Creamy jalapeño corn is an easy homemade side dish for your next barbecue or weeknight meal. Corn and diced jalapeños are cooked on the stove top and coated in a creamy, flavorful sauce.
This creamy jalapeño corn recipe is so delicious that it will be a new staple in your weekly rotation. This easy side dish is quick enough to add to any weeknight meal, and pairs well with pork, chicken, or beef.
Corn and fresh diced jalapeños are coated in a flavorful cream sauce. It's easy to adjust the heat in this side dish recipe - include the jalapeño seeds and membranes for more heat, or substitute with a bell pepper for mild flavor.
Made with just a handful of ingredients, this creamy corn is ready in just 15 minutes on the stove top!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter - Adds the best flavor, but can be substituted with olive oil.
- Corn - For this recipe, you'll need 16 ounces of corn kernels. Frozen corn, fresh corn cut off the cobs, or canned corn can be used. Keep in mind that the weight on canned corn includes the water inside - a 15 ounce can of corn will contain about 9 ounces of actual corn. I'd recommend using two 15 ounce cans for this recipe. If using corn on the cob, you'll need about 3 medium corn cobs, or 3 cups of corn kernels.
- Seasoning - Salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Red pepper flakes can be substituted with black pepper for a milder flavor.
- Garlic cloves - Two cloves of garlic can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
- Jalapeños - Can be substituted with a bell pepper for a mild flavor. Or, remove the seeds and membranes of your jalapeños for slightly less heat.
- Heavy cream - Will make richest and creamiest sauce, but can be substituted with half & half or whipping cream if needed. You may need to cook your corn for an extra minute or two to thicken the sauce.
What to serve with jalapeño corn
I love to serve this creamy jalapeño corn as a side dish for a quick weeknight meal. Burgers, ribs, pork or beef roast, or pan fried chicken breasts are all great pairings with this corn. Here are a few of my favorite entrees to pair with corn:
- Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Garlic & Herb Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Pan Seared Flank Steak with Garlic Butter
- Pan-Seared Ribeye with Garlic Butter
- Fajita Stuffed Chicken
Can I make this less spicy?
If you're not a fan of spicy foods, or have family members with sensitive palates, this recipe is easy to modify.
To make this recipe less spicy, the red pepper flakes can be substituted with black pepper. You can also substitute the jalapeño peppers with a bell pepper.
When dicing your jalapeños, remove the seeds and membranes inside for a milder flavor. Include some or all of the seeds and membranes for a hotter flavor.
Leftovers
If you have leftovers, no worries. This creamy corn recipe reheats well and will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat, add leftovers to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Or, microwave, lightly covered, until warmed through.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Jalapeño Corn
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 jalapeños, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces frozen corn
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced jalapeños and minced garlic, cooking for 1 minute.
- Add corn, salt, paprika, and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until ingredients are heated through.
- Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, or until cream thickens slightly. Remove from heat and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Cooking time will depend on whether using frozen, frozen and thawed, canned, or fresh corn - any will work in this recipe. Cook until ingredients are heated throughout.
- 16 ounces frozen corn = about 3 cups of corn kernels = about 3 medium ears of corn = two 15 ounce cans of corn, drained.
- Optionally, top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chives before serving.
This is a fav of mine! I also like to add a little shredded cheddar and 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke!
Made this tonight over rice and air fryer Chicken. DELISH!!! Will be in placed on my rotation. Thank you!