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!
You may also like
- Fresh Corn Salad with Scallions and Basil
- Corn, Zucchini, and Tomatoes with Goat Cheese
- Chesapeake Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil
- Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
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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Hi Jenn, I made this recipe for a party and it was fantastic! I loved the hint of lime and chili. My question is…could the corn be prepared using the same method as your recipe for corn/basil/scallion salad? Boil and then shuck…then pick up with added butter, etc? Just looking for short cuts that don’t compromise the dish. Thx!
Sure, Cheryl, that should be fine – enjoy!
Another fabulous recipe! Served with the Best Carne Asada recipe and they complemented each other perfectly!
How dependent on the butter is this recipe? I have to be dairy free — can I sub olive oil?
Hi Kate, Although I haven’t made it with anything but butter, I think you’d still get a good result with olive oil. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
While I absolutely LOVE this recipe with the butter, it always felt like a guilty pleasure. Given that I could eat it everyday during the summer, I tried it today without it (or any fat substitute) and it was just as delicious. My husband was fine with the change too. The only other things I have changed is using just 1 teaspoon of salt and zest of just one lime.
We have been buying fresh corn and cutting off the cob for years. We steam it on the BBQ for a few minutes and then cut it off and freeze it for future recipes. When I made this recipe I made about four other recipes that used limes and bought about a dozen limes! This recipe is a great way to make corn and gives it a fresh flavor that is unique and a crowd pleaser!
We plan on using frozen uncooked corn as one reader described. How much corn would be equivalent to 4 ears for use n this recipe?
Hi Maureen, You’ll need 3 to 3-1/2 cups frozen corn. Enjoy!
The best corn side dish ever – my husband and guests raved and wanted to know when I’ll make this again!! Another home run, Jenn!
This recipe was great! I made a couple modifications which were that I added less butter, 2 Tbsp, and used frozen corn (though I’m sure it tastes better with fresh!). There was just the right amount of spice and it was a great side for the fajitas I made. I also had it on the side of eggs as well, which gave them a nice kick!
This recipe is sooo very delicious, I have been making it back-to-back all summer long! Aside from being fantastic on its own, it is also great added to tacos, on top of fresh sliced tomatoes with basil and balsamic glaze, and included in a meat empanada filling. I fear we will go into withdrawal when corn season ends.
I made this for the first time about a month ago and I have made it every week since (sometimes twice!). Super easy and melt in your mouth delicious. The tang of the lime and sweetness of the corn go perfectly together and the cilantro makes it taste super fresh.
I have made three of your recipes since yesterday. The Caesar Salad with the Grilled Chicken and this Corn recipe.
All delicious and so easy!
Happy 4th !