Best Canned Corn Recipe

Canned corn is a budget friendly staple that can be made delicious with a few simple steps for an easy satisfying side dish.

best way to cook corn - half eaten served corn

It’s crazy how quickly dinner time sneaks up on you. Busy schedules mean it can be hard to serve balanced healthy meals that come together quickly.

So canned vegetables can make the dinner job that much easier. And when it’s made like this, a simple can of corn transforms into a family loved comfort food that I (Rebecca of Good Things Baking ) love serving to my family.

This delicious recipe for the best canned corn couldn’t be tastier or simpler. Simply cook down a can of corn with a few seasonings like butter, salt and pepper, and a few other pantry staples, and you have the simplest and tastiest of side dishes!

corn stove - top view shot of cooked can corned

The Best Kind of Canned Corn

When you’re purchasing canned corn, there may be a lot of options that seem like they’re all the same thing.

Be sure to look for whole kernel sweet corn that has only corn, water, and salt listed as ingredients. Sometimes other flavors are added to canned corn, but keeping it simple gives you the best flavor.

And though we love fresh corn, the great thing about canned corn (unlike some other vegetables) is that it retains most of its nutrients!

We aren’t one to look down on canned recipes, especially considering we also love this best canned green beans recipe.

Equipment Needed

  • Can opener
  • Small saucepan
  • Large spoon — Ideally a slotted spoon for stirring and draining

Ingredients Needed To Cook Canned Corn

  • 15 ounce can of corn
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Dash of onion powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried parsley or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
canned corn recipes - ingredients mixed in a bowl

How to Cook Canned Corn

1– Open the can of corn and drain out about half of the liquid. This doesn’t have to be exact. If you are making multiple cans, use 1/2 of the liquid per can. For example, if you are cooking 2 cans of corn, drain one and add all of the liquid from the other.

2 — Dump the corn and the remaining liquid into a pot or small saucepan.

3 — Add the butter, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, and dried parsley. Stir them into the corn.

4 — Place the pot on the stove. Heat it over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer the corn until the liquid is mostly gone. There will still be a little bit, but it should be mostly gone. This should take 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cooking step will take longer if you are cooking multiple cans of corn.

5– Remove the corn from the heat. Taste it to see if it needs more seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed. If you are using fresh parsley, stir it in after cooking. The corn is ready to eat right away. Use a slotted spoon to serve and drain away any extra liquid.

how to boil corn on the stove - close up shot of finished cooked corn in a plate with a serving fork.

How to Cook Canned Corn in a Slow Cooker

If you want to make this canned corn recipe in the slow cooker, you absolutely can!

1 — In a 6-8 quart slow cooker, combine the cans of corn, butter, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, and dried parsley. Don’t drain any of the liquid off the corn so that it doesn’t dry up during the cooking time and let the corn scorch.

2 — Cook the canned corn on high for 3-4 hours, or on low heat for 6-8 hours. If you are using fresh parsley, add it just before serving.

how to cook canned corn - mixing all ingredients using spoon

How to Cook Frozen Corn

You can cook frozen corn the same way as canned corn.

1 — Simply add 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn on the stove to the pan with the butter and seasonings. You won’t need to add any water, since the corn will release liquid as it cooks.

2 — Cook over medium heat until the corn is tender and heated through. You may need to lower the heat to avoid scorching the corn.

how to cook corn - canned corn with herbs used to cook it with

Canned Corn Recipe Tips and FAQ

  • Flavoring your canned corn: If you want to make your corn a little bit spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. You can also flavor it with our homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
  • Salt level: Corn is canned in water and salt. Because the amount of salt can vary depending on the brand of corn used, stir in the salt a little at a time. Taste it to see if you need to add more.
  • Serving a large group: This recipe is based on using a 15 ounce can of corn, which has three 1⁄2 cup servings. You can easily multiply it to feed more people.
  • How to make this recipe dairy free: This canned corn recipe is gluten-free. If you want to make it dairy-free, simply eliminate the butter or add a plant-based butter substitute.
  • Other canned corn uses: We also have canned corn stocked in our pantry since there are a lot of other recipes that call for this ingredient like cream corn (you can’t go wrong adding cream cheese in anything!), corn chowder, corn casseroles, corn fritters, corn salad, and corn pudding.

Recipes To Pair Canned Corn With

canned corn - in a bowl

Best Canned Corn Recipe – How to Cook Canned Corn

Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes
Canned corn is a budget friendly staple that can be made delicious with a few simple steps for an easy satisfying side dish.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Sides

Equipment

  • Can opener
  • Small saucepan
  • Large spoon
  • Slow cooker optional

Ingredients

  • 15 oz canned corn
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 dash onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley or 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 3
Calories: 141kcal

Notes

  • Serving size: 1/2 cup 

Instructions

  • Open the can of corn and drain out about half of the liquid. This doesn’t have to be exact. If you are making multiple cans, use 1/2 of the liquid per can. For example, if you are cooking 2 cans of corn, drain one and add all of the liquid from the other.
  • Dump the corn and the remaining liquid into a pot or small saucepan.
  • Add the butter, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, and dried parsley. Stir them into the corn.
  • Place the pot on the stove. Heat it over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer the corn until the liquid is mostly gone. There will still be a little bit, but it should be mostly gone. This should take 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cooking step will take longer if you are cooking multiple cans of corn.
  • Remove the corn from the heat.
  • Taste it to see if it needs more seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed. If you are using fresh parsley, stir it in after cooking. Serve immediately.
KEYWORD: best canned corn recipe, how to make canned corn

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5 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. WOW! This made such a difference. I usually just pour the can of corn in a bowl and heat it. Lol! I tried this and my husband is already asking for it again with tonight’s dinner!5 stars

  2. I never know what to do with those cans of corn, other than throw them in a soup – thank you for sharing this recipe!5 stars