Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn

Elote Air Fryer recipe served over flower tray

Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn

This Mexican Street Corn Recipe (Air Fryer Method) is a quick and easy twist on traditional Mexican street corn. Made with fresh corn, a creamy sauce, cheese, and lime, this Mexican corn recipe delivers bold flavor in minutes. A perfect air fryer street corn version that’s simple and you’ll want to make again and again!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Sides

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: air fryer elotes, air fryer elotes recipe, delicious elotes, easy corn, elote mexicano, mexican elote

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Juyali (ju-ja-lee)

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

Ingredients for air frying the corn

4 Corn ears
2 tablespoons Salted Butter

For the Mexican Crema Mixture

¼ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Plain Greek Yogurt see notes
½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper divided, see notes
½ teaspoon Ground Chipotle Pepper divided, see notes
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder see notes
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Lime Juice.

For the topping

½ cup Mexican Cotija Cheese see notes
¼ cup chopped Fresh Cilantro
Remaining half of the Chipotle and Cayenne Pepper.

Instructions

Air Fry the Corn:

Remove the corn husks and silks from each ear of corn, then pat dry. Preheat
the air fryer to medium-high heat (about 400°f) for 4-5 minutes. Melt the butter and allow the crema ingredients to come to room temperature.
Using a pastry brush, coat the corn ears with the melted butter.
Place the corn in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Set the cooking time to 12–14 minutes and temperature to 385°F, turning halfway. Brush with any remaining butter after flipping. Cook until tender with lightly charred kernels.

Make the Mexican Sauce:

While the corn cooks, make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, reserving half of the cayenne and chipotle for topping.
Mix until smooth and fully combined.
Once cooked, let the hot corn rest for 2-3 minutes so it’s easier to handle.
Using the pastry brush, spread the sauce generously over all sides of the cooked corn.

Add the toppings:

Sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients — cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and the remaining cayenne and chipotle.
Finish each piece of corn with a squeeze of lime juice and serve with extra lime wedges.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed — add more spice or lime for extra punch.

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Notes

Using yogurt in the sauce: Mayo and Mexican crema are the traditional choices. For this recipe, we used plain greek yogurt instead of Mexican crema because it's easier to find and it does a great job of adding creaminess and extra protein. Sour cream is also a good substitute.
Spices: In a pinch, chili powder can replace the cayenne and chipotle. We usually use garlic powder, though smashed fresh garlic works too.
Cheese: The traditional choice is Mexican Cotija, which you can now find in many grocery stores, including Aldi and Walmart. While crumbled queso fresco works, the bold, salty flavor of Cotija gives the best results. Finely crumbled feta or grated Parmesan are easy substitutes, but if you can find Cotija, it’s definitely worth it.

Nutrition