3 Minute Instant Pot Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is a simple and stress-free way to make this classic side dish or prep corn for other recipes! This 3-minute Instant Pot recipe produces juicy, crisp, bright yellow corn that is perfect every time!

this Recipe

Corn on the Cob – The EASY Way!

With corn season upon us, I am making this all the time! Using a pressure cooker to make corn on the cob is one of the most delicious ways to prepare it! And it couldn’t be easier.

The Instant Pot is a serious game changer for making corn because it is completely hands-off! No worrying about the water boiling over, no overcooked corn, perfection every time. This gives me (and soon you) the freedom to work on the rest of dinner and still have a great side dish ready to go.

And when I say quick and simple and you are wondering how long to cook corn on the cob in an Instant pot, it’s only 3 minutes! If you want to change up your corn on the cob seasoning with this garlic parmesan wing sauce. Just brush this right on and incredible flavor!

Why I LOVE this recipe!

• Kid-Friendly – Eating corn cobs is such a fun and yummy food for kids. They love chowing down the corn off the cob and this recipe makes it super simple to enjoy them without the fuss of peeling back the husk after cooking. Just grab, go, and enjoy!
• EASY – With minimal ingredients, you can have this ready in no time. Bonus- when purchasing pre-husked corn cobs, this recipe comes together that much easier.
• Hassle-free – This corn on the cob with herb butter is as simple as placing the cobs (husk or no husk) in the Instant Pot with water. That’s it!
• Quick – While the pot takes a little bit to heat up, the Instant Pot corn on the cob time to cook is only 3 minutes!
• Scaleable – Make as little or as many corns on the cobs as you’d like. You can fill the pot completely full as long as the lid shuts!
• Free up space! Don’t waste that valuable space on the grill or in your oven! You can have this crazy delicious side dish cook out of the way in the Instant Pot.

What to Serve with Corn on the Cob in Instant Pot

Since this dish has the classic flavors of summer, it will pair well with many of your favorite summer side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.

Serve Corn on the Cob with

• Ranch Chicken on the Grill
• Quick Steak Marinade for Grilling
• Turkey Burger Sliders
• BBQ Chicken
• Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
• Big Mac Sliders
• Loaded Baked Potato Chicken Casserole
• Southern Squash Casserole

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. 

Recipe Notes

This 3 minute Instant Pot corn on the cob recipe is as simple as promised! Just 5 minutes of prep for a family-friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Corn on the cob – Fresh corn is always best and offers the best texture. You can use corn that has already been shucked or purchase pre-shucked with the husk already removed. This recipe calls for the shuck to be removed either way. Sometimes I will even shuck the corn at the store if that is an option to avoid finding the silk around my kitchen for weeks. Frozen corn cobs can also be used- make sure to see the notes on that below.
• Water – A small amount of water works well as it heats in the pot and creates steam to evenly cook the corn.

Garlic Butter Ingredients

• Butter – Softened. Switch for vegan butter to make this a vegan-friendly and dairy-free dish.
• Garlic paste – Paste makes this herb butter easier as it is already smooth and will combine well. If you prefer, use fresh garlic cloves in a garlic press or minced finely. Then, place the garlic on a cutting board, sprinkle with salt, and use a knife to slide and smear the garlic into a paste.
• Herbs: fresh parsley, dried basil, and thyme
• Salt
• Red pepper flakes – This adds a little heat and a flavorsome bite.

Recipe Tips

1. Picking the corn – cooking corn on the cob in an Instant pot is almost foolproof but not if the corn isn’t good. To pick the best corn, look for bright green husks that are damp and tight to the cob.
2. Flavored butter – I include my favorite garlic butter with this recipe, but it is optional. But, my favorite tip is to use seasoned butter! It is so tasty!
3. Use a trivet – Instant pot corn on the cob without a trivet will not work well. A trivet is essentially a small raised grate that keeps the corn from touching the bottom of the pot. This is super important to keep the corn from burning and how to cook corn on the corn in an Instant pot to perfection.
4. Fill the pot – If you want to cook as much corn on the cob as you can in your pot, don’t worry about overcrowding. You can pack the Instant Pot to capacity with the shucked corn cobs and they will still cook perfectly.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Use pre-shucked corn – I do not like to husk corn so using corn that is already shucked for this Instant pot fresh corn on the cob makes this recipe even faster.
• Prepare the butter– The Instant Pot butter for corn on the cob can be made up to a week before the corn and just kept in the fridge. And it can be used on almost anything which means you may have a harder time saving it for the corn,
• Make-Ahead – For meal prep, make these Instant pot seasoned corn on the cobs on your meal prep batch day and store until ready to use. *See notes below on how to store and reheat.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• Frozen Corn on the Cob in the Instant Pot – Follow the same Instructions but increase the cook time to 5 minutes.
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob with Husk– Feel free to leave the husks on when cooking these. The cook time remains the same with or without husks.
• Garlic Parmesan Corn on the Cob – After the corn has finished cooking, remove the excess liquid from the pot. Then, add the garlic butter and sprinkle in Parmesan cheese. Toss and enjoy!

Corn on the Cob Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making this beginner corn on the cob Instant pot, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate them into meal-sized portions and then place them in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Cornbread – Scratch-made Cornbread is divine, and adding leftover corn on the cob is easy! Remove the kernels from the cob once cooled. Be sure to keep all the juice that comes off the cobs as well. Then, mix it with 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, ½ of the herb garlic butter, ½ cup of sugar, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup of buttermilk, and 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Pour into an oiled pan and bake in a preheated 375˚F oven for about 20 minutes.
• Corn Salsa with Black Beans – Follow this recipe and substitute the frozen corn for the corn off the cob from this Instant Pot recipe.
• Mexican Street Corn Casserole – All the best flavors of Mexican street corn are slow-cooked to creamy perfection. Just replace the frozen corn with the leftover corn from this recipe.

More Instant Pot Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Instant Pot recipes here, or see a few of our reader’s favorite recipes below.

• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes – are another crazy simple, hands-off recipe that is perfect for a busy night.
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup – is so tasty and perfect for summer or fall! Light and creamy – what could be better?
• Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast – this is one of those recipes that I wish I had figured out sooner because cooking turkey in the Instant Pot is so simple and it always turns out juicy!
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Chili – is perfect for potlucks and work chili cook-offs!