Make the most of corn on the cob season with Turkey Dogs with Corn Relish and Mexican Street Corn. It's fast and easy and it's one of our 20 minute meal ideas, made from scratch, that you can serve family style!
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September may be just around the corner but there's still plenty of summer left, so this month we're taking the family meal outside and making the most of fresh corn on the cob while keeping your house cool!
We're firing up the grill to cook some turkey dogs accompanied by seasonal corn two ways: raw with a quick pickle corn relish and grilled, for Mexican street corn - always a family favourite!
Tips For Using Fresh Corn on the Cob
Corn is at its finest when it's in season because the sugar in corn actually starts converting to starch as soon as it's picked. You'll want to take care selecting and storing your corn and once you have your fresh corn, you're going to want to eat it within a few days or prepare it for freezing. If you're using it soon, keep it in the husks and in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Corn on the cob is a great pick for a quick family meal (check out this delicious 20 Minute Meal with Pork Tenderloin Sliders, Blue Cheese Slaw and Corn on the Cob) because it needs very little prep and cooking supervision. (And, kids make great corn huskers!)
Easy Corn On The Cob Cooking Hack
One tip for preparing corn for a crowd if you're short on grill/stove space is simply to fill a clean, small cooler with two kettles of boiling water. Toss in the husked corn and shut the lid; 30 minutes later you'll have perfectly cooked corn!
Tips For Using Corn For Meal Prep
The window for fresh corn always seems to open and close quickly so it's best to stock up when the harvest is abundant. Corn freezes so well and you can freeze it on or off the husk for future meal prep.
Simply blanch the husked corn about five to seven minutes in boiling water and then put it into an ice bath or very cold water. The corn can be frozen on the cob in airtight freezer bags or you can use a knife to scrape the kernels off.
If you want more of a creamed corn, after you've scraped off the kernels, use the back of the knife to scrape the rest of the juice off the cob and freeze with the corn. Some people find standing the corn cobs up in a bundt pan and then scraping them off works well.
Quick Pickle Corn Relish
The absolute quickest way to prepare corn is to enjoy it raw. When corn is fresh it's crunchy, sweet and juicy right out of the husk. Making a "quick pickle" or "quickle" corn relish is super easy:
- scrape the kernels off the corn
- mix them with a little vinegar, sugar, red onion and lime juice for a bright and colourful quick relish for hot dogs or hamburgers. That's it!
- leftovers? This relish will last a couple weeks in the refrigerator and only get better over time.
Mexican Street-Style Corn
The traditional toppings for corn on the cob are butter and salt but Mexican street-style is equally quick. A few tablespoons of mayonnaise, a grated garlic clove and some chilli powder will transform the cob into something truly spectacular!
Fire Up The Grill And Serve
All that's left to do is fire up the grill. The turkey dogs will take about 10 minutes and the Mexican Street Corn will take about 12.
Lay out a platter of sliced hot dog buns accompanied by a serving dish of the quick corn relish and any other condiments you need and dinner is done in 20 minutes. And you didn't even have to turn on a stove!
So in these final days of summer, take advantage of the corn harvest and cooking outside with these grilled Turkey Dogs with Corn Relish and Mexican Street Corn.
- 4 turkey dogs
- 4 turkey dogs
- 5 cobs of corn
- 5 cobs of corn
- 3 tbsp mayonaise
- 3 tbsp mayonaise
- 1 garlic glove, finely grated
- 1 garlic glove, finely grated
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp Cotija cheese (or feta will work)
- 2 tbsp Cotija cheese (or feta will work)
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped, divided
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped, divided
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- ¼ cup red onion, minced
- 1 small red jalepeno pepper, minced
- 1 small red jalepeno pepper, minced
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 lime, quartered
- 1 lime, quartered
- 4 hot dog buns
- Heat BBQ to medium-high heat. When grill is hot, add turkey dogs and cook about ten minutes until done. Move to indirect heat or tent with tinfoil to keep warm.
- Prepare corn. Husk four cobs for the grill. You can remove husks completely or tie them back with twine. If you leave them on, they make handles for rotating the corn. Ensure the husks are not on the grill (they will catch fire) but rather sticking off the BBQ. Rotate every 3 to 5 minutes until done, about 12 minutes total. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, garlic and chilli powder in a small bowl and set aside. When corn is done, brush mayo mixture onto cobs and sprinkle with cheese, ¼ cup cilantro and juice of ¼ of one lime.
- Prepare the relish. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels from the fifth cob (raw) and place into a medium size bowl. Add the red onion, jalepeno, sugar, vinegar, cumin, remaining cilantro and the juice from a ¼ of the lime. Stir to combine.
- Prepare board. Place four corn cobs on board. To each bun add a turkey weiner and a generous serving of corn relish.(Add other hot dog condiments as desired.) Garnish board with remaining lime wedges.
Looking For More 20 Minute Meal Ideas?
- Lamb Kofta with Arugula Gremolata
- Mini Ricotta Meatballs Over Lemon Rice and Peas
- Soy-Glazed Salmon, Veggies and Rice Noodles
Or check out our entire 20 Minute Meal gallery for more ideas!
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Lisa Bolton is food stylist, recipe developer and creator of beautiful food boards. You can find her work at lisadawnbolton.com. She lives in the Lower Mainland of BC. Her first cookbook, On Boards, (affiliate link) by Appetite by Penguin Random House is available in stores and online now! You can reach her on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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Lisa, your food always looks SO delicious! As a corn lover, just looking at this meal makes me happy. ☺️