Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This honey butter skillet corn is similar to creamed corn, but extra delicious thanks to the addition of honey, which brings out the natural sweetness of the corn. This is an easy side dish the whole family will love!
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet
Servings: 6
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Pin ItHoney + Butter + Corn = Pure Deliciousness
When the words “honey butter” are in the name of a recipe, you KNOW it’s going to be good! And you wouldn’t be wrong when it comes to this honey butter skillet corn!
If you’ve ever had creamed corn (made from scratch, not the canned kind), this honey butter skillet corn will be familiar to you. Homemade creamed corn is made with lots of heavy cream and butter, and is just a little soupy. This recipe is similar, but with cream cheese instead of heavy cream, and enhanced with honey to make it extra delicious.
Dressed-up skillet corn is rich, creamy, and sweet (but not overly sweet!). It’s a fantastic way to jazz up ho-hum frozen corn when fresh corn isn’t in season. I love pairing it with simple proteins like air fryer chicken breasts and Instant Pot pork chops, but it pretty much goes with anything! Honey butter corn has that sweet flavor which makes it a big hit with kids, but it’s a dish everyone will love!
Creamy Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Quick and easy. Frozen corn makes prep a breeze and then you need just a few minutes of cooking time to bring all those delectable flavors together. It doesn’t even take that much longer than heating up a bag or can of corn!
Family-friendly flavor. The combination of honey and butter creates a mild but delicious flavor that both kids and adults will enjoy, making this a reliable dish for any occasion. (Although if you’d like, I think adding a pinch of cayenne or hot sauce would be amazing!)
Perfect for weekdays and holidays. Honey butter skillet corn is the kind of recipe that’s easy enough that you can make it for a weeknight meal, but tasty enough that it makes a great down-home kind of side dish for holidays, cookouts, and other get-togethers. It’s less liquidy than creamed corn so it doesn’t run all over your plate. (Be sure to try spoon bread and my cheesy baked corn casserole, too!)
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen corn: Corn is definitely the star of the show! Choose a good quality frozen corn for the best flavor. The corn doesn’t even need to be thawed to make this recipe.
- Butter: Butter and corn are a classic pairing. The butter adds richness and creaminess to the sauce. I usually use unsalted (sweet) butter so I can control the amount of added salt, but if you only have salted butter, that’s fine.
- Honey: I enhance the natural sweetness of the corn with three tablespoons of honey. Of course, you can certainly add more if you like!
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat regular cream cheese for the richest sauce. Reduced-fat will also work but avoid fat-free cream cheese, which has a lackluster flavor and texture. Cut the cream cheese into smallish squares before you begin cooking so it has a chance to warm up and soften a bit.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper, which has a more robust flavor. If you use salted butter, you may want to decrease the amount of salt that you add.
- Fresh parsley or chives: If you like to garnish, fresh herbs add a pop of color and flavor.
Recipe Tip
If you prefer, you can swap in canned corn for frozen. When it’s in season, definitely give this recipe a try with fresh corn! I like using a corn zipper, which is a handy little tool somewhat similar to vegetable peeler. It easily removes fresh corn from the cob without leaving a lot of it behind.
How to Make Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Melt the butter. Warm up a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the butter.
Add the corn. Once the butter melts, stir in the frozen corn, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the corn is thawed and warmed through; this should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Make it saucy. Drizzle in the honey and stir to coat the corn, then drop in the squares of cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese melts into a silky smooth sauce.
Finish. Remove the skillet from the heat, and check the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed. Let the corn cool for 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken and settle. Garnish with fresh herbs if you’d like, and serve.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Add onion flavor. Consider adding anything in the allium family, whether it’s onions, shallots, chives, garlic, leeks, or scallions. Any of those pair well with the corn in this recipe to add a layer of savory flavor. I like to add a third of a cup of finely minced onion, or a clove or two of garlic to cook in the butter with the corn, or garnish the finished dish with sliced green onions.
- Give it spicy heat. Minced jalapeño, jalapeño slices (for bigger bursts of heat), cayenne, or your favorite hot sauce can be added to this honey butter skillet corn for a kick. Drizzle the finished dish with sriracha or Frank’s RedHot.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. You can add more or less honey, to your taste. I’ve found the amount I add will depend on the corn I’m using. With fresh summer sweet corn, you can get away with adding a little less!
- Experiment with other add-ins. Try stirring in grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of smoked paprika, or cooked, crumbled bacon for extra flavor and texture.
Serving Suggestions
- Southern favorites. Honey butter skillet corn is a dish that pairs well with homey recipes like fried chicken, glazed ham, or crockpot mac and cheese.
- Chicken. Baked chicken tenders would be an excellent pairing with this creamy honey butter skillet corn! It also goes well with baked honey mustard chicken or grilled chicken with honey mustard marinade.
- Pork. These easy air fryer pork chops make for the perfect weeknight dinner with this corn recipe. We love this skillet corn with slow cooker ribs, too.
- Barbecue dishes. Whether it’s Instant Pot pulled pork or crockpot BBQ chicken, this skillet corn is a great fit for any barbecue spread.
Refrigerate: Transfer any leftover honey butter skillet corn to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Transfer to a resealable freezer bag and press out the excess air, or store the leftovers in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Place the corn in a microwave-safe dish and heat on high for 1 to 2 minutes (depending on the amount) until heated through. I recommend stopping and stirring at the halfway point for even cooking. Alternatively, you can reheat the honey butter corn in a skillet set over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
More Side Dish Recipes
Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 24 oz. frozen corn, unthawed (see note)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (more if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (more if needed)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 oz. full-fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces and softened slightly
- fresh parsley or chives, chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and let it melt.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the corn kernels to the skillet and stir to coat them in the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is heated through.24 oz. frozen corn, unthawed, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Drizzle the honey over the corn, and stir. Add the cubed cream cheese, stirring until it melts and creates a creamy sauce that coats the corn.3 tablespoons honey, 3 oz. full-fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces and softened slightly
- Remove the skillet from the heat, taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Let the corn cool for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken and settle.
- Garnish with parsley or chives, if desired, and serve.
Notes
- Corn: If desired, you may substitute fresh or canned corn. You’ll want about 4 ½ cups of fresh corn (5 to 6 ears of corn), or about 3 (15 oz.) cans of corn, drained well.
- Butter: If you use salted butter, decrease the amount of added salt. Check the seasonings before serving, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Possible add-ins: Add any type of onion; cook the onion in the butter before adding the corn. Make the corn spicy by adding minced jalapeño, cayenne, or your favorite hot sauce. Try adding crisp bacon, grated Parmesan, or smoked paprika.
- Storage: Leftover honey butter skillet corn can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To freeze, transfer to a resealable freezer bag, press out the excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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