Bap Nuong, also known as Vietnamese Corn, is a traditional grilled street food sold by vendors from Hanoi to Saigon.
Barbecued Vietnamese Corn on the Cob is one of our favourite side dishes to serve during the summer grilling season.
Our easy homemade recipe features freshly shucked corn on the cob that is grilled on a barbecue then slathered with flavourful Bap Nuong sauce featuring butter, spicy chili, fish sauce, Maggi sauce, smoked paprika and scallions.
Impress guests at your next summer barbecue by making this crowd-pleasing Vietnamese Corn recipe. Serve a platter of mouth-watering cobs alongside your favourite barbecued meats like steak, burgers and grilled chicken.
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What Is Bap Nuong?
Bap Nuong is the local name given to Vietnamese grilled corn, a popular street food that can be found on the chaotic streets of Hanoi to the chilled out beaches of Nha Trang.
Street food vendors can be found throughout Vietnam grilling corn on the cob until it is lightly charred over a smoky barbecue. Before serving, the corn kernels are slathered with a flavourful scallion oil.
Travel to Vietnam by Cooking Bap Nuong at Home
I love traveling through Asia.
My first visit to Asia had me living in South Korea for a year as a teacher and it’s where I was first introduced to fermented vegetables like kimchi.
After my contract ended in Seoul I travelled throughout southeast Asia for 6 months, visiting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
I spent over a month traveling by bus through Vietnam. I started in the south, spending a few days in Saigon before exploring the floating markets in the nearby Mekong Delta. I then took a series of night buses north making stops in Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay and Hanoi.
What I found most fascinating is Vietnam’s distinct regional food cultures. Much like the regional cuisines found in France, Germany, Italy or Spain, each town in Vietnam had its own local speciality.
I fell in love with the exciting street food culture in Vietnam. In Saigon I’ll never forget the first time I ate Bap Nuong. I ordered Barbecued Vietnamese Corn from a street food vendor and sat on a plastic chair on the sidewalk overlooking a busy intersection while gnawing through scallion oil basted sweet corn.
Corn on the Cob in Vietnam can be enjoyed on its own as a snack or served alongside other street food favourites like grilled chicken, spring rolls, or noodle soup.
My Family Loves Vietnamese Corn on the Cob
I love cooking delicious dishes inspired by my travels for friends and family.
After returning from a road trip of Vietnam I was excited to cook my new favourite cutlery-free side dish, Vietnamese Corn on the Cob!
I knew my parents would enjoy this recipe because they love fresh summer corn, umami-packed sauces and creamy butter.
We love preparing this dish in July and August during peak summer corn on the cob growing season. You can enjoy the dish all year round, sautéing the ingredients with frozen corn niblets or canned sweet corn as a quick & easy solution instead of using a barbecue.
We use a pastry brush to slather the hot-off-the-grill corn on the cob with the prepared scallion oil and then stack them into a pyramid on a large serving platter. We often serve this Vietnamese corn with grilled chicken, sizzling steaks or juicy burgers.
Vietnamese Corn Recipe Ingredients
We like to make this recipe during the summer when corn on the cob are in season but don’t fret you can prepare the dish all year round by replacing cobs with frozen corn niblets or canned sweet corn. Instead of grilling the corn simply add all of the ingredients into a skillet and sauté until cooked through.
While there are many ways to prepare this simple recipe our favourite ingredients offer the perfect balance of juicy corn, creamy butter, funky fish sauce, savoury Maggi sauce, herbaceous scallions, spicy chilli and smoky paprika.
- Corn on the Cob: we like to use freshly shucked corn on the cob when it’s in season in the summer. During other times of the year you can substitute with frozen corn niblets, canned Peaches & Cream Corn or corn ribs.
- Butter: use unsalted butter as fish sauce and Maggi sauce are already salty.
- Green Chili: adds a kick of heat to the dish.
- Fish Sauce: gives this corn it’s unique Vietnamese flavouring. It’s salty and has a funky seafood smell, which pairs perfectly with scallions.
- Maggi Sauce: is a savoury condiment that is more complex and “meatier” than soy sauce.
- Smoked Paprika: one of our favourite spices in the pantry, paprika is ground dried red peppers. The smoked variety pairs nicely with the char from barbecue grilling.
- Scallions: my mother grows scallions in her garden but you can substitute for Chinese chives or French chives if you prefer.
How To Make Easy Vietnamese Corn
Follow our detailed recipe card below for easy step-by-step instructions.
- You can cook corn on the cob over a barbecue if you like it grilled, or boiled in a large pot on the stove.
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Add the chili and scallion whites and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through.
- Add the fish sauce, Maggi sauce, smoked paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
- Roll corn on the cob, one at a time, in the butter mixture. You can use a pastry brush to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallion greens and serve hot.
Cooking Tips
This traditional Vietnamese Corn recipe is quick and easy to make during summer grilling season. Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started:
- In the summer we suggest buying corn on the cob and grilling it on your barbecue. During the cooler months of the year when your barbecue may be out of service feel free to substitue the cobs with frozen corn or canned corn and prepare in a skillet over the stove.
- Prepare the Bap Nuong sauce in a large nonstick skillet then slather onto the grilled cobs using a pastry brush.
- Use unsalted butter as Maggi and Fish sauce are savoury additions to the recipe and you don’t want the corn to be overly salty.
- We typically add 1 finely chopped green chili into the scallion oil to give the dish some heat. You can substitute with other spicy chili varieites if you prefer. Or add a few dashes of chili powder.
- Maggi sauce gives the dish a strong umami (meaty) flavour. If you don’t have Maggi sauce in your kitchen cupboards you can substitute with a few dashes of soy sauce.
- Paprika gives the grilled corn additional smoky flavour.
- We like to garnish the corn with finely sliced scallions but you can use Chinese chives or French chives if you prefer.
- You can add additional crunch to the dish by sprinkling the corn on the cob with fried shallots or fried garlic chips.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving Vietnamese Corn on the Cob at family backyard barbecues during the hot summer months.
It can be enjoyed on it’s own as a quick & easy lunch, or is the perfect side dish for a finger-licking-good grilled steak, burger or chicken dinner. Some of our favourite meaty mains to serve with corn on the cob include Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger, Brandy Caramelized Onion French Burger, Bratwurst, Filet Mignon and Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken.
If you’re hosting a Vietnamese-inspired potluck or dinner party you may also like to make these popular recipes:
- Ga Roti Vietnamese Roasted Chicken
- Kem Chuoi Frozen Vietnamese Banana Dessert
- Cha Trung Vietnamese Meatloaf
- Chao Ga Vietnamese Rice Porridge
- Bo Luc Lac Shaking Vietnamese Beef Stir Fry
- Sweet & Spicy Thit Ram Vietnamese Caramel Pork
- Crispy Spicy Fried Lemongrass Vietnamese Tofu
- Ca Ri Ga Vietnamese Chicken Curry
- Bun Cha Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
- Vietnamese Grilled Pork “Bun Thit Nuong”
- Goi Xoai Vietnamese Mango Salad
- Goi Ga Vietnamese Salad
You May Also Enjoy These Corn Recipes…
- Quinotto Poblano Corn & Cheese Quinoa Risotto
- Perkedel Jagung Crispy Indonesian Corn Fritters
- Indian Vegetarian Creamy Corn Black Bean Curry
- Cajun Spicy Chorizo Corn Salad
How To Make Vietnamese Corn on the Cob
Vietnamese Corn Bap Nuong
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- Pastry brush
- French knife
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 Corn on the Cob
- 1 Green Chili seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Fish Sauce
- 0.5 tsp Maggi Sauce
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 Scallion thinly sliced, whites and greens divided
Instructions
- You can cook corn on the cob over a barbecue if you like it grilled, or boiled in a large pot on the stove.
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Add the chili and scallion whites and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through.
- Add the fish sauce, Maggi sauce, smoked paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
- Roll corn on the cob, one at a time, in the butter mixture. You can use a pastry brush to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallion greens and serve hot.
Nutrition
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