Grilled Corn with Sweet Chili Sauce (also known as Bang Bang Corn) adds a spicy kick to traditional corn on the cob!
Corn on the cob is an all-American favorite every summer! When you grill corn the flavors deepen and shine through.
Grilling also adds a nice color and lightly smoky flavor.
Jump to RecipeGrilling with sweet chili sauce:
I like to add an extra spicy kick to my corn from time to time, so I decided to try marinating and brushing the corn on the cob with a marinade that includes our homemade Thai sweet chili sauce. This was inspired by a version of Bang Bang Corn that I had at a BBQ restaurant. It’s such a fun way to kick up the corn on the cobs flavor!
Ingredients for the sweet chili marinade:
This marinade comes together in a minute. Just mix everything together in a bowl, or make it ahead and keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Sweet Asian Chili Sauce – click here for our homemade recipe
- Melted butter
- Garlic – add more or less to suit your own taste
- Sambal Oelek or Sriracha – a basic Asian hot sauce
- Honey
- Chili Powder
- Lime Juice – freshly squeezed, please!
- Salt and Pepper
Other ingredients needed
- Corn on the Cob
- Cilantro or Italian Parsley, for garnish (optional)
How to perfectly grill Corn on the Cob with chili sauce:
There are two ways to grill corn on the cob, husk-on or husk-off. Both ways are great but this recipe is a husk-off method.
- Heat a grill to medium heat (about 350°F)
- Prepare the marinade
- Clean the corn by removing the husks and the interior silk
- Rinse and dry the cleaned corn
- In a large baking dish (or resealable bag) add the cleaned corn and the chili marinade. Be sure to shake or roll around to coat generously
- Put the marinated ears of corn on the hot grill and reserve the remaining marinade
- Rotate the corn on the cob every 3-4 minutes, making sure to cook on each side Depending on your grill this should take 12-16 minutes, but every grill is different, so this is just a guide
- Brush the corn with additional marinade each time you turn it
- The corn should be lightly charred but not burned so keep an eye on it!
- Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro (optional). If you aren’t a cilantro lover then chopped parsley is a good alternative
Tips for perfect corn on the cob
- Why is my corn mushy or chewy? If your corn is chewy you have likely overcooked it. Corn has a high natural sugar content and when overcooked the sugar breaks down the kernel cell walls. Be sure to cook just until kernels are plump.
- Do I need to soak corn on the cob before grilling? Some chefs suggest soaking the corn prior to cooking. I’ve tried it both ways and found little difference in taste, so I skip this step unless I am cooking corn still in the husk.
What to serve with Corn on the Cob:
We’ve got you covered with some great main dishes to pair with your corn!
- Jerk Chicken
- Authentic Grilled Carne Asada
- Salmon Grilled on a Cedar Plank
- Southern Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Asian Baked Chicken
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Grilled Corn with Sweet Chili Sauce (Bang Bang Corn)
Equipment
- Gas or Charcoal Grill
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sweet Asian chili sauce, see link for homemade recipe in notes below
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or sriracha
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 4 tsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 ears corn on the cob, cleaned, husk and silk removed
- 1 Tbsp cilantro, freshly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium
Make the Chili Lime Sauce:
- In a small bowl whisk together Sweet Asian Chili Sauce, butter, garlic, sambal (or siracha), honey, chili powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper
Making the Corn:
- Coat the corn cobs generously with the chili lime sauce
- Place the corn on the preheated BBQ. Turn and baste with remaining sauce every 3 minutes until done. Depending on how hot your grill is this should take about 13-15 minutes. The corn should be charred but not burned.
- Remove from the grill and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve.
Safiya
This looks and sounds phenomenal!!
Cyndy
Thanks it really amps up the flavor
Bless my food by payal
Finally my confusion is sorted. Have lots of corn cobs but uncertain about the way to use them. Thank you for fantastic recipe.
Alexandra
We are huge grilled corn fans, and this is our new favourite – the sweet chilli is such a fantastic addition!
Sunrita | Spiceitupp
As a corn lover, this is a recipe next to my heart! I know what’s for side this weekend! 😊
SHANIKA
Grilled Corn is the best side dish! I love the addition of sweet chili sauce as a topping.
Adrianne
Yum, this grilled corn looks amazing!! I love the combination with the sweet chilli sauce and I can see it working as a side to so many meats. Great work!