Best Damn Air Fryer Street Corn

Street corn is a classic dish for a reason. There’s nothing not to love about sweet summer corn slathered in creamy sauce and topped with cheese and spices. It’s a flavor explosion that you can now easily recreate at home using an air fryer.

Air Fryer Street Corn comes together in under 30 minutes using a handful of simple ingredients. This is one of my go-to appetizers when I want to impress a crowd. It’s easy to make but always has that “wow!” factor. Serve it at your next dinner party or celebration, and I promise it will be a hit!

What is Street Corn?

Street corn (a.k.a. elote) is a popular Mexican dish commonly sold by street vendors. The corn is typically grilled, then coated in a creamy blend of mayonnaise, lime, and sour cream. It’s then loaded up with crumbled cotija cheese, and a dusting of chili powder, and some chopped cilantro. The result is a savory, tangy, and slightly spicy corn on the cob that’s beyond compare.

Ingredients and Equipment

The main ingredient in this recipe is sweet corn. You can buy the corn with the husk on or off, either will work! The corn will be cooked with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

For the sauce, we’ll use a simple combination of mayo, sour cream, and the zest and juice of 1 lime for maximum flavor.

The corn will be topped with cojita cheese, chili powder, and cilantro. Cojita cheese can be hard to find. If they don’t have it at your grocery store, feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles work in its place. You can also sprinkle the corn with some cayenne pepper if you want to give it a kick!

The only equipment you need to make this recipe is your air fryer. Other than that, all you’ll need is:

• A bowl to mix the sauce
• A cutting board and knife to chop the cilantro
• A zester or microplane to zest the lime

Preparation and Cooking

If your corn has the husk on, first you’ll need to shuck it. If not, you’re good to go on to the next step!

Place the cobs of corn in the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. You might need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. Cook the corn for 12 minutes. At the end of the 12 minutes, it should be tender. There may be some slight browning at the ends, but it will not be super brown or charred.

While the corn is in the air fryer, you’re going to make the sauce. Simply add the mayo, sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice to a bowl and mix until smooth. The mayo may look clumpy at first. If you see any lumps, just keep mixing and it will come together!

Toppings Galore!

Once the corn is cooked, it’s time for the fun part – the toppings! Use a basting brush or a spoon to generously coat each ear of corn with the mayo-sour cream mixture. You want to do this while the corn is still hot so that the sour cream gets a little melty and doesn’t go on thick and gloppy. Make sure to cover all sides.

Next, sprinkle the crumbled cheese over the corn, pressing lightly so it sticks to the creamy coating, then dust with chili powder. You can also sprinkle on some cayenne pepper for a spicy kick! For an extra burst of color and flavor, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top.

Storage and Reheating

Street corn is best eaten fresh, so if you don’t think you will finish it, I recommend halving the recipe. But if you do end up with leftovers, here’s what you can do with them:

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat them, place them on a microwave-safe plate with a damp paper towel on top to trap in the moisture. Microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.

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