lime !

Sarah

Cooked on the grill in husk, then gave it a quick touch of fire for color and taste. The butter, as Guy would say, would be good on a flip flop. Tasty Tasty.

EH

Cleaned off the silk. Left the husks on at the bottom, then using a reserved part of the husk I tore a ribbon and used that to tie the husks at the top.

Paula

Made it for an early 4th of July dinner and it got 10 thumbs up! Unexpected and delicious variation on corn on the cob!

Deborah

What are ingredients of Old Bay seasoning? Substitute?

Chris B.

Found this online: I tapered the amounts so it fits inside a quarter cup jar. 1 Tbsp + 1.5 Tsps. paprika 1 Tbsp + 3/4 Tsp. dry mustard 1 Tbsp. + 3/4 Tsp. celery seed 3/4 Tsp. bay leaf powder (use spice grinder) 1/2 Tsp. black pepper 1/4 + 1/8 Tsp. cayenne pepper 1/8 Tsp. cinnamon 1/8 Tsp. nutmeg 1/16 Tsp. cloves 1/16 Tsp. cardamom 1/16 Tsp. allspice 1/16 Tsp. ginger Optional: 1/8 Tsp. kosher salt 1) Combine in small bowl & transfer to an airtight jar. Yield:about 1/4 Cup + 2 1/4 Tsps.

Boss61

We born and raised Baltimoreans know this one well. We remember it from our mother's wombs. Lime works equally well if short on lemons.

Doreen

Great suggestion to add 1 tsp Old Bay to 3T butter. Enjoyed the substitution of lime juice. Very yummy!

Rachel

Years ago NYT gave this method for boiling corn: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add shucked corn. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. For farm fresh corn, this is fool proof.

L Mag

Only boil fresh ears of corn for 2 minutes, otherwise the kernels get tough. 5-7 minutes?!? Too long!

Bernadette

Honestly, my favorite grilled corn recipe ever. The compound butter is incredibly delicious. I used Frontier Seafood Seasoning Original from Whole Foods in place of Old Bay. Outstanding!

Art Seaman

I have found that a 3 minute boil of sweet corn is best. A longer boil results in mushy corn. Grilling is a matter of taste, and if done right a coating of oil or mayo keeps it from drying out the kernels. It also requires constant turning to avoid burns.

EllJay

A quarter teaspoon of Old Bay for 4 Tbs butter??? Must be far-north folk. As others have said...liberally sprinkle Old Bay on the cobs before grilling. Or at least 1 tsp in the butter!

Mary

I recommend lime instead of lemon.

Rita

I've been making corn like this, since, like, a long time. But I use olive oil instead of butter. I pour the olive oil on the cooked corn and dump a whole mess of that old bay right on top of it. Then I roll that corn around in this good flavor and eat. delish!

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