Fresh corn, sweet red onions, spicy jalapenos, and cilantro, all put together in a hot vinegar brine, make a great topping for grilled meats, burgers, tacos, and salads. Pickled Sweet Corn is a surprising, tangy, crunchy addition to any dish!
Layer it on top of BBQ Grilled Hot Dogs, a Fresh Tomato Salad, or dip Salami Chips into it!
Sweet corn is at the height of the season right now. Not only do I love it slathered with butter as a side dish or in Mexican Corn Dip, but I absolutely LOVE it pickled. And quick pickling is a great way to get the pickled flavor without the hassle of canning anything.
Pickled Corn is delicious with anything cooked on the grill. It’s also great in soups and salads. With this dish, you can let your imagination run wild!
Pickled Corn Ingredients
- The Veggies: To pickle corn, I use fresh corn (of course), jalapenos (deseeded for less spice), and red onion for tang.
- Flavor Additions: I like adding fresh cilantro and lime juice for a Mexican-inspired flare. These add a little brightness and punch of flavor. I also add dried red chili flakes for a little more heat but feel free to leave these out for less spice.
- Pickling Basics: Any good pickle recipe needs vinegar, sugar, and salt. I use apple cider vinegar for this one and white cane sugar.
Variations And Additions
- If you are not a fan of cilantro, feel free to substitute parsley.
- You can also alter the amount of heat by putting in half of the suggested amount of jalapeño pepper.
- White vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
How To Make Quick Pickled Corn
- Add the corn kernels, onion, jalapeños, cilantro, red chili flakes, pepper, and lime juice to a bowl. Mix to combine, then transfer to a quart-size jar.
- In a small pot, bring vinegar, salt, sugar, and water to a boil. Pour this over corn, adding water to cover it, if needed.
- Seal jar. Let cool, then store in the refrigerator until ready to use!
What Is Quick Pickling?
Quick pickled vegetables are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are fresh veggies like my Cucumber and Onion Refrigerator Pickles that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar, too) solution and stored in the refrigerator. They don’t require canning and sealing. This is a great method to use when you want all the flavor of pickles but don’t want to go to the trouble of traditional canning.
Commonly Asked Questions
Since this is quickly pickled, it will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
No, these must be kept in the fridge! Quick pickling only uses vinegar to preserve it. Canning creates an air-tight seal, thus preserving whatever is inside.
What To Serve With Sweet Pickled Corn
Pickled corn is as versatile a condiment as Ketchup! It elevates everything from Sheet Pan Hamburger Steak With Mushrooms And Onions and Herb Butter Roasted Chicken and Potatoes to Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Beef and Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken.
More Quick Pickle Recipes To Try
Related Posts
If you tried this Pickled Corn with Red Onions and Cilantro Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 seeded thinly sliced jalapeño
- ¼ thinly sliced medium red onion
- 2 cups fresh raw corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
- Place ingredients in a quart size jar.
- In a small pot bring vinegar, salt, sugar and ¾ cup water to a boil.
- Pour over corn. (Add water to cover, if needed.)
- Seal jar. Let cool; chill. Will keep up to 1 month.
Notes
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Have you? Can you can it, water bath for shelf life?
Hey there Rebecca!
I have not personally done the full pickling process with a water bath and everything, honestly a jar of this pickled corn doesn’t last longer than a week in my house. If you end up trying this please let me know how it goes, I am very curious. Thank you for your interest in this recipe, and for your rating, I hope you have a great rest of your day!
~Donya
Any suggestions for a substitute for the cilantro so there’s still a green colored ingredient? I’m one of those people that has that gene and can’t stand the taste of cilantro. Tastes like soap 😝 Thank you!
Hey there Dana!
Thanks so much for reaching out, that’s a great question! Parsley would work really well as a substitute in this recipe; it will obviously change the flavor from the original recipe, but I’m guessing that’s what you’re going for. I really hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Thanks for your support!
~Donya
Can you use can of niblets corn?
Thanks
Brenda
Hey Brenda!
That’s a great question! I normally use fresh corn, but you can absolutely substitute canned corn. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
Does this have to kept in the refrigerator?
Hey Michelle!
Thanks so much for your rating, and that is a great question! You should keep this refrigerated once its been used or opened. I hope this helps, let me know how it goes!
~Donya
I want to split into two 16 oz jars. RE: adding water to cover – is this boiling water or just room temp or…? Thanks!
PS My dad was drooling when I showed him this recipe. He is from Muskogee Oklahoma! 🙂
Hello Christy,
Great question! You can use boiling or room temp water at this stage, it is just to cover the corn completely if the pickling liquid was not enough. I really hope both you and your dad enjoy the recipe, and thank you for the great rating!
~Donya
I don’t understand why this is not process in water bath canner for safely
Beverly, this recipe is for “quick pickling” and not canning. The corn relish is kept in the refrigerator so it does not need to be processed and sealed. I hope this clears thing up. Food safety is ALWAYS foremost in my mind and I would never share a recipe that would harm people.
~Donya
Could this be adapted to a water bath so I can have it pickling on the shelf? I have 48 dozen corn to process lol! Would love to know if I could water bath to store on the shelf thanks!
Hey there Jodi!
I must confess that canning is not my area of expertise, that’s usually why I always go for the no-canning recipes. That being said, I assume this recipe would can well, my advice would be to combine this recipe with your favorite recipe for water-bath canned pickled onions. You could use the ingredients and flavors of this dish with the method of the pickled onion recipe. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d be very interested!
~Donya
I made this pickled corn and it is amazing! All my favorites in one jar. My brine is not clear though. It’s milky. I’m assuming from the milk in the corn. But your pics show it clear.
Hey there Sharon!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I’m so happy to hear that you gave it a try! If the liquid in your jar is looking milkier than the image, there’s no need to worry. It’s likely that you just got some extra juicy corn and the juices from the corn are spilling into the brine, it should still taste just as delicious! Thank you so much for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe, please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
Help!Do you cook the corn first! ?
Hey there! Thanks for the question. Nope, you do not cook the corn first. Just cut it off the cob and go for it!. Let me know how you like it.
XO,
~Donya
Please state the name of the dried chilies for this recipe.
Hey Dora,
I use a dried red chili. I usually find them at my local farmers market but you could just use a pinch of dried red pepper flakes. Let me know how it turns out!
XO,
~Donya
Sounds amazing!
Thanks Talya! I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.xo,~Donya
This recipe has my name all over it too! So many flavors- sweet, spicy, sour. Love the combo of ingredients!
Thanks for stopping by Christin! You are right about all the flavors. I hope you make it and let me know what you think.xo,~Donya