Traeger Smoked Corn on the Cob is the perfect side dish for any BBQ. This easy pellet grill recipe gives you tender corn with a light smoky flavor and just the right amount of char.
If you've only made corn on the cob on a Traeger in foil, this version takes it up a notch with more smoky flavor. This is one of my favorite ways to make corn on a Traeger or pellet smoker. Once you try it this way, you'll never go back to boiled corn.
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Summer and corn on the cob go hand in hand. There's nothing like fresh, sweet corn straight from the garden. While boiled or grilled corn is delicious, smoking it is one of my favorite ways to make it. It brings out the natural sweetness of the corn and has so much flavor. And it goes perfectly with Crawfish Boil.
I love making Smoked Corn on the Cob in Foil on my Pit Boss pellet grill, which is a quick and easy recipe. But I wanted to step up the flavor a notch, and I think I've nailed it with this recipe.
Recipe at a Glance
- Method: Pellet grill / Traeger smoker
- Cook Time: 1½ hours
- Temperature: 250 degrees F
- Flavor: Sweet, smoky, buttery
- Texture: Tender with lightly charred kernels
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best For: BBQs, summer sides, cookouts
Jump to:
- Recipe at a Glance
- Smoked Corn on the Cob on a Traeger
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Corn on a Traeger With Husk or Without
- ♨️ How To Make Traeger Smoked Corn On The Cob
- FYI
- Jeri's Top Tips
- 📖 Variations
- 🥗 Serving Suggestions
- 🌡️ Storage Instructions
- 🧾 Recipe FAQs
- Here's what readers have to say about this corn on Traeger:
- Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- 📋 More Easy Traeger Recipes
- If You Love This Smoker Recipe
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
Smoked Corn on the Cob on a Traeger
- You will love the smoke flavor in the tender corn.
- Soaking the corn is not required.
- It's a must-have side dish for backyard barbecues.
- It can be made with fresh or frozen corn.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This Traeger grilled corn on the cob recipe is easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients, which you can easily find at any grocery store.
- Corn on the cob. I used fresh sweet corn on the cob. I recommend a sweet variety of corn; it will have so much more flavor. If you don't have fresh corn on the cob, you can substitute frozen corn on the cob. Just make sure to defrost it fully first.
- Butter. You can't have corn without lots of butter! I used unsalted butter. If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to 1 teaspoon. You can also use margarine or olive oil.
- Seasoning salt. You can use kosher salt, sea salt, or table salt.
- Black pepper. You can use white pepper or fresh cracked pepper.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
Corn on a Traeger With Husk or Without
You can cook corn on the cob on a Traeger with or without the husk.
With husk: Keeps the corn extra juicy and lightly steams it while it cooks.
Without husk: Gives more char and a stronger smoky flavor.
Soaking the corn is optional. Some people soak corn in water before grilling, but on a pellet grill, it doesn't make a noticeable difference and can actually reduce the smoky flavor. At 250°F, the husk may dry out and darken slightly, but it won't burn.
Both methods work, but for the best smoky flavor, I recommend removing the husk.
♨️ How To Make Traeger Smoked Corn On The Cob
Corn on the cob on a Traeger is easy to make. Follow the step-by-step instructions or watch the video below to learn how.
Prepare The Corn On The Cob
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 250°F. Peel the husks back and remove the silk. You can either remove the husks completely or leave them on. I like to leave mine on; they make a handy built-in handle. This way, you don't need corn holders. 🙂 If you like, you can also use butcher's twine and tie it around the ends to hold the corn husks together.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add seasoning salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Brush the ears of corn with the seasoned butter mixture.
Smoke Corn On The Cob On Traeger
- Place ears of corn directly on the grill grate of your pellet grill.
- Close the lid and smoke the corn for 1½ hours. Turn the corn occasionally so it cooks evenly on all sides. Baste the corn with the butter mixture every 15-20 minutes.
- The corn is done when the kernels turn dark yellow to light brown, and there is a nice char on the outside.
- Remove the corn from the grill. Serve immediately with the remaining butter mixture, and enjoy!
FYI
This simple smoked corn recipe can be made on any pellet grill or outdoor grill. I have made it on my Traeger smoker, Pit Boss pellet smoker, and Masterbuilt electric smoker.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Brush the butter mixture into all the nooks and crannies of the corn for maximum flavor and baste every 15 minutes.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the type of smoker you are using. My Pit Boss pellet smoker cooks faster, so this corn is ready 15 minutes sooner than it would be on the Traeger.
- You do not need to soak the corn before smoking with this method.
📖 Variations
- Mexican-inspired: Make Authentic Elote (Mexican grilled corn) by slathering a creamy mayo mixture mixed with chili powder and lime juice on the corn and topping it with chopped cilantro. It is so good! 🙂
- Sweet: Brush the corn with a mixture of honey and BBQ sauce near the end of the smoke time.
- Cheesy: Mix the butter with grated Parmesan cheese before brushing it on the corn.
- Spicy: For an extra kick, add Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper to the butter, or use your favorite veggie rub.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
This corn is the perfect side dish to serve with Traeger Smoked Steak, Smoked Steak on Pellet Grill, Pellet Smoked Chuck Roast, Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs, Smoked Whole Chicken On Pellet Grill, or Smoked Beef Brisket On Electric Smoker, Smoked Shrimp, and Smoked Asparagus.
Use it in Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup or in my homemade black bean corn salsa in this Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad. You can even use it to make Mexican Street Corn Salad.
🌡️ Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: If you have leftover smoked corn on the cob, remove the kernels from the ear of corn using a sharp knife and store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Place kernels in a Ziploc bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze the corn for up to 2 months.
🧾 Recipe FAQs
It takes about 1-½ hours to smoke corn on the cob at 250 degrees F on a Traeger grill.
I like to use a mild wood like pecan or a fruit wood like applewood or cherry. For a stronger flavor use mesquite or hickory.
Yes, corn on the cob cooks perfectly on a pellet smoker like a Traeger. The low, steady heat adds a light smoky flavor while keeping the corn tender.
Here's what readers have to say about this corn on Traeger:
Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This was so irresistibly tender and smoky! I'll be making this again soon, it's the perfect side for BBQs!" - our reader, Emily
"I could eat this for every single meal! My favourite way to cook corn." - our reader, Megane
📋 More Easy Traeger Recipes
If You Love This Smoker Recipe
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Printable Recipe
Traeger Smoked Corn On The Cob
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 1½ teaspoons seasoning salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 250℉.
- Pull husks down on the corn and remove the silk. You can either leave the husks on or take them off. They make great corn holders if left on.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add seasoning salt and black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Brush the corn with the seasoned butter mixture.
- Place corn cobs directly on the grill grate of the preheated smoker.
- Close the lid, and smoke the corn for 1½ hours. Turn and baste the corn with the butter mixture every 15-20 minutes. The corn is done when the kernels start to turn a dark yellow/light brown color and there is a nice char on the outside.
- Remove the corn from the grill. Serve immediately with the remaining butter mixture, and enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- Brush the butter mixture into all the nooks and crannies of the corn for maximum flavor and baste every 15 minutes.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the type of smoker you are using. My Pit Boss pellet smoker cooks faster, so this corn is ready 15 minutes sooner than it would be on the Traeger.
- Make a corn salad with any leftover corn, or use it in soup to add a smoky flavor.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
You like grilled corn? You'll love this recipe -- delicious!
Jeri says
Thanks for trying my smoked corn-on-the-cob recipe, Helen! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
megane says
I could eat this for every single meal! My favourite way to cook corn.
Jeri says
I'm so glad you enjoy the smoked corn on the cob, Megan! It's definitely one of our favorites too! 🙂
Emily says
This was so irresistibly tender and smoky! I'll be making this again soon, it's the perfect side for BBQs!
Jeri says
I'm so glad you enjoyed our Smoked Corn on the Cob, Emily! It's definitely a summer favorite around here! 🙂