25 Frozen Corn Recipes For An Easy Dinner Tonight No fresh corn? No problem. By Zoe Denenberg Zoe Denenberg Zoe is a professional baker and writer. Zoe has written 300+ stories for Southern Living print and digital, focusing on food, travel, and culture. She draws on her own culinary knowledge to translate complicated techniques into easily digestible terms for home cooks. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 10, 2025 Close Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Corn is one vegetable that actually freezes very well. While we'd always opt for fresh corn in salsa or for a raw garnish, frozen corn certainly has a place on your dinner table. Frozen corn can be an excellent option for cooked dishes like stews or hot dips. Since the kernels are frozen, they retain their shape and integrity, whereas fresh or canned corn could quickly boil down to a mushy mess. Plus, studies show frozen fruits and vegetables can be healthier than fresh ones. Yes, you read that right. So if you've got a bag of corn lurking in the depths of your freezer, break it out for these family-friendly recipes. Channel the feeling of summer cookouts by adding corn in these delicious dishes year-round, from Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew to creative casseroles like Cornbread Cowboy Casserole. 01 of 25 Cornbread Cowboy Casserole Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Cornbread meets classic Cowboy Casserole—this Cowboy Casserole Cornbread is easily a on-dish meal. If you're familiar with tamale casserole, this recipe is similar: a simple beef and onion mixture forms a cozy, comforting base. Layered with cheese, it's topped off and baked with a tender crown of cornbread. get the recipe Save 02 of 25 Chicken Tortilla Soup Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Did you know that Chicken Tortilla Soup is most searched soup in the South? It's a classic Mexican-inspired, hearty soup filled with favorite flavors of tomato, corn, black beans, and of course juicy, tender chicken. Top it with crispy tortilla chips, avocado, and cilantro. get the recipe Save 03 of 25 Corn Salad Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox While the recipe calls for fresh corn, our test kitchen says that frozen corn will work just fine for this Corn Salad Recipe—just make sure to thaw it well before adding other ingredients. get the recipe Save 04 of 25 Harry Young's Burgoo Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Burgoo is a classic Southern stew made in extra-large batches, so this recipe is ideal for church potlucks or community gatherings. It incorporates a few different frozen foods—corn, lima beans, and peas—alongside fresh produce and meat to create a multi-dimensional stew. Get The Recipe Save 05 of 25 Scalloped Corn Casserole Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This buttery, cracker-topped casserole contains absolutely no scallops. You will find a rich blend of softened cream cheese, Monterey Jack, eggs, half-and-half, and seasonings. Mix in corn until combined, pour it into a greased baking dish, and bake. Top with a crunchy topping mixture of butter, cheese, crackers, panko, and thyme, and enjoy. Get The Recipe Save 06 of 25 Cowboy Casserole Credit: Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Stuffed with taco-flavored beef and topped with a layer of golden-brown tater tots, this Cowboy Casserole will be a new dinnertime staple. A combination of black beans, pinto beans, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, and diced green chiles adds heartiness to this casserole. Hot sauce adds some spice. Get The Recipe Save 07 of 25 Maque Choux Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Easily swap frozen for fresh corn kernels in this spicy medley of corn, peppers, and onion tossed with tasso ham. Maque Choux is most attributed to Louisiana and Cajun influence, but likely originated much earlier with Native Americans in the Louisiana Gulf region. The name, pronounced "mock shoe," could be from the Cajun French term maigrchou or "thin child," referring to the addition of cream to thin out the dish. get the recipe Save 08 of 25 Creamed Corn Credit: Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless What's better than an easy creamed corn recipe that takes just 15 minutes to prepare? How about one that can use fresh or frozen corn kernels? If you are using frozen, we recommend adding a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the dish. Get The Recipe Save 09 of 25 Honey-Butter Skillet Corn Credit: Alison Miksch Yes, frozen corn can be every bit as sweet as fresh corn! The secret to this corn side dish is cream cheese that amps up the flavor by adding just a bit of tang and extra creaminess. Lightly sweetened with honey and using salted butter, this recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Top it with fresh chives. get the recipe Save 10 of 25 Crab-And-Corn Chowder Credit: Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Loaded with delicious seasonal flavors and plenty of sweet lump crabmeat, you can swap frozen corn in place of fresh in this cozy Crab-And-Corn Chowder recipe. Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, and touch of jalapeño chile pepper give this creamy classic a nice bit of heat. get the recipe Save 11 of 25 Corn And Jalapeño Dip Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez This slightly spicy corn and jalapeño dip will be the star of any tailgate or backyard cookout. This recipe is ideal when you are short on time. Stir the first seven ingredients in a slow cooker to heat until it's creamy and bubbling. When ready, crumble bacon slices and garnish with extra scallions if desired. Get The Recipe Save 12 of 25 Best-Ever Succotash Credit: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Our favorite Southern succotash is heightened by the addition of bacon and basil. And yes—frozen corn is perfectly acceptable in this summery dish in other seasons. Fresh tomatoes, okra, and basil are sold in Southern grocery stores throughout the year, and they are what really make this dish sing. Get The Recipe Save 13 of 25 Corn Pudding Casserole Credit: Courtney West Do you like your corn pudding sweet or savory? This creamy, cheesy casserole will be your new go-to if you're team savory. Fresh chives and thyme add a bit more brightness. This dish is all about using the freshest-tasting corn, and at the holidays, we find that frozen beats the flavor of out-of-season ears. Get The Recipe Save 14 of 25 Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew Credit: Southern Living Brunswick stew might have disputed origins, but this stick-to-your-bones recipe is delicious. We blended two traditions by using chicken, barbecued pork, and vegetables (including frozen corn) to cook up an amazing main dish for the colder months. Feel free to modify the ingredient list based on your family's tastes. Get The Recipe Save 15 of 25 Easy Taco Soup Credit: Jennifer Davick Warm up this winter with an easy taco soup with just 20 minutes of hands-on time. Your family will love this creative twist on taco night. Offer corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese as toppings, or follow our instructions for serving pepper Jack quesadillas on the side. Get The Recipe Save 16 of 25 Martina McBride's Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley You'll be making this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup all fall long. Use fresh or frozen corn and lots of toppings for each creamy bowl, laden with whole milk, heavy cream, and sour cream. Make it spicier by adding more jalapeño or smokier with chipotle chili powder. Get The Recipe Save 17 of 25 Cheesy Ham, Corn, And Grits Bake Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez Two types of Cheddar cheese make this casserole a creamy and cozy blend of flavors. Corn and cubed ham combine with stone-ground grits for an easy twist on a soufflé. This dish is excellent for breakfast or dinner any time of year. Get The Recipe Save 18 of 25 Creamy Fried Confetti Corn This Creamy Fried Confetti Corn recipe is one of our most popular corn side dishes, and it does not disappoint. A generous sprinkle of bacon adds some extra smoky flavors to the creamy richness of the dish, and it pairs with just about everything. Fresh corn isn't always in season, and that's why this recipe—which works well with frozen corn swapped for fresh—fits the bill. get the recipe Save 19 of 25 Macaroni Corn Casserole Credit: Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners This recipe is the combination we never knew we needed. Combine mac-and-cheese with corn casserole for a decadent, cheese-laden dish full of flavor. Dry mustard, garlic, scallions, and cayenne pepper add some spice. Let this macaroni corn casserole sit for 15 minutes before serving. Get The Recipe Save 20 of 25 Savory Corn Pudding Credit: Emily Laurae / Southern Living Corn, onions, cream, and butter combine to create a fluffy and savory pudding. Make this savory corn pudding up to two days in advance, cover, and chill. Sprinkle with thyme before serving. Get The Recipe Save 21 of 25 Hearty Beef And Freezer Veggie Soup Credit: Greg DuPree Use the frozen veggies in your freezer to stir up a batch of satisfying soup. Season and brown cubed stew meat, and then add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and frozen corn, beans, and okra. In just 40 minutes, you can have bowls of steaming soup on the table. Get The Recipe Save 22 of 25 Easy Brunswick Stew Don't have all day to mind the stove? Let the slow cooker take care of dinner tonight with our easiest Brunswick stew recipe. Dump a pork shoulder, frozen corn, and other ingredients into the slow cooker and set it on LOW. Come back at the end of the day to shred the extremely tender meat. Get The Recipe Save 23 of 25 Any-Season Succotash Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis The name says it all: Canned tomatoes, frozen okra, and frozen corn can stand in for this vibrant vegetable side any time of year. White wine vinegar, garlic, and habanero pepper liven up the succotash. Use a cast-iron skillet to sear in the flavors. Get The Recipe Save 24 of 25 Corn Fritters Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins Whether you're hosting brunch, a fish fry, or a barbecue dinner, these crispy fried bits of doughy corn will be more than welcome at the table. The corn-studded fritters fall somewhere between hush puppies and funnel cake, two of our very favorite things. At breakfast, you can serve them with warm maple syrup for dipping. Get The Recipe Save 25 of 25 Black Bean And Corn Salsa Credit: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley While we do prefer using fresh corn in the summer, this salsa is delicious with thawed corn kernels too. The corn and bell peppers get a nice sear in a cast-iron skillet before you mix in black beans and other fresh ingredients, including fresh-squeezed lime juice to give the salsa more zing. Get The Recipe Save Explore more: Food and Recipes Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit