Fresh ears of corn are one of summer’s easiest veggies to throw on the grill, and a slathering of butter and salt is naturally the quickest road to tasty-town. But for a healthier option with some Japanese flair, try a simple mixture of soy sauce and mirin: It adds a hint of savory flavor while letting the sweet, smoky intensity of the grilled corn come through.

Special equipment: You will need a pastry brush for this recipe.

This recipe was featured as part of our Fast and Easy Grilled Vegetable Sides. For more healthy corn options, see our corn on the cob recipe using vegetable oil.

  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 40 mins

Ingredients (3)

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 6 ears corn, husks on

Instructions

  1. Combine the soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat an outdoor grill to medium high (about 375°F to 425°F). Before grilling the corn, carefully peel back the husks of each ear a little more than halfway. Remove as much silk as you can without pulling the husks off. Pull the husks back up.
  3. Place the corn on the grill and cover the grill. Rotate the corn a quarter turn every 5 minutes until the husks are charred, about 20 minutes total. (If your grill has hot spots, move the cobs around so they grill evenly.) Remove the corn from the grill and set it aside until cool enough to handle.
  4. When the corn has cooled, peel the husks back completely but don’t detach them, so that you’ve turned them inside out to form a handle. Return the corn to the grill and brush the ears with the reserved soy sauce mixture. Grill until the kernels begin to caramelize and brown, rotating the corn a quarter turn every 30 seconds and brushing with more of the mixture, about 2 minutes total. Serve immediately.