It's corn season, and this delicious air fryer corn kernels recipe makes the most perfect side dish. This quick and easy recipe uses frozen corn, cooks in under 10 minutes, and is packed with big, bold flavors. It's gluten free, can easily be made vegan, and will instantly become a family favorite.
Jump to:
Summertime in New Jersey means 2 things, lots of beach days and an abundance of fresh sweet corn. My family usually likes to grill corn cobs and serve with chicken or burgers for a meal that feels like the epitome of summer, but we also par-cook and freeze some so we can have it fresh all year long.
Since it's frozen, it does lose some of it's fresh appeal, however I managed to breath new life into it and turn it into the most delicious corn recipe you could ever imagine. I took inspiration from Mexican Street Corn and air fried the corn with elote seasoning, onions, and jalapenos for the most incredible, and easy, side dish.
With only 8 minutes of cook time, 5 ingredients, and no need to turn the oven on- this is a great option for anyone looking for an easy and healthy new dish to try. You can serve it as an easy side dish with pork chops, tacos, quesadillas, or use it as a delicious salad topping with grilled chicken. No matter how you use these air fryer roasted corn kernels they're sure to become your family's new favorite way to enjoy corn.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Can be made gluten free, dairy free, and vegan
- Cooks in under 10 minutes
- Only needs 5 ingredients
- Can be made with frozen or canned corn
- Bold, delicious flavor
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER CORN KERNELS
EQUIPMENT:
- Air fryer
- Mixing bowl
- 8 inch round cake pan
INGREDIENTS:
- Frozen corn kernels: I like the yellow sweet corn type, but any your grocery store carries will work
- Onion: Yellow onions are great for cooking and have a sweet taste when roasted
- Jalapeno: Leave the seeds in for a spicier side dish, or scrape them out for a more mild dish
- Elote seasoning: I used my homemade seasoning which is both gluten and dairy free. Trader Joe’s has a delicious pre-made blend, but it's not certified to be free of any allergens.
- Avocado oil: I prefer to use this because of the high smoke point
HOW TO MAKE CORN KERNELS IN THE AIR FRYER
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F
- To a large mixing bowl add your frozen corn kernels, chopped onion, diced jalapeno, elote seasoning, and avocado oil
- Mix all ingredient together, then pour them into an 8 inch round cake pan
- Place the cake pan into your preheated air fryer basket, and air fry corn at 380 F for 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through
- Once cooked, carefully pull the pan out with an oven mitt, garnish the air fryer corn kernels with fresh cilantro and enjoy!
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATIONS
SUBSTITUTIONS:
Frozen corn: You could also use canned corn, just drain the liquid
Onion: Red onion or vidalia will also work
Jalapeno: Red bell pepper is great if you don’t like spicy food, or use a habanero pepper if you like it really spicy
Elote seasoning: These air fryer corn kernels would also be delicious with taco, Cajun seasoning, or your favorite seasonings
Avocado oil: Substitute with olive oil or melted butter
VARIATIONS:
- Stir in parmesan cheese or cotija cheese at the end
- Finish with a squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice
- Add fresh cut grape tomatoes for a burst of freshness
EXPERT TIPS
- Don’t defrost the corn, cooking time listed is for frozen corn
- Finely dice the onion and jalapeno so they cook evenly
- Replace the jalapeno with red bell pepper if you don’t like spice
- DON’T touch your eyes after handling a jalapeno
- Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer brand
- If you don’t have a cake pan, an oven safe glass Pyrex dish will also work
- Season with salt to taste
FAQs
Yes, you can! As long as it’s oven safe it’s generally safe to use in your air fryer. Just check that your pan fits before making the recipe, an 8 inch round pan fits perfectly in my 5.8 quart air fryer.
This recipe isn’t designed for fresh corn because 1. It’s hard to cut off the cob without cooking first and 2. Frozen corn is already par-cooked, so all the cook time in the air fryer is doing, is just defrosting and reheating. If you don’t have frozen, you can use canned though.
You can store any leftover corn in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, just put in a pan in your air fryer basket and cook at 350 for 3-4 minutes.
Did you make my easy air fryer corn kernels recipe? If so, I would greatly appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, you can follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my easy air fryer recipes.
PrintAir Fryer Corn Kernels
This easy air fryer corn kernels recipe will be your new favorite! Packed with flavor, ready in 10 minutes, and there's no need to turn the oven on. It's a delicious side dish that's great with tacos, enchiladas, or even as a salad topping.
- Prep Time: 4 Minutes
- Cook Time: 6 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- ½ of a large jalapeno- finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons elote seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F
- To a large mixing bowl add your frozen corn kernels, avocado oil, finely diced onion, chopped jalapeno, and elote seasoning
- Mix all ingredient together with a wooden spoon, then pour them into an 8 inch round cake pan
- Place the cake pan into your preheated air fryer basket, and cook at 380 F for 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through
- Once cooked, carefully pull the pan out of the air fryer basket with an oven mitt
- Use a heat-safe plastic spoon to take the cooked corn out of the pan and place onto a platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t defrost the corn, cooking time listed is for frozen corn
- Finely dice the onion and jalapeno so they cook evenly
- Replace the jalapeno with red bell pepper if you don’t like spice
- DON’T touch your eyes after handling a jalapeno
- Cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer brand
- If you don’t have a cake pan, an oven safe glass Pyrex dish will also work
- Season with salt to taste
Keywords: frozen corn in air fryer, air fryer frozen corn kernels, air fryer street corn
Leave a Reply