Grilled Corn Salad is packed with summer flavor, and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. Serve with grilled burgers, kabobs, or a juicy steak!
Grilled Corn Salad with Crumbled Bacon is a great way to enjoy grilled corn without it getting stuck in your teeth!
The combination of grilled corn, bacon, bell pepper, and fresh herbs is irresistible. And, it’s a great side dish for cookouts or picnics.
This salad is best made with sweet corn that’s in season.
When is sweet corn season?
Sweet corn season runs from May through September. In northern states, the season is shorter, starting in July and running through September.
Ingredients
- Sweet corn is the star of this salad.
- Bacon adds crispiness and complements the corn beautifully.
- Red pepper adds crunch.
- Herbs add freshness to this salad. I used a mixture of fresh basil and fresh parsley.
- Olive oil, honey, vinegar, and sea salt combine to make a simple vinaigrette.
How to grill corn
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the husks and silks from the ears of corn.
Place the corn on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 2–3 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
You just want a light char here—enough for grill marks to show up but not enough to overcook the corn so it’s mushy.
How to make grilled corn salad with bacon
As the corn is cooking and cooling, prepare the rest of the salad:
1) Cook the bacon in a skillet. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool.
2) Dice the red pepper, green onions, and fresh herbs. Crumble the bacon.
3) In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, and sea salt. Shake to combine.
4) Cut the corn kernels off the cob by standing one end of the corn in the bottom of a large mixing bowl, and using a sharp knife to cut the corn kernels away from the cob. I cut the bottom half of the corn kernels away from the cob first, then flip the cob over and do the other side. The mixing bowl keeps all of the corn contained so corn kernels aren’t flying all over the kitchen.
5) In a large bowl, combine the corn, bacon, red pepper, green onions, fresh herbs, and vinaigrette. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make it ahead
You can make Grilled Corn Salad up to 8 hours in advance of serving. Leave out the bacon, and stir it in right before serving.
After making it, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. And set aside the crumbled bacon for stirring in later.
You can serve it either cold from the fridge or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can use just basil, just parsley, or substitute other fresh herbs such as chives or thyme.
You can substitute 3 cups of frozen corn for the corn on the cob. Instead of grilling it, sauté the frozen corn in one tablespoon of butter for 5–6 minutes, or until soft.
Variations
Grilled Corn Salad is endlessly customizable. Here are a few ideas:
- Use different herbs such as chives, thyme, or cilantro.
- Add other fresh veggies such as grape tomatoes or a handful of arugula
- Use a yellow, green, or orange bell pepper instead of red bell pepper
- Add diced avocado
- Add crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
What to serve with grilled corn salad
Grilled Corn Salad with Bacon is perfect for a cookout, so grilled burgers, grilled bratwursts, or grilled sausages are delicious pairings.
I’m partial to these Beer Brats with Cheese Sauce or these Grilled Brats with Tomato Jam.
German Potato Salad would be the perfect side dish (it also contains bacon!).
Grilled chicken would also be a fantastic pairing. These easy Greek Chicken Kabobs are a favorite at our house.
And if you have some extra corn, don’t miss this Cream Cheese Corn Dip for an appetizer!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!
Grilled Corn Salad with Crumbled Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 ears sweet corn
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used a mixture of basil and parsley)
- 4 slices bacon (I used thick cut)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium heat. Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Place the corn on the grill and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, place the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, flipping occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. When the bacon is cool, crumble it with your fingers or chop with a knife.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the ears of corn. I stand the ear of corn on its base in a large bowl, and cut the kernels off from there. The bowl catches all of the corn kernels so you don’t have corn flying everywhere.
- Add the diced red pepper, green onions, fresh herbs, and crumbled bacon to the corn.
- In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, and sea salt. Shake to combine. Pour over the corn mixture and toss gently to incorporate. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Michelle says
Added halved cherry tomatoes and doubled honey. Super flavor! Will make many more times… Yum!
Kate Shungu says
So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle!
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject says
I love grilled corn!! this salad is all good things. love the recipe.