Air Fryer Corn On the Cob has so much more flavor than boiled corn and it cooks in a fraction of the time! With rich and wonderful flavor, similar to roasted corn, it's an easy and delicious side dish perfect for family dinners. Minimal prep and minimal ingredients!
Slather it with butter and sprinkle it with salt for a tried-and-true side dish crowd-pleaser, or see below for five fun and new ways to spruce up Air Fried Corn on the cob! Love cooking with your air fryer? Bookmark our simple Air Fryer Asparagus in your internet browser for your next weeknight dinner.
ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
As mentioned above, you can use frozen corn, but fresh sweet corn will lend a better texture to the dish. If you use frozen corn, allow it to thaw before cooking in the air fryer and shave about two minutes off of the total cook time.
Other than corn, the only other important ingredient when it comes to cooking is oil. As we all know, corn slathered with butter is super delicious, but when it comes to cooking in the air fryer, you really want to go the oil route!
This is because the smoke point of butter is significantly lower than that of most oils. The smoke point is also sometimes referred to as the burning point. Coating your corn in oil instead of butter throughout the duration of the cook gives those corn kernels more time to soften, without you having to worry about the exterior of those kernels blacking and burning!
Avocado, canola, and vegetable oil all have fairly high smoke points (a good thing for air fryer recipes), but you could also get away with using olive oil as well. If you'd prefer to use oil cooking spray, feel free to do that too.
HOW TO PREP AIR FRYER CORN ON THE COB
While you can use frozen corn in the air fryer, fresh really is best. To prepare fresh corn for the air fryer, you'll first need to remove the husks and the silk.
To do this, cut away the tip of the silk-end of the corn cob, peel back, and discard of the husk. Then, place the corn under cool running water and wash away any lingering silk threads. A vegetable brush may also come in handy here.
Once the husk and silk have been removed, place a cob in your air fryer basket to make sure it will fit. If it is too long, cut the corn as needed from either the root or silk end to make it fit. Make sure to do this step before you preheat your air fryer!
HOW TO COOK CORN ON THE COB IN THE AIR FRYER
- Prep the Corn - Remove the husk and silk, and trim the corn ends as needed to fit in the air fryer. Then, preheat your air fryer to 400°F for about 5 to 10 minutes prior to cooking.
- Oil the Corn - Place the corn on a work surface and drizzle it with oil. Rub the oil all over the cobs to make sure it is evenly distributed over every inch of the corn!
- Cook - Place the corn in the air fryer basket, taking care not to overcrowd the basket. You want as much air to come into contact with the exterior of the corn as possible! Cook for about 10 minutes, or up to 14 minutes for more a "roasted corn flavor.
- Season - Once the corn is out of the air fryer basket and cool enough to handle, slather it with butter and season as desired while it is still warm!
WAYS TO DRESS UP AIR FRYER CORN ON THE COB
Corn on the cob is downright delicious with a simple slather of butter and a big sprinkle of salt, but if you'd like to get a little gourmet with your Air Fryer Corn On the Cob, here are some suggestions for dressing it up:
- Mexican | Corn on the cob is an excellent addition to any Tex-Mex or Mexican meal! To add a little Mexican flair to your corn, all you have to do is rub it with butter, sprinkle it with a couple of teaspoons of chili powder, a sprinkle of cotija cheese, and a pinch of fresh, chopped cilantro. Then, squeeze over a little lime juice and enjoy!
- Garlic-Parmesan | When could the addition of garlic and parmesan cheese be a bad thing? Once your Air Fryer Corn On the Cob finishes cooking, rub the exterior with a garlic clove all over, spread with butter, and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese. Add a little salt and a pinch of parsley, and you're all set!
- Seafood-Ready | Serving alongside seafood? Dress up your corn with a big slather of butter, a sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning, and a pinch of salt.
- BBQ | There's a reason corn on the cob goes so well with BBQ -- the flavors are a match made in heaven! Rub with butter and then sprinkle your corn with your favorite sweet and spicy BBQ rub for an extra yummy touch. You could even add a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce right across the top!
- Pesto | The fresh, summertime flavors of pesto will instantly perk up any ear of Air Fried Corn! Spread on a tablespoon or so of fresh pesto for a nice herbaceous touch.
6 MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Air Fryer Eggplant
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Pickles
Air Fryer Zucchini
Air Fryer Eggplant
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Air Fryer Pickles
Air Fryer Corn On the Cob is a quick-fix side dish that comes together with only 5 minutes of prep and minimal ingredients! Slather it with butter and sprinkle it with salt for a tried-and-true crowd-pleaser.
- 4-6 ears of corn, husk and silk removed
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- Butter and salt for serving
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Use a sharp chef's knife to trim the ends of the corn as needed to make the corn fit in your air fryer basket. Then, preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
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Place the corn on a work surface, drizzle with oil, and cook 3-4 cobs to the air fryer at a time. Do not overstuff the basket and cook in batches as needed.
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Cook for 10-14 minutes (14 minutes for more a roasted corn flavor), until it is cooked to your liking, and remove from the air fryer. Slather with butter once cool enough to handle, sprinkle generously with salt, and enjoy!
Philip Anthony says
Reminds me of the state fair corn on the cob