Vivian Howard’s Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn
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Spicy, buttery and bright, this is the perfect make-ahead corn dish for summer.
For Mother’s Day, the kids gave me a cookbook that’s been on my wishlist for months: Vivian Howard’s much-acclaimed Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South (Little, Brown and Company, 2016). I don’t know how to articulate my love for this book other than to say that it’s so beautifully written and photographed, even if I never cooked a single recipe from it, I’d still treasure it. Vivian Howard is the owner and chef of Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina and also the creator and star of the PBS documentary and cooking series A Chef’s Life. Her book is so much more than just a collection of recipes — it’s a personal story of Southern cooking filled with warm family anecdotes, tales from the restaurant business, and insight into the food and culture of Eastern North Carolina.
There are a lot of “cheffy” recipes in the book – like Braised Pork Shoulder and Sweet Potato Free-Form Lasagna or Fried Green Tomatoes with Curried Peach Preserves and Whipped Feta — but for every one of those, there’s an equally homey and simple one, like Grandma Hill’s Candied Yams or this cilantro lime sweet corn that my family loves.
What you’ll need To Make Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn
How To Make Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn
A quick note before we get to the step-by-step: this version of the recipe is slightly different than the one in the cookbook. I made a few minor adjustments to simplify it and suit my cooking style, but the essence and taste of the dish are the same.
To begin, remove the kernels from the cobs. The best way to do this is to this (without having corn kernels fly all over the kitchen) is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl.
Hold the cob upright on top of the inverted small bowl, with the flatter end down, and use a sharp knife to slice downward as close to the cob as possible.
Next, combine the corn, 1-1/2 cups water, salt and sugar in a 10-inch skillet or medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes — until the corn is tender-crisp and there are about 2 tablespoons of water left in the pan.
Stir in the butter, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper.
Serve warm and enjoy!
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Cilantro Lime Sweet Corn
Spicy, buttery and bright, this is the perfect make-ahead corn dish for summer.
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn (cut from about 5 ears)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Zest of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine the corn, 1½ cups water, salt and sugar in a 10-inch skillet or medium saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes -- until the corn is tender-crisp and there are about 2 tablespoons of water left in the pan (it's fine to eyeball it; it doesn't need to be exact).
- Stir in the butter, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm.
- Make Ahead: This dish can be made up to a day ahead of time but wait to add the cilantro until right before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 234
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 412 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This is a go-to recipe for me and I do use frozen corn. I don’t even bother adding water to cook it. I just defrost the corn ahead of time if possible. It’s an incredible flavor and always a hit! I don’t change anything else. I love this and it’s always a hit.
HI, do I cook the corn ears first?
No, as you’ll be cooking the kernels once they’re removed from the cob. Hope you enjoy!
So delicious and so easy! Cooked my corn a little less and then drained the water. Used half the amount of butter and went light on the cayenne. Will absolutely be making this again. And the tip for how to cut the corn is brilliant.
Can you use frozen corn for this recipe? Fresh corn on the cob is out of season where I live… 🙁
Hi Carolyn, While I think this is best with fresh corn, you could get away with using frozen. Please LMK how it turns out!
Absolutely delicious!!
Easy and so much flavor! I did not add the butter, and it was still delicious. Paired with Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa.
I made this for a potluck and got rave reviews. This dish is absolutely delicious. Full of flavor for something with just a few ingredients. Absolutely amazing. It’s so fast & easy and perfect to serve at a party or for dinner. I doubled the recipe and used frozen corn. I could have eaten the whole thing myself. Great, great, great.
This was a perfect and delicious side dish for your carne asada !!! I used the avocado salsa from your shrimp tacos. Beyond yum!!!
This was phenomenal! My kids both loved it also. The corn was crispy and perfectly cooked. I followed the recipe 100% and would not alter it at all. I bought some corn from Costco in a pack and had to use all 8 to make the 4 cups (they were smaller ears). YUMMY!
This is one of the best corn recipes I’ve ever made. Absolutely delightful! The amount of lime used was pitch perfect. This time of year, I had to use Steamfresh frozen sweet corn, and it was still great. Can’t wait to try this with our local Olathe sweet corn next season. I’ll have to check that book out. Thank you as always, Jenn.