Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

Name: Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 3-4 ears sweet corn on the cob (Fresh or frozen)

Air Fried Corn is tastier than boiled corn – by a mile! It has a delicious roasted flavor, like when you make it in the oven.

Bi Color corn (white and yellow) - 3 ears cooked on a white plate with a white and red striped napkin to the left on a white background

What People Are Saying

“I can only give it 5 stars, but it's 10 in our book”

Marcia Mayo 23 MORE COMMENTS

Why You’ll Love It

One thing that I love about this recipe for air fryer corn on the cob is that you can use fresh sweet corn or you can cook frozen ears of corn in the air fryer.

You just need to adjust the cooking time a bit depending on what kind of corn you have.

If you are using frozen corn, you may need to add a couple extra minutes of cook time!
Likewise, if your corn, is SUPER fresh like just picked from the field, you will probably need to lessen the cook time!

If you live in a place where fresh sweet corn is available at the farmer’s market or a local farm stand, I hope you take advantage of that in the summer months! Fresh corn on the cob is SO GOOD.

The other thing that’s great about making Corn on the Cob in the Air Fryer is that you can easily cook just 2 or 3 pieces.

picture of two ears of corn with husks on. One ear has husk pulled back so you can see the bi color kernals.

If you love vegetables and want to add more healthy side dishes to your menu plan, then I suggest that you check out our air fryer broccoli, air fryer carrots, and air fryer asparagus recipes.

How to Make It

collage of 4 pictures. First picture shows two ears of corn in husk, second picture shows three ears of corn with husk removed, 3rd picture shows ears of corn in air fryer basket, the fourth picture shows one ear of corn on green corn plate with butter salt and pepper, additionally two ears are on a white plate to the top right.

Remove the husk and silk from the ears of corn. Rinse the corn under cool water to remove any dirt.
Additionally, you can cut the ends off if the stalk remains attached. If you wish to cut your corn in half, you can do so now. This can be helpful if you have a small air fryer.
Place the ears of corn into the air fryer basket. Air Fry at 380°F/190°C and cook for 8-10 minutes. At the four-minute mark, remove the basket, shake the corn, and return to cooking.
When the air fryer stops, remove corn carefully from the basket (it will be HOT!) Slather with salt and pepper and butter if you wish!

Overhead shot of buttered, salted and peppered corn in a corn dish. Then two other ears of corn on a white plate to the top right.

Toppings for Corn on the Cob

The classic treatment for ears of sweet corn is a good amount of butter and lots of salt! Add freshly ground black pepper if you like.

Try making Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn – There are lots of ways to make this delicious corn. Slather the ears with butter and then add lime juice, mayo or sour cream, cheese, and chili powder. Yum! This skinny version of Mexican corn gives you the same flavor but with a bit fewer calories.

Other tasty things to put on air fryer corn on the cob include parmesan cheese and garlic salt, barbecue sauce, or cinnamon sugar!

Serving Tips

Need some dinner ideas that pair well with air-fried corn on the cobb? Try one of these:

Have your sweet corn with typical summertime fare, like Air Fryer Hamburgers (or Beyond Burgers) and Air Fryer Hot Dogs.

Corn on the cobb is also delicious with air fryer BBQ meals like Air Fryer Smoky Chicken, or Pork Belly in the Air Fryer.

Storage and Reheating

To keep the corn moist and tasty, store it in the refrigerator. It should keep for up to 5 days – especially if you seal it in an airtight container.

Reheat it in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes or until it’s warm and crispy again.

three uncooked ears of bi color corn in a black air fryer basket

Air Frying Frozen Corn on the Cob

Typically frozen corn comes in smaller, half ears. These fit well in most air fryers.

Let the frozen ears of corn thaw for at least 30 minutes. This gives them a bit of a head start.

Then cook the ears of corn as directed in the recipe, but add 2-4 minutes of extra time to air fry the frozen corn fully.

Depending on your machine and how frozen your corn is you might need to add more or less time.

I haven’t tried air-frying frozen corn kernels… yet! If you have, leave a comment and let me know.

FAQs

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?

Nope.

Air fryers generally come up to heat very quickly with the air that circulates in a small space. Preheating is helpful for some recipes, but it’s not necessary for this one.

Should I cut the ears of corn in half?

Only if they are too large to fit in the air fryer as is.

How many ears of corn will fit in my air fryer?

I can fit 4 large ears of corn in my Cosori air fryer.

Can I make just one ear of corn in my air fryer?

Of course! The air fryer is the perfect appliance if you’re cooking for one. Sometimes if your air fryer isn’t full, the cooking time needs to be reduced, so be sure to check on your corn early just in case.

Do I need to add any oil?

Corn on the cob doesn’t need any extra oil to roast up perfectly in the air fryer.

You can give it a spray of olive oil or avocado oil to help it crisp up, but it is not needed.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 14 votes