Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

Last Updated on July 11, 2025

Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is one of the easiest crowd-pleasing side dishes you can make.

The great thing about making it in the Instant Pot is that it’s easy to infuse the corn with that classic creamy, buttery flavor right inside the pot. You can bet you won’t hear any dinner complaints when a big platter of buttery corn on the cob is served.

Plus, corn on the cob is so much fun to eat—kids especially love any chance they get to eat with their hands, and adults can’t help but smile when they see corn on the table. Whether you’re planning a backyard barbecue with grilled chicken, a weeknight dinner, or a holiday gathering, corn on the cob is always a hit.

Jump to:

• Why Make Corn on the Cob in the Instant Pot?
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
• 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
• Tired of Ads?
• 🔪 How to Make Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• 👩‍🍳 Pro Tips
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 🙏 Pairing
• SAVE THIS RECIPE!
• 📋 Recipe
• Pro Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• More Instant Pot Resources

Why Make Corn on the Cob in the Instant Pot?

Before I answer that question, I want to make sure you have all of the information first—if you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, you might be under the mistaken impression that it cooks things INSTANTLY. When you look at the recipe below, you’ll see the “cook time” is only two minutes.

I don’t want to discourage you, but I do want to prepare you for what will really happen. The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker so it will take several minutes to come to pressure BEFORE the cook time begins.

Then, after the two minute cook time, the pressure will need to release. That will be several more minutes.

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “It’s going to take just as long as if I boiled the cobs on the stove or baked them in the oven.” And you’re right! So why would you want to make them in the Instant Pot?

• Flavor: Because the corn is going to cook under pressure, anything you add to the pot for flavor (like butter) is going to get forced deep within the corn.
• Comfort: Unlike the oven, the Instant Pot won’t heat up your house.
• Convenience: You don’t have to tend a pot of water waiting for it to boil before adding the corn—you just put everything in the pot and walk away until it’s ready.
• Safety: The Instant Pot’s sealed environment reduces the risk of spills and burns associated with boiling water. 

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This side dish recipe is an easy crowd-pleasing recipe that’s perfect for summer.

• Ready in under 30 minutes: This recipe will be done in about 25 minutes. This includes the time needed for prep, pressurizing, cooking and natural release.
• Easy to make: It’s so easy to make corn on the cob. You just have to remove the husks, add a few ingredients to the pot and let it cook.
• Perfect for picky eaters: If you’re having a party and you’re not sure what to make that everyone will like, this is definitely the answer. There’s something nostalgic and summery about biting into sweet, juicy kernels that everyone loves.

If you want to try another delicious recipe made with corn, try this sweet corn and watermelon salad.

🥘 Ingredients

To make this delicious corn you will need a few simple ingredients. You probably have all of the ingredients other than the corn, which is easy to find at your local grocery store and often on sale this time of year.

• Ears of corn: This is also known as corn on the cob, in case you’re more familiar with that term. When choosing this at the store, peel back a small part of the husk at the top and make sure the kernels look full all the way up to the tip.
• Milk: You can use any type of milk you have on hand. It helps the corn have a rich flavor and makes it extra tender and juicy.
• Butter: You can use regular salted butter or if you prefer to control the salt yourself, use unsalted butter and season the corn later. This is what gives the corn that ultra-creamy, rich flavor.

See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Here are a few ways that you can personalize this simple side recipe.

• Add Herbs or Garlic: Add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or parsley to the milk and butter mixture for a fragrant, savory twist. You can also toss in a few smashed garlic cloves while cooking to infuse the corn with a mild garlic flavor.
• Cheesy Corn: After cooking, sprinkle the corn with grated Parmesan, cotija, or crumbled feta for a salty, creamy finish.
• Compound Butters: Serve the cooked corn with flavored butters like honey butter, chipotle butter, or garlic herb butter for extra flavor.

You can also grill corn on the cob and use it to make this grilled corn salad with shrimp.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this simple dinner. Gather these tools and get ready to enjoy this tasty dish. 

• Instant Pot (6-quart or 8-quart): This is where you’ll do all of the cooking for this recipe. A 6-quart Instant Pot works well, but you can also use an 8-quart if you’re making more corn.
• Tongs: These make it easy (and safer!) to remove the hot corn from the Instant Pot.
• Corn holders (optional): The corn will be easier to hold for kids and the adults if you use these.

🔪 How to Make Instant Pot Corn on the Cob

Follow these simple steps to enjoy sweet, flavorful corn on the cob with hardly any effort.

Step 1: Add Water, Milk and Butter

Add the water, milk and butter to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Step 2: Prepare and Add Corn

Remove the husks from your corn and gently scrub the corn to remove the silk. Carefully add the corn cobs to the pot so you don’t splash the liquid out.

Step 3: Cook the Corn

Secure the lid, make sure the valve is on “sealing” and set to manual for two minutes. Then wait for the magic to happen.

Step 4: Natural Release

Allow the Instant Pot to natural release after it is finished cooking. Then, you can safely remove the lid and remove your flavor-infused corn cobs.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

The corn on the cob is ready to be served and enjoyed by your family and friends. You shouldn’t need to add more butter, unless you’re a real butter fanatic then you can certainly spread more on!

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

Here are a few tips to make sure this recipe turns out perfectly every time.

• Cut the cobs in half if needed—if your corn is too long to fit in the pot, you can easily cut it in half before cooking. This also makes it easier for kids to handle.
• Don’t skip the natural release. Letting the Instant Pot naturally release pressure for at least 5 minutes helps the corn finish cooking gently and keeps it extra juicy.
• While the milk and butter infuse the corn with flavor, you can also sprinkle extra salt, pepper, or any favorite spices after cooking to adjust to taste.
• If you’re not serving right away, you can use the Instant Pot’s “Keep Warm” setting for up to an hour. Just make sure there’s still a bit of liquid so it doesn’t dry out.
• The freshest corn will be the sweetest and juiciest. If you can, buy corn the same day you plan to cook it.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Instant Pot Corn on the Cob:

Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.

📋 Recipe

More Instant Pot Resources

Love your Instant Pot? Find more Instant Pot Recipes here. And check out my favorite Instant Pot Hacks.