How to Reheat Corn on the Cob Without Losing Its Juicy Flavor
If you're hosting a summer barbecue, grilling up a warm-weather meal, or simply enjoying some farm-fresh produce for dinner, chances are good you've put corn on the cob on your menu.
Fresh summer corn is so sweet, delicious, and can be used in any number of recipes, it's practically a must-have once it's in season! And when it's cheap, I tend to buy a lot, and cook it all right away—after picking, as corn sits, the sugars turn to starch so it's best to cook it asap.
Now, some leftovers can be a real hassle. Leftover corn, though? It's great! Corn, especially cooked corn, keeps well, lasting about 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and it can be easily frozen for longer term storage.
If you've got a fridge full of yesterday's cooked cobs waiting to be eaten, here are three no-fail methods for warming them up. But keep in mind that cold corn on the cob is quite delicious, especially when it's hot out, and makes an excellent addition to a no-cook dinner.

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How to Reheat Corn on the Stove
The stovetop is the best place to reheat corn on the cob if you have about 15 minutes, and it's largely a hands-off process.
In fact, if you can let a pot of water come to a boil while you're preparing the rest of your meal, the actual reheating of the corn is super fast!
Boiling water works great for a couple reasons. First, the water stays at a consistent temperature (212°F) making it hard to overcook the corn, as it won't get hotter than that. Secondly, cooking it in water means the corn can't dry out, which is the biggest problem with reheated corn on the cob.
Generally the only risk is leaving the corn in too long. If it overboils, it will break down and become mushy, but you'd have to leave the corn in the water for an exceedingly long time for that to happen. Here's how to reheat corn on the stove:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add the leftover corn and let it cook 2 to 3 minutes for small cobs, or 3 to 4 minutes for larger cobs.
That's it! Remove from heat, and serve.

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How to Reheat Corn in the Oven
Though this isn't the fastest or most efficient method, reheating corn in the oven or a toaster oven can be a good idea if you have a lot of corn you want to reheat all at once, and/or you've already got too many things going on the stove top to boil water.
The trick to reheating corn on the cob in the oven is to keep it from drying out. The best way to do this is to wrap the corn well in aluminum foil to prevent moisture from escaping. (You can also add a little extra butter or seasoning to the wrapped corn if you like, to flavor it.) Here's the method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Fully wrap cobs individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove one cob and test it. If the corn is not quite hot enough, cook another 2 to 3 minutes as needed.

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How to Reheat Corn in the Microwave
While this method is viable, we actually don't recommend using a microwave to reheat your corn on the cob, if you have the time to use one of the above methods.
While microwaves are invaluable, and there are even some recipes we love using a microwave for, the speed at which they cook food makes it easy to accidentally overcook leftovers, making them break down or dry out. Corn on the cob, especially, tends to reheat unevenly in a microwave, which is never pleasant.
But most people use their microwaves for reheating leftovers, and corn is no exception! So if you're just looking for a fast and simple reheat, here's the method we found works best:
- Wrap corn in a wet paper towel. Alternatively, place it in a microwave-safe container with a lid, with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water inside.
- Cook on high for 20 seconds. Turn corn over and then cook another 20 seconds.
- Repeat step 2 until the corn is at your desired temperature.

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Can You Reheat Corn on the Cob on a Grill?
Yes, absolutely! If you're already grilling up some other foods and you've got leftover corn, you can easily reheat the corn on the grill. If you're reheating boiled corn and want to give it a little char on the outside, you can simply cook it over the open flame, for about half the time you would cook raw corn, turning it regularly.
If you're reheating already-grilled corn and don't want to char it any further, simply wrap it in aluminum as you would the oven method, and cook over indirect heat for about 5 minutes, turning once.
Can You Reheat Corn on the Cob in a Frying Pan?
While it's possible to reheat corn on the cob on the stove with a frying pan, we don't recommend it.
In our experience, corn cooked this way tends to cook unevenly. The corn touching the pan will often sear, cooking very well, but the rest of the cob will remain cool, unless the corn is turned constantly, which takes more time and attention than we typically want to give in reheating something.
Can You Reheat Corn on the Cob in an Air Fryer?
Depending on the air fryer, it's possible to use one to reheat corn on the cob, but it's not our first choice, primarily because of size and spacing.
If you have a large air fryer, such as an 8-quart fryer, and it's already on your countertop, and you're only cooking a few cobs, then you can go ahead and use the instructions for the oven method to reheat one or two cobs at a time.
If you have a small air fryer, such as a 3 quart, then you may have to cut the corn in half, wrapping each separately, or find another method.
Because the corn needs to be wrapped in foil to keep from drying out, it doesn't really take advantage of the air fryer's real strength, which is to blow hot air across food, thus drying it out and making it crispy. But an air fryer doesn't need nearly the time that an oven does to preheat, so you will get to reheated corn on the cob faster—not a total loss.