Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn (Air Fryer Elotes Recipe)

Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn main photo, served on a plate

Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn (Air Fryer Elotes Recipe)

These Air Fryer Elotes (also known as Mexican street corn) are an easy and delicious Mexican side dish. Juicy charred corn on the cob coated in a homemade creamy mayo spread, topped with cotija cheese, chili powder, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 230kcal

Author Rebecca Taig

Ingredients

4 ears of corn, husks fully removed
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼ cup (60g) sour cream
2 tablespoons (30g) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges of lime for serving
½ teaspoon chili powder, plus more to sprinkle on top at the end
½ cup finely grated cotija cheese
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Prepare the corn. Preheat your air fryer to 390°F. While you wait for your air fryer to preheat, brush each ear of corn with olive oil.
Air fry the corn. Once your fryer is ready, place the corn in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 6-7 minutes. (If your air fryer basket is too small to fit all of the corn, you can air fry in batches).
Rotate the corn. Halfway through flip the corn to ensure even cooking. Air fry for another 6-8 minutes (12-15 min of air frying time). Carefully remove the corn from the air fryer basket. Set the corn aside to cool before applying the sauce.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chili powder until smooth.
Coat the corn in the mayo sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush a thick layer of sauce all over each piece of corn.
Add the cheese and garnishes. Sprinkle the crumbled salty cotija cheese all over each piece of corn, then top with a few sprinkles of chili powder and freshly chopped cilantro. Squeeze a small amount of lime juice over the top and serve immediately, while still warm.

Notes

Expert Tips

Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket: For optimal charring, arrange the corn ears in a single layer in your air fryer. If your tray can't fit all four ears at once, cook them in batches

Cut the ears of corn in half: For party-sized elotes, cut the corn cobs in half before cooking.

Use fresh shucked corn. For the best flavor, use fresh corn within 1-2 days of purchase. To save time, buy pre-shucked corn.

Sprinkle on the cheese, don’t roll. Cotija cheese tends to clump when mixed into the mayonnaise and sour cream sauce. To avoid this, sprinkle the cheese over the corn instead of rolling the corn in it.

Nutrition