This Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn On The Cob, also known as Elotes and your newfavorite corn on the cob is further simplified with this easy air fryer recipe. It takes only 10 minutes.
This Mexican Street corn is loaded with diverse flavors as it’s slathered with creamy delicious chili and cotija cheese sauce, then topped with fresh cilantro for an added flavor.
What Are Elotes?
To begin with, Elotes is the best way to eat and serve corn because of the delicious flavors and amazing seasoning that tantalizes the taste buds.
Traditional ingredients used in making this Mexican Street corn include chili powder, sour cream, cilantro, kosher salt, ground pepper, unsalted butter, and cotija cheese or parmesan cheese can be used as a substitute.
It’s a great choice for Cinco de Mayo, and especially if you plan on serving it as part of the appetizer choices to include the Cowboy Caviar, this Mango Habanero Salsa, or with this Pico De Gallo and your favorite chips.
These are often our favorite options to go-to, especially during the summer.
With this Elotes, the ingredients are extremely fresh. Since we are talking about the ingredients, Elotes uses cilantro, and you can opt for dried as well as fresh cilantro.
Depending on what you have on hand, fresh or dry herbs will work, but nothing matches the deliciousness and freshness of fresh cilantro.
The flavor is enhanced even more when you combine everything in the creamiest sauce.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn?
The full recipe with the exact ingredients is listed in the recipe card below. For now, here’s a quick guide on how to make these delicious Elotes in your air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
Prepare your ingredients and set them aside. Place the cheese in a separate bowl and set the chopped herbs aside. Brush the corn with butter then air fryer for 10 to 15 minutes (longer if needed and depending on your air fryer).
While the corn is cooking, in a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, melted butter, chili powder, and sour cream.
Brush the corn with the creamy sauce, then add the cheese, and sprinkle the herbs on top. Finish it off with fresh lemon or lime juice.
Why do they call it Mexican Street Corn?
Well, it’s Mexican, so the flavors are the first thing that’s perfect about this corn recipe.
Also, corn on the cob is very popular in the streets of Mexico and elote means corn cob.
The corn cob is slathered in a creamy sauce and is garnished with the spicy and tangy seasonings that fill your mouth with flavors.
In addition, a pinch of lemon or lime juice on the top adds summertime freshness to this snack. The unique thing about Elotes is that they are equivalent to hot dogs in Mexico (yup, they are sold that much).
Where did Mexican street corn originate?
From Mexico City to finding its way around the country, corn has been a part of the Mexcian Street food for generations.
Elotes is basically corn, so you can enjoy the health benefits of corn in the form of this delicious snack.
It’s a healthy-ish dish as it boasts the balance of all three macronutrients, which promises sufficient calories to help you through the day.
To illustrate, it gives you carbs, healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants to help you meet your nutritional requirements.
Having said that, it’s a perfect choice for people who cannot ditch sour and tangy snacks but still want to follow a cholesterol-friendly diet.
Storing Options
If you want to store Elotes or this air fryer Mexican street corn on the cob, after cooking, ewe highly recommend that you allow it to cool completely. Allow the corn to let cool down before you transfer them in the refrigerator.
Once the corn is cooked, you can prepare the topping and store them in the fridge to be used later.
When you have to serve Elotes later, brush the corn with melted butter, air fry until it’s cooked (slightly charred – optional) and add the toppings.
On the other hand, you can freeze the boiled corn in the freezer for over six months but make sure that you use a freezer-safe container.
Serving Suggestions
This air fryer Mexican street corn on the cob is incredibly delicious on their own as a snack, but you can serve them with steak fajitas, chicken carnitas, or chicken burritos.
For more options, consider trying them with this Mexican Black Beans, this air fryer grilled chicken fajita skewers, this Haitian white rice, these air fryer plantains, or with these Jamaican Jerk Wings.
More Corn Recipes To Try
If you loved this air fryer Mexican street corn on the cob, try one of these corn recipes next:
Frozen Corn In Cob Instant Pot
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Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn On The Cob (Elotes)
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 corn on the cob
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup cotija Cheese or Parmesan Cheese
- lemon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.Chop the cilantro and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Using a pastry brush, coat the corn on all sides. Reserve the remaining butter to prepare the sauce.Place the corn into the air fryer basket and cook for 10-15 minutes. Flip or turn the corn to cook the corn evenly while cooking.
- While the corn is cooking, in a medium bowl combine the salt and pepper, remaining melted butter, chili powder, and sour cream. Mix well. Remove the corn from the air fryer and apply the sour cream sauce. Pour the cotija cheese in a large plate, apply the cotija cheese to the corn by either rolling the corn in the cheese or sprinkling the cheese over the corn. Finish it off by adding the cilantro and squeezing a little lemon juice for extra zest. Finally, ENJOY!
Video
Notes
- You can use feta cheese if it is difficult to find Cotija cheese. I have even used parmesan cheese as well.
- Depending on the air fryer you have, it may take about 15 minutes (or a little longer) for it to cook. Be sure to flip the corn on the other side for even cooking.
Jess
Yessss! Immediately obsessed with this recipe.
Carrie
The best side dish for almost any dish. I love it with shredded chicken tacos. So good!
Kerri
I look for any excuse to use my air fryer, but I never thought of doing elote that way! I love this idea so much!
cam
I loveee mexican street corn and this recipe turned out perfect!! I love how easy it was to make them in the air fryer!
Dana
These came out absolutely perfect. I’d only had Mexican Street Corn Salad before, so it was a total treat to have the actual thing!
Lashica
I’m in love with the Mexican street corn. I would love to try more of your recipes. Looking forward to it thank you so much
Mirlene
Thank you so much, Lashica!