Instant Pot Corn On The Cob (fresh or frozen)

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Pressure cooking fresh summer corn on the cob is the easiest way to cook tender sweet corn. In the middle of summer with temps reach 100° I avoid using my stove and oven completely. If it can’t be cooked in the Instant Pot or grilled on the BBQ it’s probably not on my menu plan. Using the Instant Pot pressure cooker is far more energy-efficient, it’s faster and there isn’t a big pot of water boiling on the stovetop to babysit.

Sweet juicy corn is a great side dish that compliments any summer recipe. Here in southwest Idaho, you will find fresh corn being sold in the heat of the summer at the roadside produce stands, in the grocery stores, and out of the back of a pickup truck.

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob standing on end with butter. Two ears of corn and butter on a red plate with butter next to the instant pot

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Easy Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob was inspired by my other 9 Easy Summer Recipes For Your Instant Pot like Instant Pot Pit Tacos, Instant Pot Taco Salad, and pair perfectly with Instant Pot Sloppy Joe’s or Instant Pot BBQ Chicken for the perfect side dish.

Simple Ingredients

Fresh sweet corn
Water
Unsalted butter

Equipment

6 quart Instant Pot Max

OXO Silicone Trivet With Handles

Tongs

Easy Recipes To Serve With Corn

Instant Pot Pasta Salad
Nashville Hot Chicken
Easy Fruit Salad
Instant Pot BBQ Chicken

Easy Summer Recipes

How To Make Perfect Corn On The Cob

Remove husks and silk from the corn cobs and break the cobs of corn in half.
Place the trivet or steamer basket in the bottom of the pot and add one cup of water.
Stand the corn on end and place it on top of the trivet. Add small pads of butter on the top end of each ear.
Place lid on the Instant Pot with the vent turned to the sealing position.
Pressure cook for 2-3minutes using high pressure for fresh corn and 4 minutes for frozen corn on the cob.
Quick release the pressure when the cooking cycle is complete by turning the vent knob to the venting position.
Finally, use tongs to remove the hot corn from the pressure cooker.
Season with additional melted butter, a sprinkle of sea salt, and black pepper

Instant Pot Corn On The Cob

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Making corn on the cob in the Instant Pot is the easiest and most efficient way to cook fresh or frozen sweet corn.

Ingredients

7 ears of sweet corn
1 Cup of water
4-5 Tbsp. Unsalted butter divided

Instructions

Remove husks and silk from the corn cobs and break the cobs of corn in half.
Place the trivet or steamer basket in the bottom of the pot and add one cup of water.
Stand the corn on end and place it on top of the trivet. Add small pads of butter on the top end of each ear.
Place lid on the Instant Pot with the vent turned to the sealing position.
Pressure cook for 2-3minutes using high pressure for fresh corn and 4 minutes for frozen corn on the cob.
Quick release the pressure when the cooking cycle is complete by turning the vent knob to the venting position.
Use tongs to remove the hot corn from the pressure cooker.
Season with additional melted butter, a sprinkle of sea salt, and black pepper

Notes

Using a trivet will keep the corn off of the bottom of the Instant Pot and will allow the water to steam the corn efficiently without risking the burn error message. If enough water is used you can place the corn on the cob directly into the water to pressure cook.

Recipe Variations

Season corn with cotija cheese, queso fresco, lime & chili powder for a Mexican street corn
Cut corn off the cob for a quick corn salad
Season with garlic powder and parmesan cheese

Storage

Leftover cooked corn on the cob can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat place the corn on the cob in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 30-60 seconds or until hot.

Instant Pot corn on the cob cook time

For fresh ears of corn pressure cook on high for 2-3 minutes depending on your preference followed by a quick pressure release.

Instant Pot corn on the cob with butter.

When placing the corn into the Instant Pot stand it on its end so that a pad of butter can be placed on the end of each ear of corn. The butter will melt down the ears of corn during the pressure cooking and result in perfectly cooked buttered corn.

Instant Pot corn on the cob without a trivet

Instant Pot Frozen Corn on the cob cook time.

For frozen ears of corn pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. When the pressure cooking time has finished immediately release the remaining pressure.