Microwave Corn Garlic Butter (Printer-Friendly)

Sweet corn cooked quickly and dressed with rich, savory garlic butter for a fast, tasty side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Corn

01 - 4 ears fresh corn, husked

→ Garlic Butter

02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ To Serve

07 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Place husked corn on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel.
02 - Microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes, turning the corn halfway through cooking, until kernels are tender. Allow to rest for 1 minute.
03 - In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and minced garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds until butter is melted and garlic becomes fragrant.
04 - Stir salt, black pepper, and parsley into the melted garlic butter until well combined.
05 - Carefully remove corn from microwave and brush each ear generously with the garlic butter mixture.
06 - Serve immediately with extra garlic butter and lemon wedges on the side if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The entire side dish comes together in under 15 minutes, which means you can focus on the main course without stress.
  • Garlic butter transforms simple corn into something restaurant-worthy, and honestly, it's the kind of thing that makes people ask for your secret.
  • Microwaving keeps the kernels juicy and sweet because there's no water diluting the natural flavor.
02 -
  • Don't skip the damp paper towel step; without it, the kernels can toughen as they lose moisture, and you'll lose that tender texture that makes this method worthwhile.
  • The garlic's aroma in the melted butter is your timer—the moment it smells pungent and fragrant, you're done microwaving; any longer and it becomes bitter.
03 -
  • Buy corn as close to cooking time as possible—each hour after picking, the sugars begin converting to starch, so same-day farmer's market corn will always outshine supermarket corn that's been sitting for days.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd and worried about timing, you can microwave the corn ahead and keep it covered loosely with foil, then refresh the garlic butter just before serving so it stays glossy and warm.
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