How to Make Air-Fryer Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is a perfect summer dish, and it makes a fantastic barbecue side when it’s charred on the grill.

Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t always cooperate and the grill might not be a good option. That doesn’t mean you have to fire up the microwave for corn on the cob or steam up the kitchen while waiting for water to boil! When you can’t grill outside, bring the barbecue indoors and make air-fryer corn on the cob instead.

Can You Cook Corn on the Cob in an Air Fryer?

Yes! The air fryer is one of our favorite secret weapons. Most people use it to create faux “fried” food, like southern-style chicken or crunchy air-fryer Brussels sprouts. What many don’t know is that you can use your air fryer for so much more than fried food. It works like a convection oven, circulating hot air around the food to help it crisp up and cook quickly.

What makes the air fryer different from other ways to cook corn is its speed. It takes about 20 minutes to grill corn, or 30 to 45 minutes to roast it in the oven. The air fryer’s small size and powerful fan shrink that time down to about 10 minutes while still providing a beautifully caramelized exterior.

How to Make Corn on the Cob in an Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn
• Cooking spray
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Butter

Directions

Step 1: Prep the corn

Jenna Urben for Taste of Home

Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.

Meanwhile, remove the husk and silk from each ear of corn. Spray the ears with cooking spray and season them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If you want to get fancy with the seasonings, use seasoned salt instead of regular salt. Or add spices like smoked paprika, granulated garlic, dried thyme or dried oregano.

Step 2: Cook the corn in the air fryer

Jenna Urben for Taste of Home

Place the ears in the air-fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes, flipping each ear halfway through. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may want to cut your corn into smaller pieces before placing them in the basket. The corn is finished when it’s lightly charred and the kernels are soft and tender.

Step 3: Add butter and enjoy!

Jenna Urben for Taste of Home

When the corn is finished, carefully remove the ears from the air fryer (silicone tongs are a handy air-fryer tool). Rub each ear with butter—regular butter works just fine, but flavored butter is a great choice, too.

Editor’s Tip: If you want to get fancy, skip the butter and use your air-fryer corn on the cob to make jalapeño popper Mexican street corn.

Tips for Making Corn on the Cob in an Air Fryer

Can you make air fryer corn on the cob in the husk?

We don’t recommend air-frying corn on the cob in the husk. A major reason to use an air fryer is for fast and efficient cooking. Keeping the corn in its husk will add to the cook time, plus you run the risk of the corn not cooking evenly.

Most air-fryer baskets don’t have a ton of extra room and the husk can take up a decent amount of space. Instead, we suggest removing the husk and silk from each ear of corn. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cut the corn on the cob into halves or quarters.

Can you make frozen corn on the cob in the air fryer?

One of the cool things about an air fryer is that it can cook frozen food without having to defrost it first! You can make frozen corn on the cob in the air fryer, and you don’t even have to change the cooking directions. Simply preheat the air fryer to 400º, spray the frozen corn with a little cooking spray and add the ears directly to the basket. Flip the ears after about 6 minutes and the corn will be done in another 6 minutes or so.

Here are more frozen foods you didn’t know you could air-fry.

How do you store corn on the cob?

There are a couple of tricks for how to store corn on the cob to keep it fresh and delicious. First, keep the husks on the corn to keep them from drying out. You’ll also want to keep the corn cold by storing it in the refrigerator. Corn should be wrapped securely in a plastic bag before going in the fridge. To store cooked corn on the cob, place the ears in an airtight bag in the refrigerator. Alternatively, cut the kernels off and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

How do you reheat corn on the cob in an air fryer?

Reheating corn on the cob is a quick and easy way to enjoy leftovers! Place the corn in the air fryer and cook at 350º for about 5 minutes, or until heated through (here are more air-fryer cooking times). Once warm, remove from the air fryer and add more butter and seasoning, if necessary.

Learn how to make corn on the cob with milk and butter for the ultimate summer side dish.