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This insanely good spicy corn on the cob is topped with the perfect fixin’s: a lemony tahini drizzle, Sriracha hot sauce, and cilantro.
You can’t be everything to everyone. In a society that says we can have it all and be it all, this is tough medicine. It’s a lesson I’ve struggled with for years–it’s easy to want to be the most supportive friend, serve every client with all their projects, make every type of recipe on this site to satisfy all types of diets. This year, Alex and I have been on a journey of trying to prioritize and invest in our strengths. We’re saying no a lot more than before. While I can’t do it all, I’m realizing I am a unique voice with a unique set of skills to serve others–as long as I say no to the wrong opportunities and yes to the right.
That said, this spicy corn on the cob recipe can almost be everything to everyone, since it’s vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Keep reading for the recipe! (How’s that for a tie in?)
How to make spicy corn on the cob
While it’s not for people who can’t handle spicy food, cilantro haters (hi, mom!) or paleo eaters, this spicy corn on the cob is damn good and a great side for a variety of diets. Most of all, it’s delicious; the tangy, rich tahini against the spicy cilantro and sweet bursts of corn kernels is delightful. I developed this recipe both from a random inspiration and as a counterpoint to the many fancy corn recipes that involve dairy. This one is a great vegan that’s big on flavor. While Alex and I don’t eat strictly vegan or plant based, we enjoy experimenting with plant based recipes often. (PS What is tahini? Read more here.)
For this spicy corn on the cob recipe, we made our Boiled Corn on the Cob and then drizzled on the tahini sauce and Sriracha hot sauce. That’s really all there is to it! If you prefer grilled corn on the cob, go to Perfect Grilled Corn.
This is a good one for the Labor Day weekend ahead; we’ll be travelling to my home state of Minnesota to see my family and dear friends behind the fabulous blogs My Name is Yeh, The Faux Martha, The Vanilla Bean Blog, and Pinch of Yum (and Naturally Ella, on the way up). We’re stoked! Have a fabulous holiday weekend.
Another way to cook corn: in the oven!
The corn in this recipe is boiled. Looking for another great way to cook corn? Try it baked! If you don’t have a grill or want to try another method, go to our Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob. It’s the easiest way to cook it! You can use the same serving method in this recipe.
This spicy corn on the cob is…
Vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, plant based, and dairy free.
Spicy Corn on the Cob with Tahini
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This insanely good spicy corn on the cob is topped with the perfect fixin’s: a lemony tahini drizzle, Sriracha hot sauce, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 8 ears corn
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 lemon (3 tablespoons juice)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 bunch cilantro
- Sriracha hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare a large pot of boiling water. Shuck the corn, then boil it for 8 minutes, until tender. Remove immediately.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together the tahini and lemon juice. If necessary, stir in ¼ cup water or more to bring to a thick, spreadable consistency.
- Roughly chop the cilantro.
- To serve, spread the corn with the tahini mixture, then drizzle with sriracha and sprinkle with cilantro. (Tip: Hold a finger over the nozzle of the sriracha bottle; it comes out fast!)
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Looking for more recipes with corn?
Outside of this spicy corn on the cob, here are a few other corn recipes and ways to cook corn:
- Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
- Creamy Corn Chowder or Vegan Corn Chowder
- Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn)
- Black Bean & Corn Salsa Fresca
- How to Roast Corn on the Grill
- Grilled Mexican Corn with Mayo
- Perfectly Creamy Polenta Recipe (with cornmeal!)
- Grilled Corn on the Cob with Harissa
- Potato Corn Chowder
- Roasted Poblano and Corn Pizzas
- Homemade Calzone with Poblanos and Corn
- Summer Quinoa Salad with Corn
- Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Corn Salsa
I basically made this for dinner tonight, after halfway remembering the recipe name, but not where I had read it. Mine was tahini, lime juice, and smoked paprika (I had run out of fresh cilantro). It was so yummy. Thank you for the inspiration!
GIVE ME SOME OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
“I’m a unique voice with a unique set of skills that I can use to uniquely serve others”. Well said! And I love that you’ve put it out there your focus on saying no to what doesn’t feel right and yes to what does. And this looks like a delicious way to enjoy corn right now . We get some really good local sweet corn here too and I’ve been cutting it off the cob and putting it in curries. I need to step away from the knife though and enjoy it this way!
I’ve never had corn on the cob like this before! I feel now’s the time to really kick up my corn on the cob game and this would be an awesome start!
Let us know if you try it!
This is why I love blogs- I never would have thought of adding tahini to corn, and now I’m trying to figure out if there’s still corn around to try it. If not, I might just have to adapt this to a stir fry with the frozen corn. Enjoy Minnesota!
That would make a wonderful stir fry! This is why I love blogs too — always places of new inspiration :)
This is a perfect and beautiful end-of-summer side dish that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into! Happy travels!
I love how versatile tahini is, so I can’t imagine why I wouldn’t love it on corn on the cob. I look forward to trying the pairing!