Shawarma Corn on the Cob is a Middle Eastern twist on a traditional street corn recipe: slathered in garlic mayo, dusted with smokey shawarma seasoning and drizzled with spicy herby schug sauce. A crave-worthy summer recipe that's fresh, vibrant, and easy to throw together for backyard bbq or family dinner.
If you love bold flavors then this shawarma-elote fusion recipe is about to be a new favorite for you! Better yet, it's done in under 30 minutes!
Falafel Pita is a great dish to serve with this summer corn recipe.
A Quick Glance At The Recipe
- ✅Done in: 30 minutes
- 🛒Ingredients: 20, but mainly your spice cabinet
- 🍽️Serves: 4 ears of corn, but easily adjusted!
- 💪Difficulty: Easy - Perfect for all your summer days.
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Grill or boil.
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Make the seasoning, schug and mayo ahead but don't grill corn until ready to serve.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flexible serving options: this recipe can easily be served off the cob in individual corn cups, making it perfect for parties!
- It's make ahead friendly. Make the mayo, seasoning mix and schug sauce up to 5 days in advance!
- Easily adjust the heat level by adding more or less jalapeno or even swapping for a spicier pepper such as serrano peppers.
- Mom & food truck approved! It's perfect for messy eaters as well as portable meals.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Corn: Grab the freshest ears you can find. I live in the Midwest where cornfields and farmers selling corn on the side of the road are plentiful! Another way to use up all that fresh summer corn is in Crack Corn Salad!
- Mayo: A full-fat mayo is best here. My favorites are Hellman's Mayo and Dukes Mayonnaise.
- Lemon: Always use fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs are imperative when making schug sauce. Dried parsley and dried cilantro do not compare.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Adjust the heat by using different peppers (poblano for less heat or Thai red chile for more heat) or adjust by cutting membranes out of the jalapeños for less heat. Poblano blends well with corn, as it does in Chipotle Copy Cat Roasted Chili Corn Salsa.
- Frozen or canned corn can be used here to make corn cups or a bowl of shawarma corn but it is not quite the same. Fresh corn is the better option.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Shawarma Corn on the Cob
Step 1: Garlic Mayo Base: Mix up garlic & mayo with lemon juice then chill.
Step 2: Shawarma Seasoning Mix: Stir shawarma seasonings in a bowl until well combined.
Step 3: Schug Sauce: Blend schug sauce ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
Step 4: Assemble & Serve: Slather mayo on corn, sprinkle with shawarma seasoning then drizzle sauce on top.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Grill or boil your corn just before serving.
- Serve while warm - allow to rest just a minute after removing from the heat so the mayo doesn't completely melt.
- Don't skip the acid. Lemon juice in the schug sauce helps brighten the dish and cut through the garlic and mayo flavors.
- Cut the corn off the cob and use this for the base of your chicken shawarma bowl rather than rice!
🧁Krista's Food Truck & Mom POV
Running a food truck and raising two girls means meals have to travel, sometimes be quick, still taste amazing and fresh. This Shawarma Corn on the Cob recipe fits all the boxes.
Prepping the schug sauce, shawarma seasoning and garlic mayo ahead of time not only means that the corn comes together quickly, but I can also make double batches then use them on other dishes throughout the week like falafel pitas, chicken shawarma bowls, chicken shawarma or we can throw it on the leftover smoked turkey or brisket from the food truck!
I can also cut the corn off the cob and make street corn cups for the girls school lunches, after school events or festivals.
Recipe FAQs
Schug, also known as zhoug, is a popular Middle Eastern condiment with a kick! This spicy sauce is made with hot peppers such as jalapeno or serrano peppers, garlic, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, spices and oil. This trending Middle Eastern sauce is vibrant and versatile being used on meats, sandwiches, chicken shawarma, falafel, and vegetables. You can always keep a bowl of fresh Schug Sauce in the fridge to spice up any meal.
You can mix up the spice mix and store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months. The mayo and schug can be made up to 5 days in advance then stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This way all you have to do is grill or boil the corn just before serving to make this a quick side dish! If you end up with too much corn, cut it off the cob and serve it when you make Chimichurri Salmon!
Grilling Shawarma Corn on The Cob is just like grilling any corn on the cob, you've got multiple options. You can grill the corn in the husks for about 20 minutes on medium heat with the option to soak the corn in water for 30 minutes ahead of time. This is not necessary but will help the husks not to burn while grilling. This essentially steams the corn. When I want a slightly charred corn on the cob, I remove the husks and silk then grill the corn over medium heat over direct flame for 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally.
More Corn Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Shawarma Corn On The Cob
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn shucked
- ½ cup mayo I use Hellman's
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lemon juiced
Shawarma Seasoning
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Schug Sauce
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds toasted
- 1½ cups cilantro chopped
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- 4 fresh jalapenos rough chop
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Remove and allow to drain
- While corn is cooking, whisk mayo, garlic and lemon juice in a small dish
Shawarma Seasoning
- Whisk all shawarma seasoning ingredients together in a small dish
Schug Sauce
- Add all schug sauce ingredients to a food processor then blend until well combined and slightly chunky
- Coat hot corn with garlic mayo, sprinkle with shawarma seasoning around the whole cobb and drizzle the top with schug sauce. Serve immediately
Leanne
Wow. Delicious combo I never thought of. All of your recipes are dynamite!
Krista
My new favorite street corn recipe! I LOVE shawarma and the bold flavors but never thought to put it on corn until now. Best corn cups ever!