This time of year always feels like a sprint—shopping, hosting, remembering to feed the people who live with you…. Between holiday errands, late-night gift wrapping, and prepping for houseguests, December cooking needs to be simple but still feel special. These Salt and Pepper Wings hit read more
When the weather is hot and sticky, I crave cool, crunchy, and refreshing flavors. Enter Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Sobaegi)—a summertime staple in Korea that’s as vibrant as it is addictive. Think crisp cucumbers bursting with a garlicky, spicy filling of chives, carrots, and gochugaru. read more
When summer corn is at its peak, you really don’t have to do much. But if you want to take it just one step further—without masking its natural sweetness—this quick stovetop Korean Honey Butter Corn is the move. It’s buttery, slightly sticky from the honey, and finished with a hit of coarse salt to make everything pop.
It’s the kind of thing you throw together for an easy late night snack: a quick shave of fresh corn off the cob, a short sauté in butter, a swirl of honey, and done. No boiling pots of water, no extra pans to wash. This is the kind of side dish that’s low-effort, high-reward—exactly what summer cooking should be. Eat it straight out of the pan, serve it with drinks, or treat it like a warm summer salad. However you go at it, it’s ready in 10 minutes and dangerously easy to polish off so let’s get into it.
If you’ve wandered through a Korean convenience store—or just scrolled long enough on Korean food TikTok—you’ve probably seen the honey butter craze in full force. From chips to biscuits to fried chicken, to honey butter seasoning to sprinkle on popcorn and the like, that sweet-salty combo has totally taken over. Korea also loves its corn. You’ll find it served in all kinds of ways as a banchan (side dish) at BBQ spots—often smothered in gooey cheese, like this one. But when corn is in peak-season form? It’s the perfect canvas to soak up all that buttery, honeyed goodness.
Making Korean Honey Butter corn starts with selecting the best corn. Look bright green husks, snugly wrapped around the cob, and tassels (the silky tops) that are golden and slightly sticky—not dried out. If you can, peel back the tip and check for plump, tightly packed kernels. The fresher the corn, the sweeter and juicier it’ll be. (To be honest, if you can’t find any good corn on the cob, I’d choose frozen over sad, dried out and withered cobs.)
Begin by removing the husk and silk from the corn.
Place a small dish upside down in a large bowl, then rest the base of the corn cob on top. This little trick helps keep the corn stable as you cut. Use a sharp knife to slice off the kernels—try not to cut too deeply into the cob.
Heat a small skillet and then add the butter.
Then add the corn kernels and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the honey, and swirl to mix:
Season with some freshly ground black pepper:
Then I transfer my Korean Honey Butter Corn to a serving dish and give it a generous pinch of a flaky sea salt, like Maldon:
Sweet, buttery, salty, and ready in minutes…what are you waiting for?! Go grab some corn and make this tonight, you and anyone lucky enough to share it will be glad you did! Don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we wanna see what’s cooking in your kitchens this summer!
Love Korean snacks? Check out this Kimchi Pancake or these Spicy Sesame Rice Cakes.
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Prepare the corn: Remove the leaves and the silk from the corn. Place a small dish upside down in a large bowl. Rest the end of the corn on the small dish (this keeps the corn steady) and cut the corn off of the cob. Make sure you do not cut so deeply that you are cutting into the fibrous cob. Discard the cobs.
Cook the corn: Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat for a couple minutes. Add the butter and swirl it around the pan. Add the corn and cook it for 2-3 minutes, moving the corn around the pan with a wooden spoon or just flipping it to cook evenly.
Turn off the heat and add the honey, swirling it into the corn to evenly distribute it. Season with ground pepper and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with a sprinkling of coarse salt and serve immediately.
*Use the freshest corn available. If you’re cooking this out of season, I prefer frozen corn over canned.
Keywords: korean, banchan, snacks, corn, summer, veggie sides
Few things say “Spring” like asparagus. And when it comes to quick, delicious side dishes, roasted asparagus is hard to beat. It’s one of those recipes that proves simple ingredients and minimal effort can still deliver amazing results. Whether you’re pulling together a weeknight dinner read more
If you’ve tried my tteokbokki, you already know the joy of biting into chewy, satisfying Korean rice cakes. But let’s be real—sometimes you don’t have the time (or patience) to run to the store for specialty ingredients but you need to eat. You want something read more
Years ago, I stumbled across a recipe that suggested cooking broccoli in oil way past what you’d think was reasonable—until it melted in your mouth. Intrigued (I’m always on the hunt for new veggie sides to add to my arsenal), I gave it a shot. It ended up being…well, underwhelming. Most of the flavor had cooked out of the broccoli, leaving behind what felt like a big bowl of oil. But the concept had possibilities. After all, it’s basically the confit method of cooking—and be it duck, garlic, or tomatoes, I’ve rarely met a confit I didn’t like.
I started experimenting and tweaking and this Melting Broccoli is the result—and I think you’re going to love it, even if you’re not a broccoli fan. With just 5 minutes of hands-on time, you’re rewarded with tender, flavorful broccoli that’s leveled up with flavor bombs like crunchy sesame seeds and a glug of oyster sauce. It’s perfect as a veggie side, divine spooned onto noodles or toast, and equally delicious hot or at room temperature so let’s get into it!
I start making Melting Broccoli by briefly boiling the broccoli before its oil bath. This gives it a head start at softening up a bit, imparts some moisture so it doesn’t dry up in the oven, and allows it start to absorbing the flavors steeping in the oil right away.
I chop the broccoli while waiting for the water to come to boil. Keep the pieces bite sized, using all of the broccoli-show those stems some love. Once peeled, the stems are just as delicious as the florets.
Then I drain the broccoli well and get started on making the sauce it’s going to cook in. I use only a fraction of the oil the original recipe called for, which is plenty to give it that soft texture we’re going for, and then I punch it up with aromatics and oyster sauce so the broccoli becomes deeply flavorful.
When the garlic starts to sizzle I layer more flavor with the chilis, before adding the broccoli and oyster sauce. If you want to make this vegan, seek out a vegan oyster sauce. It sounds counterintuitive but they do exist and they add tons of umami to plant based dishes.
Now we just let time and heat work its magic. Slide the broccoli into the oven and let it cook for an hour, flipping the broccoli over once or twice so that it all gets cooked down in the flavorful sauce.
The broccoli will be incredibly tender when done, but still hold it’s shape, not a mush. I like to sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top to add little pops of crunch.
What I love most about this melting broccoli is how versatile it is. Use it as a veggie side dish, or give it the condiment treatment and pile it on a thick piece of toast. I can’t wait to hear what you will do with it, and of course don’t forget to tag us in your photos @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!
Keywords: broccoli, oyster sauce, veggie sides,
Hi there!
I’m Kazu, a restaurateur in Miami who wants to show you all of the best tricks for creating restaurant quality Asian meals at home.
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