Grilled Corn with Avocados and Cilantro Pesto
on Aug 24, 2020, Updated Aug 06, 2024
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This grilled corn recipe is one of countless reasons why corn off the cob deserves just as much attention as corn on the cob. While the grill heats up, I quickly make cilantro pesto with pumpkin seeds and lime juice. Then once the corn is grilled, I toss it with the pesto and stir in diced avocados. This is a great vegan side dish, and if you don’t have a grill, you can roast the corn too.
Also, try this grilled corn couscous for another way to enjoy this iconic summer vegetable.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You can do so much with grilled sweetcorn when you slice those kernels off the cob. That’s not a dig on corn on the cob, which is an absolute summer classic and pretty much a universal favorite. However, the moment you have a bowl of grilled corn, you can turn it into an even more exciting side dish or salad. Plus it is easier and neater to eat.
Pesto is a simple way to give vegetables an instant flavor boost. That’s why I end up using it in a ton of recipes beyond just pasta. With cilantro as a base, it pairs so well with smoky grilled corn.
This is a vegan corn recipe that is a definite crowd pleaser. There’s no butter on the corn, and there’s no cheese in the pesto. It is a dish that can go with lots of different main dishes whether they are vegetarian or not.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Corn: The recipe calls for 4 ears of corn. When you’re shopping at the grocery or the farmers market, the freshest ears of will be tightly wrapped in their husks, and the silk at the top should be slightly damp.
- Avocados give the salad something creamy and rich. They go with the flavor of the grilled corn and contrast with its crisp bite in the best way.
- Cilantro: Pull the leaves off the stems to make the pesto. I know this is a love-it or hate-it fresh herb. If you aren’t a fan of cilantro, you can substitute with fresh parsley. Then I also would recommend using lemon juice instead of lime juice.
- Pumpkin seeds: Especially with the cilantro, I like the crunch and flavor of pumpkin seeds in the pesto. You can substitute with toasted walnuts.
- Garlic: I include 2 garlic cloves in the pesto.
- Lime juice: For zesty citrus, I add the juice of 1 lime to the pesto.
- Olive oil: Use high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.
- Salt & pepper season the pesto and the overall dish when you stir it into the corn.
Optional Additions
This corn side dish recipe is great as written, but you can make one or more of the following additions:
- Cooked grains: Try pearl couscous, farro or barley. Big grains are less likely to get lost in the pesto unlike quinoa.
- Lettuce: You can turn this into a salad with baby spinach or chopped romaine.
- Beans: Use canned black beans or white beans.
How To Make Grilled Corn with Avocados and Cilantro Pesto
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
1. Make the pesto. Combine the garlic, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, lime juice, salt, pepper and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Grill the corn. Rub the ears with oil. Grill them, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Slice off the kernels from the cobs. When it’s cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut off the kernels. Put the corn in a big bowl.
4. Stir the pesto and avocados into the corn.
Alternate Cooking Method: Roasting Corn
To roast the corn, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. The difference between grilling and roasting is that you will need to slice off the kernels from the ears of corn before you cook them. Toss the corn with 2 teaspoons olive oil and spread them across 2 sheet pans. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the corn is golden, crisp and lightly browned at the edges.
Serving
Grilled corn is a side dish that goes other things you may already be grilling such as:
Barbecue Tofu Veggie Skewers
Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
Halloumi and Mixed Vegetables
Spicy Grilled Veggie Hummus Sandwiches
You can also serve it as a side with grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon or another protein. It has plenty of personality while still working with a dynamic main dish. It’s also tasty when you eat it with chips like a chunky corn salsa.
Storage & Leftovers
You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. The avocados will brown on the edges, but they will still taste good. This is when I like to add chopped lettuce and eat the leftovers like a salad, sometimes adding a hard-boiled egg. Rather than reheating leftovers when I plan to serve them as a side, I let them sit out at room temperature to lose the chill of the refrigerator.
More Grilled Corn Recipes
Zucchini Corn Salad
Grilled Broccoli Corn Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad
Mushroom Corn Pizza
Blueberry Corn Salad
Grilled Corn with Avocados and Cilantro Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 ears corn
- 2 avocados, diced
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
- To make the pesto, put the garlic, cilantro leaves, pumpkin seeds, lime juice, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup olive oil in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Rub the corn with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes. Let the corn cool slightly before slicing the kernels off the cobs and transferring the corn to a large bowl.
- Stir the pesto and avocados into the corn.
Notes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the kernels off the ears of corn and toss them with 2 teaspoons olive oil and spread them across 2 sheet pans. Roast the corn for 25-30 minutes until it is golden, crisp and lightly browned at the edges. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. The avocado will brown on the edges, but this shouldn’t impact the taste. You can eat leftovers cold and add greens to treat them like a salad. Or allow time for leftovers to sit out at room temperature, so they aren’t as cold. Optional Additions
- Cooked grains: pearl couscous, farro, barley or brown rice
- Lettuce: baby spinach or chopped romaine.
- Beans: canned black beans or white beans.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is this a side dish or dip?
It is meant to be served as a side dish because of the amount that the recipe makes. But I did find myself dipping chips into it.