Air Fryer
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
Charred, glossy kernels in 8 minutes. Why the butter goes on after cooking rather than before, and the drying step that decides whether you get any char at all.
Ingredients
- 3 corn cobs, husks on
- Spray oil
- Flaky sea salt
- 40g butter, to serve
Method
- Pull the husks and the silk threads off the cobs completely, rinse under cold water and pat dry.
- Spray the bare cobs all over with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Lay them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between them.
- Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 4 minutes.
- Turn them with tongs and cook for another 4-6 minutes, until the kernels are glossy with charred patches.
- Divide the butter between the hot cobs and let it melt in before serving.
Notes
- Butter goes on AFTER cooking, never before. Butter burns in the fan and you end up with a bitter, patchy cob instead of a buttered one.
- Dry the cobs properly after rinsing. Wet corn steams and you get no char at all.
- Turning halfway is for even colour rather than doneness — corn is cooked through well before it browns.
- Eight minutes gives you tender kernels with light char. Give it two or three more if you want it properly blackened in patches.
- Frozen cobs work straight from the freezer at the same temperature, they just need about 10 minutes.
- Air fryer models vary. Treat the times as a guide, go by colour and crispness, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Watch it
More Air Fryer Vegetables
Air fryer models vary in power and basket size, so treat the times here as a guide — go by colour and crispness rather than the clock, and adjust the seasoning and glaze to your taste.
Recipe source: Method corroborated across published UK air-fryer recipes: Curly's Cooking (curlyscooking.co.uk), Arla UK (arlafoods.co.uk) and Healthy Living James (healthylivingjames.co.uk). Husks removed, sprayed with oil, salted and air fried at 200°C (390°F) for 8-10 minutes. Curly's Cooking specify 3 cobs and 40g of butter divided between them AFTER cooking, which every source agrees on — butter added before cooking burns in the fan. Turning halfway is for even colour rather than doneness.