A sweet-spicy sautéed sweet corn side dish. This super-quick recipe has fresh lime, aromatic spices and green chili. Make this easy vegetarian side dish in 15 minutes.

A gray bowl full of fresh corn salad tossed with green jalapeno, mustard seeds and cilantro leaves.

This simple sautéed sweet corn recipe has so much going on — it tastes surprisingly layered with flavor, with little effort.

There’s zesty green chili pepper, Indian-style seasoning, including mustard seeds, turmeric and cumin, and a big hit of tangy acidity from fresh lime juice.

It’s one of the quickest vegetable side dish recipes in my file, and way beyond ordinary.

A creative fresh corn side dish

If you have any picky eaters in your house, chances are you can win them over with anything made with sweet corn. When my kids were little, those bags of frozen sweet corn saved many dinner hours.

As their palates got a little more sophisticated I loved introducing them to bolder spices and sweet corn carries those big flavors like a champ.

Sautéed spicy sweet corn salad loaded with flavor. This super-quick recipe has fresh lime, Indian spices and green chili. Make this easy vegetarian side dish in 15 minutes.

Plus, frozen sweet corn is conveniently available all year long.

It’s not quite the same as eating juicy kernels straight off the cob on a summer day, but you can’t beat how easy it is to cook.

How to make delicious sweet corn all year long:

  • This recipe works with either fresh or frozen corn. No need to defrost the frozen corn.
  • If you want to make this recipe with fresh corn, you’ll need about 5 or 6 ears of shucked corn for four people, depending on their size. Keep in mind that one average ear will yield about 3/4 cup of corn kernels.
  • Play with the spices — brown mustard seed has a delicious nutty crunch and gives this dish a decidedly Indian-style punch, but if you don’t have it on hand leave it out. Or omit the turmeric and add about 1 teaspoon of your favorite curry or Mexican spice blend instead.
  • Cheese is a fantastic addition to this recipe – try 1/4 cup of something soft and salty, such as crumbled feta or Mexican cotija.
5 from 3 ratings

Sautéed Sweet Corn with Cilantro and Lime

Karen Tedesco
Sautéed spicy sweet corn side dish loaded with flavor. This super-quick recipe has fresh lime, Indian spices and green chili. Make this easy vegetarian side dish in 15 minutes.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, halved lengthwise and finely chopped
  • 1 shallot or 2 trimmed scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 pound frozen sweet corn or 4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels, from 5 or 6 ears
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Freshly grated zest from 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions
 

  1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover the pan. When the seeds start to sizzle and pop, toss in the cumin, turmeric, chili and shallot. Stir and cook 1 minute.
  2. Add the corn to the pan with ½ teaspoon salt and stir.
  3. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking until the corn starts to turn golden brown, a few minutes more.
  4. Stir in lime juice, lime zest and cilantro.

Notes

  • Cheese is a fantastic addition to this recipe – try 1/4 cup of something soft and salty, such as crumbled feta or Mexican cotija.
  • The corn keeps 3-5 days, refrigerated

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 207kcal Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 4g Fat: 12g Sodium: 3mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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