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How Do You Cook Corn on the Cob with Kamado Joe?
You can grill corn on the cob in the husk on a Kamado Joe or husk it and apply your favorite seasoning coating to smoke it with the heat deflectors in place.
Though these different styles will influence your prep techniques.
If you are going to leave the corn in the husk without altering it in any way, you might want to consider blanching it in hot water before grilling.
This is more about loosening the silks inside the husk than it is cooking the actual corn on the cob.
If you are going to partially husk the corn, you can easily remove the silks and apply butter or other seasonings before tying the corn husks back in place.
With this technique, you don’t need to boil or blanch the cobs before bringing them to the Kamado Joe. The husk protects the corn kernels and helps them steam without drying out, over medium-low heat. They should take roughly 30 to 45 minutes over medium heat.
If you are going to fully husk the corn before placing it on the hot grill grates or wrap the husked cobs in tinfoil, boiling in advance will ensure that the cobs are fully cooked, before burning.
This usually only takes 2 to 3 minutes in the boiling water and ensures that your guests don’t have to mess with silks or undercooked corn.
If you want to add some smoke to the equation, you should choose a mild smoking wood, like hickory, oak, or applewood.
Wood chunks are a better option than wood chips, as they are more likely to smolder, without flaring up.
How Long Do You Grill Corn on the Cob in the Kamado Joe?
If you are cooking corn on the cob in the husk over medium heat around 300 degrees, it should take roughly 30 to perhaps 45 minutes.
If you are grilling the corn on the cob that has been husked and wrapped in aluminum foil, the cooking time will be around 20 to 25 minutes. Fully husked corn laid directly on the Kamado Joe’s grill grate will take roughly 12 to 15 minutes.
Whatever method you are using, be sure to rotate the husks at least half a turn halfway through.
If you notice one spot cooking faster than another, you might want to give it a quarter turn, to prevent burning the kernels.
Should I Soak My Corn on the Cob Before Grilling?
While you don’t technically need to soak corn on the cob before grilling it in the husk, it can help prevent burning if you are going to be grilling it alongside other foods that need to be cooked at a temperature higher than 300-degrees.
If you are grilling at 300 degrees or lower, corn has enough internal water content to steam itself without drying out.
If you are husking the corn, soaking will not affect the cooking time, and any excess water running out of the space between the kernels might wash away butter or other seasonings.
Does Corn Need to Be Boiled Before Grilling?
If you are going to grill husked corn directly over an open flame or wrapped in aluminum foil, you might want to boil the corn for 3 to 5 minutes before grilling.
This will ensure that the corn is properly cooked and softened without burning.
If you are going to make corn in an unaltered husk, blanching the corn in hot, simmering water for 3 to 5 minutes before grilling helps loosen the silks.
This makes it easier to prepare the corn for service without wasting a lot of time stripping silks, which can let the corn cool off before it’s served to your guests.
If you are going to partially husk your corn, remove the silks and apply butter or other seasonings, then seal them back in the husks again for grilling, you don’t need to boil or blanch them.
The husks and the kernels themselves have enough moisture to prevent the corn from drying out.
What Wood or Charcoal Goes Good with Corn on the Cob?
You want to use a mild smoking wood like applewood, hickory, or oak over a bed or jumbo lump charcoal. It’s best to work with wood chunks, as they will smolder longer and are less prone to flare ups than wood chips.
Final Thoughts
Using a Kamado Joe to make corn on the cob can be a great way to add flavor. It also spares you from heating up your kitchen on a hot day.
How you plan to cook it will influence how you need to prepare it. Especially if you are going to add a mild smoking wood like hickory, oak, or applewood to the burning lump charcoal bed.
If you are going to husk the corn and cook it directly on the grates or wrapped in aluminum foil, then you might want to boil it for 4 to 5 minutes to make sure that the kernels are cooked through.
This will also help prevent burning if you are making the corn on the cob alongside a cut of meat that needs high heat.
If you are going to leave the corn in the unaltered husk, you might want to blanch it first in simmering water.
This will help release the silks from the contours of the kernels inside. Then you can grill it on your Kamado Joe over medium heat for roughly 30 minutes.
If you are going to partially husk the cobs, remove the silks and add seasonings, you just need to wrap the corn back in the husks and tie them.
The ambient water in the husk and kernels will steam the cob without needing to boil. This will take roughly 30 to 45 minutes over medium heat.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.