Air Fryer Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob
Blistered, sweet corn brushed with garlic and herb butter.
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Before You Start
Boiling corn waters down the flavour. Dry heat concentrates it instead, and the air fryer gives you those toasted, slightly blackened kernels you would normally need a barbecue for. Butter goes on after, not before, because it burns at this temperature.
Instructions
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Rub the cobs with the olive oil and a little salt. Halve them if they don't fit your basket, which is usually the case.
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Preheat the air fryer to 200°C / 400°F for 3 minutes and lay the cobs in with a gap between each.
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Air fry for 7 minutes, then turn each cob a quarter roll and cook another 5 to 7 minutes, until charred in patches all round.
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Mash the butter with the garlic, parsley and the rest of the salt while the corn cooks.
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Brush the hot cobs generously with the garlic butter, letting it melt into the kernels.
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Scatter over the parmesan and serve with lime wedges to squeeze.
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♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 200°C / 400°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- Butter last, always. Brush it on before cooking and the milk solids scorch and taste bitter by the ten minute mark.
- Fresh in-season corn needs about 12 minutes. Older or frozen cobs need the full 14 and benefit from a spray of water halfway.
🔀 Make it your own
- Go full elote: swap the parsley butter for mayo, chilli powder, lime and crumbled feta.
- Cut the cooked kernels off and toss them into salads or fold them through rice.
📦 Storing & reheating
Refrigerate for 3 days. Strip the kernels off before storing, since whole cobs take up half a fridge shelf and reheat unevenly.
❓ Frequently asked
How long does corn on the cob take in an air fryer?
About 12 to 14 minutes at 200°C, turning once or twice. You're looking for browned and blistered patches, not uniform yellow.
Can I cook frozen corn cobs in an air fryer?
Yes, straight from frozen at 200°C for 16 to 18 minutes. Don't oil them until the surface ice has cooked off at around 5 minutes.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
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