Microwave Corn with Garlic Butter (Printable)

Tender corn on the cob, cooked fast and finished with savory garlic butter for a 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

# How-To:

01 - Place the 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, until the kernels are tender. Let rest for 1 minute.
03 - In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and minced garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
04 - Stir in the salt, black pepper, and parsley into the melted garlic butter.
05 - Carefully remove the corn from the microwave. Brush each ear generously with the garlic butter.
06 - Serve immediately, with extra butter and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely faster than boiling water and waiting—your corn is done in under 10 minutes flat.
  • Garlic butter makes even mediocre corn taste like you've been cooking all day, no fuss required.
  • The damp paper towel trick keeps the kernels juicy instead of drying out, something I learned after a few rubbery attempts.
02 -
  • The damp paper towel is non-negotiable—I once skipped it thinking the corn had enough moisture and ended up with kernels that tasted like rubber.
  • Turning the corn halfway through matters because microwaves heat unevenly, and rotating prevents one side from cooking faster than the other.
03 -
  • If your corn is older or less fresh, add 1 minute to the microwave time to ensure it's truly tender—fresher corn cooks faster.
  • The key to distributing garlic butter evenly is using a pastry brush; a knife spreads it too thickly and unevenly, wasting the precious stuff.
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