Easy One-Skillet Fiesta Corn Saute Recipe

This Easy One-Skillet Fiesta Corn Saute is a snap to make and it packs incredible flavor with sweetness from the corn, a hint of spice from chili powder and a smoky finish from smoked paprika. You’re going to want this one at all of your backyard BBQs this summer.

 

Inspired by Mexican Street Corn Recipes

There are a lot of great Mexican street corn recipes out there. Great combinations of cooked or sauteed corn, Mexican cheese (such as a cotija cheese), sour cream, mayo and Mexican seasonings. Access to these recipes is made even easier by the abundance of food trucks that are out there.

I thought it would be fun to put together a simple Mexican street corn recipe that is not only tasty, but easy to cook. That’s when I started to pull together this one skillet Mexican street corn recipe – the Fiesta Corn Saute.

Since it’s a one skillet recipe, it makes for a pretty easy side dish – including clean up. I’m also a fan of healthy recipes, so I wanted to make this a bit healthier, but without sacrificing any flavor.

Making the One-Skillet Fiesta Corn Saute

This definitely falls under the category of easy recipes. The ingredients are easily found in your local grocery store and total prep and cook time is less than 30 minutes. That makes it a great side dish if you have little time.

Sautéing the Corn

In this one skillet recipe, I start by melting butter in a non-stick skillet. Then, I saute onion, garlic, red bell pepper and corn.

This takes about 5-6 minutes. Now, you’re ready to add the spice mixture.

Making the Spice Mixture

I didn’t want to just use a packet of taco seasoning, so I made my own using pretty standard items found in your pantry. I started with some chili powder, smoked paprika and cilantro.

Add that into the corn mixture in the skillet for a few minutes. Once that’s incorporated, add in some lemon juice to brighten everything up and fresh cilantro for some beautiful color.

The result was AMAZING! The corn is perfectly sweet, the chili powder adds a little spiciness and the smoked paprika, of course, adds a slight smokiness. Absolute perfection in no time at all!

Easy Hack for Cutting Corn From the Cob

​If sweet summer corn is in season, I highly recommend using it. However, I know that getting fresh corn cut right from the cob may be a little daunting. No worries, I have a great hack.

Simply put a small bowl upside down in a larger bowl. Set the corn cob vertically on top of the smaller bowl.

Then, with a large sharp knife, slice downward to remove kernels. The fresh corn kernels will fall straight into the larger bowl. Such an easy way to get corn off the corn cobs!

How to Store the Fiesta Corn Saute

If you have leftovers, simply place those into an airtight container and put into your fridge. This should keep well for 3-4 days.

When you’re ready to serve, simply heat up in the microwave. That should take no more than 1-2 minutes.

If you’re making this ahead of time, I would do things just a little differently. I believe for the best results, you make the recipe up to the point of adding in the lemon juice and cilantro and then stop.

When you’re ready to serve, heat up the corn saute in the microwave (1-2 minutes should be fine) and then add in the lemon juice and cilantro. This guarantees the freshest flavor and your cilantro doesn’t wilt from the reheating.

And, overall I believe this tastes better warm than at room temperature. There is butter involved, and with that, I believe heated up just works and tastes better.

​How to Serve the Fiesta Corn Saute

Personally, I think this is a delicious side dish “as is”. The combination of veggies and seasoning stands well all on its own. And, with a total prep and cooking time of under 30 minutes, it’s a quick and easy summer side dish for those weeknight or weekend barbecues. It would be amazing served with Grilled chicken, grilled potato rounds, and a refreshing Skinny Margarita.

But, this is also a perfect side to serve with a big bowl of tortilla chips. You will find you’re going to have a hard time keeping enough of this around! I know my entire family devours this in no time.

Tips and Tricks

• I highly recommend fresh sweet corn over frozen or canned. Fresh corn is so much sweeter and adds such a lovely flavor.
• This is really delicious served with grilled meats, such as chicken, beef or pork and is also a delicious topping for grilled or broiled fish.
• The most delicious corn can be found at your local farmers market or at a corn stand that you will often find in a store parking lot.
• If you or someone your cooking for doesn’t like the taste of cilantro, you can substitute fresh parsley which will also add a nice brightness to the finished dish.
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds freshness and brightness to the recipe.
• To make this vegan, substitute margarine for butter.

Ingredients Needed to Make Fiesta Corn Saute

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Butter – Margarine is a good substitute.
• Red onion – I prefer red onion both for the color and flavor, but yellow or white onion can be substituted.
• Fresh garlic – Fresh will give the freshest flavor, but feel free to substitute 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, if that’s what you have on hand.
• Red bell pepper – I like red bell peppers, both for the vibrant color as well as the sweet flavor.
• Fresh corn on the cob – In a pinch, you can substitute frozen, but nothing really beats the sweet flavor of fresh corn.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Chili powder – This adds just a little bit of heat and balances the sweetness of both the corn and the red bell pepper.
• Smoked paprika – Add to the dish to give it a little smokiness.
• Fresh lemon juice – A little squeeze brightens up all of the flavors of the dish.
• Fresh cilantro – If you happen to be a person that doesn’t care for cilantro, fresh parsley is a good substitute.

How to Make Fiesta Corn Saute

• Melt butter in a large skillet, over medium heat.
• Add onion and red pepper, sauté for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
• Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
• Stir in corn.
• Stir in salt, pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika.
• Saute mixture for 3 minutes more.
• Stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

ENJOY!

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Weekend Potluck