How to Steam Corn on the Cob

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 8, 2019 Tested

Fresh corn on the cob is a staple of summertime, and steaming it is an excellent way to bring out the corn’s natural sweetness. No matter what kind of kitchen equipment you have, you can find a way to cook delicious steamed corn, whether it be with a steamer basket, in a pot, or in the microwave. Before long, you'll be enjoying ears of tender corn.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Steamer Basket

1
Clean the corn by removing the husks and silk. Remove the husks from the ears of corn by gripping them firmly and pulling them away and down from the ear. Clean the silk from the ears the same way. If any stray silk strands remain, pluck them off the corn. If any parts of the ear are bug-eaten, trim them away by taking a knife and carefully cutting off the eaten part.
- Try to cut off as little of the good ear as possible.
2
Put water in a pot and get a steamer basket. Get a pot and put about 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water in the bottom, along with a pinch of salt. There are several different styles of steamer basket that you can use:
- Bamboo basket. This kind of basket sits on top of the pot, rather than inside it. The bamboo may also give a slight flavor to the corn.
- Folding metal vegetable steamer. This sits in the pot, with the legs keeping it just above the water. Depending on the size of your vegetable steamer, you may have to break the cobs down to fit or cook the corn in batches.
- Folding silicone vegetable steamer. Very similar to the metal steamer, this one is made of silicone instead of metal, and has the added advantage of being non-stick.
- Metal basket steamer. This kind of steamer also sits on top of the pot, usually with a lid to cover it.
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3
Put the corn in the steamer basket and bring the water to a boil. Lay the corn in a single layer in your steamer basket.
- It may be necessary to break the corn cobs in half in order to get them to fit properly.
- It is fine if the ears touch each other, but they should not stack.
4
Turn the stove onto medium-high heat and bring the water in the pot to a boil. Once the water is boiling, carefully put the steamer basket on or inside the pot, depending on the type of steamer being used. Cover the steamer (if your basket sits on top of the pot) or the pot (if your steamer sits inside the pot).
5
Steam the corn for 7-10 minutes. Let the corn steam for about 7-10 minutes, or until the corn feels tender when poked with a fork or a knife.
- The utensil should pierce the corn with only a little resistance.
- Be sure to periodically check the pot and add more water if necessary.
- Do not let the pot boil until it is completely dry.
- If you are using a steamer that sits inside the pot, do not let the water get high enough to touch the corn.
6
Remove the corn and allow it to cool. Once the corn is tender, use a pair of tongs to remove it from the steamer basket. Turn the heat off the pot, unless you are making several batches of corn. Allow the corn to cool slightly before enjoying it.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Steaming Corn in a Pot

1
Clean the corn, removing the husks and silk from the ear. In order to clean the corn:
- Make sure you have pulled back the husks and removed all the silk from your ears of corn.
- Grasp the husks and silk at the top of the ear, and pull away and down to strip them from the corn.
- Pull off any stray strands of silk that might remain.
- If there are any bug-eaten pieces of the ear, carefully cut these away with a knife, preserving as much of the good ear as possible.
2
Get a large pot and cover the bottom with .25 inches (0.64 cm) to .5 inches (1.3 cm) of water. Make sure your pot is large enough that you can lay the corn down in a single layer. You do not want the water to completely cover the corn. The corn will steam as the water around it boils.
3
Bring the water to a boil and lay the corn in the pot. Heat the pot until the water comes to a steady boil. Carefully lay the corn in the pot, using a pair of tongs. Make sure the corn is damp on all sides so it will steam properly. There are a few ways to do this:
- Once the corn is in the pot, shake the pot gently so that the water splashes on the corn and gets it wet.
- Dampen the corn before putting it in the pot by briefly running it under the faucet.
- Dip the corn in a bowl of water before putting it in the pot.
4
Cover the pot and cook the corn for 3-4 minutes. Once the corn is in the pot, cover it and let it steam.
- After about four minutes, you can check to see if the corn is tender by poking it with a fork or a knife.
- Once the corn is done, turn off the heat and remove the corn from the pot with the tongs.
- Allow the corn to cool for a while before eating it.^{[2]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Microwave

1
Put the corn in the microwave in a single layer. Lay your ears of corn in the microwave, without stacking them together and leaving a little space between each ear.
- You do not have to shuck the corn before putting it into the microwave, but check the tops of the corn to make sure there are no bugs.
- Do this by grasping the tops of the husk and pulling it away from the ear slightly.
2
Microwave the corn for 3-5 minutes. The amount of time may vary slightly depending on the strength of your microwave. Ideally you want the corn to be soft and tender when it is done. Tender corn should pierce easily with a fork or knife when the kernels are poked. Adding more time will result in slightly softer corn.
- If you prefer to clean the corn before putting it in the microwave, wrap the cleaned ears in damp paper towels to help keep them moist while cooking.
- Another way to cook already-cleaned corn is by putting the ears in a single layer on a plate, and covering them with a second, inverted plate in order to help hold the steam around the ears.
- Do not wrap the ears in plastic wrap to microwave them. The microwave can easily melt the thin plastic.
3
Let the corn cool and clean it off. Be careful handling the corn when it comes out of the microwave, as it will be quite hot.
- Let the corn cool on a plate or cutting board for a few minutes.
- Once the tops have cooled down enough to handle, clean the husks and silk off the corn.
- Grasp the husks and silk at the top of the ear and pull down and away from the corn.
- Work carefully, as the corn inside may still be quite hot.
- Enjoy your corn!^{[3]
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