28 Easy Recipes With Canned Corn

Canned corn should last an exceedingly long time yet you may still wonder what you can create with it.

Thankfully, there are several tasty recipes that you can use it with to be the main ingredient or to bulk it up.

From burrito bowls to incorporating it in a salad, to letting it be the main feature of a casserole to baked goods such as muffins, cornbread, and biscuits. 

In this guide, we will showcase 28 easy recipes with canned corn. There will also be a bonus section for a few dips you can create too.

Recipes With Canned Corn

1. Sweetcorn And Potato Gratin

A decadent dinner can be created from canned corn, as this Sweetcorn and Potato Gratin demonstrates. Sauté onion until tender then stir in garlic, flour, and seasoning before gradually adding the milk.

Stir in sliced potatoes, bring to a boil, then cook until the potatoes are tender and crisp.

Add the creamed corn and kernels then pour into a greased baking dish.

Combine breadcrumbs with butter and sprinkle on top then bake until golden brown which should take between 45 and 50 minutes at 350°F (175°C). 

2. Mexican Burrito Bowls

For a simple, healthy dish, throw together canned corn with a few vegetables and beans. Create your seasoning from garlic powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

You can also create your Lime Crema by combining Greek yogurt with freshly squeezed lime juice, minced garlic, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.

Fry the canned corn until charred then remove and cover in some seasoning. 

Fry the red bell peppers and black beans in the same pan and stir in the rest of the seasoning.

Once the bell pepper has softened you can assemble your bowl with some quinoa, sliced jalapeño, avocado, and lime juice. 

3. Corn Salad

Canned corn will add vibrancy to any salad and here it combines with red onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and chopped avocado.

Simply pour over a dressing of whisked honey, chili powder, freshly squeezed lime juice, olive oil, cumin, cilantro, and seasoning then toss gently. 

4. Avocado And Black Bean Pasta Salad

Believe it or not, avocado and pasta are simply meant to be. Whisk olive oil with freshly squeezed lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro then season with cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and seasoning.

Cook the pasta and allow it to cool then toss with black beans, canned corn, and jalapeño. Combine the pasta with the dressing and throw in avocado slices with cilantro leaves to serve right away.

5. Sausage, Corn, And Poblano Chowder

There are several chowders you could create with canned corn, one of which is Sausage, Corn, and Poblano Chowder.

Cook through your sausage meat then remove and drain on kitchen paper while leaving the fat in the pot.

Add chopped sweet onions, celery, poblano peppers, and garlic with more butter once the vegetables have softened.

Sprinkle on flour, stir then add chicken broth, milk, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and seasoning. 

Once simmering, stir in diced potatoes, sausage meat, canned corn, and heavy cream. Add seasoning if necessary but, before serving, stir in cilantro and chives.  

6. Turkey Corn Chowder

A simple recipe to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey is to throw it into Turkey Corn Chowder and use a crockpot.

Throw together unsalted butter, diced onion, carrot, celery, and sweet potato with canned corn and creamed corn.

Add chicken broth, thyme, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Mix together half and half with cornmeal and stir in with the cubed turkey in the final hour or so of cooking.  

7. Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you need some comfort food then try a bowl of this Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Soften onion, jalapeño, and garlic then add cumin, chili powder, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with chilies, chicken broth, black beans, canned corn, cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chicken breasts.

Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it and return it to the pot. Ladle into bowls with crisped tortilla strips and top with lime wedges and avocado slices.

8. Corn Casserole

Create this Corn Casserole as a Thanksgiving side dish and it should become a fixture. Combine melted butter with eggs, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, canned corn, creamed corn, and sour cream.

Pour into a greased casserole dish then bake between 45 and 55 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until golden brown. 

9. Baked Parmesan Creamed Corn

Cheese and creamed corn are a delicious combination, as you can taste in this Baked Parmesan Creamed Corn recipe.

Stir together creamed corn (see also ‘Creamed Corn: Top 5 Substitutes‘) with corn kernels, flour, garlic powder, eggs, sugar, and seasoning then pour into a greased baking dish.

Top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350°F (175°C) for between 35 and 40 minutes. Sprinkle on crushed crackers with a drizzle of melted butter and bake until the crackers have browned.

10. Mexican Quinoa

Try a vegetarian dish with canned corn such as this easy Mexican Quinoa. Soften diced bell pepper with onion then add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and garlic before stirring in quinoa and coating.

Add canned corn, diced tomatoes with chilies, diced tomatoes, black beans, and water. 

Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid. Add cilantro, lime zest, then freshly squeezed lime juice. 

11. Corn Biscuits

These Corn Biscuits can be enjoyed with any meal and you can even freeze them when unbaked.

Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, dry mustard (see also ‘4 Substitutes For Dry Mustard‘), and salt then mix in grated butter until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the creamed corn, grated cheddar cheese, and eggs then mix and knead the dough. Roll it out to a one-inch thickness, cut, and bake on a baking sheet for around 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C).

12. Cornbread Muffins

Creamed corn excels in muffins as it adds some much-needed moistness. Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and white sugar in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together melted unsalted butter with eggs, milk, and creamed corn then incorporate the two mixtures.

Pour the batter into a greased muffin pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes until golden brown and you can brush them with melted butter.

13. Mexican Cornbread

Using a Jiffy mix can really be straightforward and it works especially well for this cornbread recipe.

Combine Mexican blended cheese with finely diced onion, creamed corn, sour cream, eggs, oil, green chilies, and jalapeños.

Stir in the Jiffy Cornbread Mix then pour into a greased baking dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) for around 50 to 55 minutes until lightly brown. 

14. Honey Skillet Cornbread

To create a sweeter cornbread, simply add some honey. Whisk unsalted butter as it melts over a low heat then pour into a bowl and leave to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together egg, honey, and buttermilk into that melted butter.

In another bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then incorporate the wet ingredients with the dry ones and fold in the corn.

Warm up the skillet, pour in the batter, and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F (205°C). When the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, leave it for a few minutes then slice and serve.  

15. Chicken Fried Rice

Canned corn should be an excellent ingredient to use in fried rice and certainly is in this Chicken Fried Rice recipe.

Start by sautéing garlic then add canned corn and peas with chicken and salt. Push that to one side of the wok and scramble eggs in the free space then incorporate the two mixtures.

Add in the cooked rice then throw in combined soy sauce with sesame oil and top with sriracha.  

16. Arroz Con Mais

Ok, so rice and corn may not sound super exciting but it’s a subtle, rewarding combination. Heat together salt, water, and oil in a pot, and once it starts to boil add the rice and stir occasionally.

Once the rice is beginning to dry up, add the drained corn, combine and leave to simmer. Fluff up the rice, cover then add the green onions and serve. 

17. Corn Fritters

Corn Fritters can be whipped up in around half an hour and you may find yourself coming back to them again and again.

You will need some Bisquick Original Baking Mix to whisk with seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

In another bowl, beat the eggs then add corn and finely chopped onion then gently incorporate the two mixtures.

In a skillet, melt some butter with vegetable oil and fry the batter until both sides are golden brown.

18. Corn Stuffing

Another side dish for Thanksgiving can be this Corn Stuffing. Soften onion and celery in butter over a medium-low heat then stir in chicken broth, creamed corn, parsley, poultry seasoning, and seasoning.

Bring to a boil then pour over breadcrumbs, combine, let cool then stir in eggs. Shape the mixture into balls, pour on melted butter then bake covered for around 25 minutes at 350°F (175°C).

19. Zucchini And Corn Quesadillas

Of course, you can use canned corn as a filling in quesadillas. Cook together sliced zucchini, garlic, diced bell pepper, canned corn, and seasoning.

Once tender, set aside and spread pesto onto the tortillas, top with the mix and grated cheddar cheese.

Top with another tortilla and bake at 400°F (205°C) for around ten minutes until the cheese has melted then chop up. 

20. Mexican Stuffed Capsicums

For a great side dish, you should consider Mexican Stuffed Capsicums. Hollow out the capsicums and place them on a baking dish.

Soften up garlic and onion then brown ground beef and add cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin, cilantro, onion powder, and salt. Add tomato paste, uncooked rice, canned corn, and chicken broth. 

Once the rice is just cooked, stir in green onion then spoon half the filling into the hollowed-out capsicums. Top with half the grated Mozzarella cheese then finish with the rest of the filling and pop the lids on.

Add water to the pan, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Remove the foil and lids then top with more cheese and bake until the cheese has melted.

21. Baked Corn Crab Cakes

For a filling side that goes great with soup, create these Baked Corn Crab Cakes. Whisk together mayonnaise, an egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, yellow mustard,  garlic powder, hot sauce, and salt.

Add in your crab meat, green onion, crackers, and canned corn then form into cakes and place on a baking sheet to bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35 minutes. 

22. Mexican Chicken Salad

A soon-to-be favorite for gatherings will be this Mexican Chicken Salad. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and salt for your dressing.

Coat the cooked chicken then add diced potato, carrots, peas, and canned corn. 

23. Trinidad Corn Pie

Here’s a delicious corn casserole that packs in some heat too. Drain the corn and add water to create a cup of liquid to mix with egg and cornmeal then set aside.

Fry bell pepper, green onion, diced onion, salt, and cayenne pepper in butter until tender. Add milk and bring to a boil then add the egg and cornmeal mixture. 

Simmer the batter then add corn and cook until the mixture comes away easily.

Add cheddar cheese, sugar, and parsley then pour into a greased casserole dish and bake for around 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until the cheese is bubbly. 

24. Corn Pudding

For comfort food, look no further than Corn Pudding for a sweet, custardy dish. Lightly beat some eggs then add milk, sugar, and melted butter.

Once incorporated, add cornstarch, corn, and creamed corn then pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for an hour then dive in.

25. Sloppy Joe Stew

You can have all the ease of a Sloppy Joe, without the bun in a simple stew. Fry diced onions and peppers until softened then add ground beef, garlic, and seasoning.

Once the beef has browned, add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, condensed tomato soup, hot sauce, smoked paprika, and drained corn.

Let the stew simmer for an hour uncovered and serve warm once thickened. 

Bonus: Dips

One of the most typical uses for canned corn is in dips and you can really jazz it up.

Add jalapeños and cotija cheese (see also ‘5 Awesome Cotija Cheese Substitutes‘) in a Mexican Corn Dip, add cherry tomatoes and lime juice in a Chipotle Corn Salsa or use the corn to build up a Cowboy Caviar with beans.

1. Mexican Corn Dip

For an appetizer to have with chips, bread, or Fritos, try this Mexican Corn Dip.

Fry the corn with diced jalapeño until cooked through and then stir in cotija cheese, mayonnaise, cilantro, chili powder, freshly squeezed lime juice, and garlic. Serve as it is and lay it on thick.

2. Chipotle Corn Salsa

A salsa should be ready in a few minutes, like this Chipotle Corn Salsa. Add canned corn to diced red onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño, chopped cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Mix well and season with salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lime juice, and cilantro. 

3. Cowboy Caviar

For a fresh, flavorful dip for chips, try this Cowboy Caviar. Build it up by placing black beans, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeño, canned corn, chopped avocado, bell pepper, diced red onion, and cilantro in a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, chili powder, and seasoning then pour the dressing over the bean mixture. Toss it gently and serve with chips. 

Final Thoughts

Canned corn may seem a little basic but it shows up in some great-tasting dishes. Whether as part of a dip or the main feature in cornbread, there are many uses for canned corn.

Even simply mixing it with some rice or throwing it into a burrito bowl can work really well. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Spices Go Well With Canned Corn?

If you want to use canned corn in a recipe then mix it with certain spices for a vibrant flavor. Cajun seasoning works well as do jalapeños though just a few pepper grinds, parsley, or garlic can liven it up too. 

Are You Supposed To Drain Canned Corn Before You Use It In Cooking?

The water in the can is essential to help preserve the corn through its lifespan but you should drain it before using it in a recipe.

You can rinse the corn in fresh water but if you still want to use liquid, try chicken or vegetable broth.