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Thanks to the air fryer, you can have your quintessential summer corn on the cob without heating up the kitchen or firing up the grill! This method is fast, easy, and gives you all the flavors of sweet, buttery, perfectly-roasted ears of corn. Great for barbecues, picnics, or any summertime get-together.

4 ears of air fryer corn on the cob arranged on a white oval platter next to a ramekin of melted butter.

🧈 What Makes This Recipe So Good

If you’ve only ever had boiled corn on the cob before, the air fryer is about to change the game for you completely. It’s quick, it’s easy, it doesn’t heat up the entire kitchen, and you can season the corn before cooking it, giving it more flavor overall. It’s more along the lines of Instant Pot corn on the cob or even grilled corn.
You only need 2 ingredients (4 if you count the salt and the pepper, but we don’t). You’re welcome to use any additional seasonings or spices you like, or you can stick to just corn and butter. Either way, you don’t need anything complicated or expensive.
Air fryer corn on the cob works with both fresh and frozen ears of corn. If you’re using frozen corn, you’ll want to let it thaw completely and make sure to pat it completely dry before brushing on the butter. If you’re using fresh corn, make sure to rinse off any dirt and then dry it well.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

For air fryer corn on the cob using fresh corn, there are a couple of things to look for so you know you’ve picked out quality ears. Whatever you do, don’t unwrap the husks to check the corn – you can find out everything you need to know from the outside! The silks should be light brown and a little sticky. Avoid any with dark brown or black silks or silks that feel really dry. The husks should be bright green and a little wet, not yellowed or dry. If there are any brown spots or little holes in the husk, skip it. Lightly squeeze the ear of corn from one end to the other, to make sure the kernels feel firm and juicy. If there are any soft spots or if you feel any missing kernels, pick a different ear.
Don’t overdo the butter! You want to brush on enough melted butter to coat the ears of corn completely, but not so much that you end up with butter running off the corn cobs. Butter has a low smoke point, and using too much of it can make the air fryer smoke. If you want to be proactive, you can add a little water underneath the air fryer basket. That way, if the butter drips, it doesn’t hit bare metal, making it less likely to produce smoke. Just make sure you don’t use too much water – we don’t want to boil the corn.

A close-up of 4 ears of air fryer corn on the cob topped with pats of butter and fresh parsley to garnish.

♨️ Easy Air Fryer Side Dishes to Make ASAP

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

Prep 15

Cook 15

Total 30

All the flavor of sweet, buttery, roasted corn on the cob, without heating up the kitchen. Perfect for cookouts, 4th of July, and any summertime party.

4 servings

Equipment

air fryer
Large plate
Small microwave-safe bowl
Basting Brush or large spoon
Tongs
serving plates

Ingredients

▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 4 6-inch ears corn see Notes
▢ salt to taste
▢ freshly ground black pepper to taste

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit. Place 4 6-inch ears corn on large plate and set aside.
Add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter to microwave-safe bowl. Place bowl in microwave and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each, until butter is melted.
Carefully remove melted butter from microwave. Brush melted butter on each ear of corn, coating corn on all sides. Reserve half of melted butter for serving.
Season buttered corn on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Once air fryer is preheated, place ears of corn in air fryer basket. Return basket to air fryer and air fry corn 6 minutes.
After 6 minutes, carefully remove basket from air fryer. Flip ears of corn over and return basket to air fryer. Air fry corn 5 to 6 minutes more.
Once corn is tender, carefully remove corn from basket and transfer to serving plate(s). Brush remaining butter on corn and serve warm.

If you have a smaller air fryer, or if you’re using very large ears of corn, trim the corn cobs down as needed so they’ll fit in the air fryer in one even layer.
Corn: If you’re using fresh corn, you’ll want to shuck the corn completely and then rinse it well to remove any dirt. Whether you’re using fresh or thawed corn, make sure to dry it well with paper towels before brushing on the butter.
Make it Dairy Free: Use plant-based butter, olive oil, or avocado oil instead of traditional butter. Ghee would also work if you only need a lactose-free option.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 ear of cornCalories: 178calProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 15mgPotassium: 246mgTotal Carbs: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 15gVitamin A: 518IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.5mg