I have made this Air Fryer Corn on the Cob recipe several times as it is so easy and delicious! With corn being in season here in the South and barbecues happening all over North America, I thought it was due time to post a corn recipe!

But wait, isn't corn bad for you?

Well, not really. Although corn is a grain and not a vegetable or a fruit, people have a misconception when it comes to the nutritional value as well as the fact that not all corn is GMO.

Why does corn have a bad rap?

Here is some information I found on the web:

Corn provides predominantly carbohydrates, which specific diets heavily restrict (e.g., ketogenic, low-carb).
A relatively large percentage of the carbs in corn is starch, and some folks believe it’s best to avoid starchy carbs. Interestingly, a medium ear of sweet corn contains 32% fewer total carbs and 84% less sugar than a medium apple. What’s more, corn contains a special type of starch called resistant starch, which we’ll discuss more below.
Corn, known as the “mother grain” of Americans, is the number one crop grown in the United States. Although the topic of genetically engineered food (i.e., GMOs) is both complex and controversial, it’s also worth pointing out that around 90% of the corn grown in the US is genetically engineered.¹
Having said that, only a very, very small percentage of commercially available sweet corn is genetically modified. GM corn, commonly referred to as “field corn,” is used for animal feed and biofuels. It’s also a source for ingredients like corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn starch, corn oil, maltodextrin, alcohol, and others.
GM status aside, highly refined corn-derived ingredients like HFCS and corn oil have been the subject of intense scrutiny. Worse, they’ve been implicated as major players in the obesity epidemic and myriad health issues. While these topics are complex and it’s not possible to point a finger at a single food or ingredient, the fact is the overwhelming majority of “foods” made with corn-derived ingredients are heavily processed, highly refined, and provide very little in terms of nutritional value

So, are there any benefits to eating corn?

Here are few of corns positive side:

Corn contains vitamins A, C, E, and K along with the B vitamins thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and folic acid, which are good for skin, hair, heart, brain, and proper digestion. Corn also contains noteworthy amounts of potassium and magnesium, which most people don’t get enough of, as well as selenium and phosphorus.
Corn also contains a variety of phytonutrients, such as phytosterols. Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants, which are naturally present in plants, that provide numerous health benefits and protect against various health issues. Phytosterols have many health benefits, including a cholesterol-lowering effect.
Among the carotenoids in corn are lutein and zeaxanthin, which play a crucial role in eye health and vision (protecting our eyes from dangerous high-energy blue light), heart health, and cognitive function.
As mentioned above, some of the starch found in corn is a special form called resistant starch (RS). RS is unique in that it escapes digestion and has various health benefits. For instance, research has shown that RS reduces hunger, increases satiety, reduces food intake, increases fat burning, decreases fat storage, improves insulin sensitivity, lowers cholesterol, and improves the makeup of gut bacteria. Even more, some have even hyped RS as a “weight loss wonder food.”³
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which tests produce annually for pesticide contamination, avocados and corn are the “cleanest” produce. Only 1% of samples show detectable pesticides. Remember, little, if any, sweet corn found in the produce section of the supermarket is GM. Yet, because GM produce is not labelled, if you are at all concerned, consider choosing organic sweet corn.

Why is Air Fryer Corn on the Cob not Paleo approved?

Well, it turns out that the only reason why corn is not paleo is that corn is a grain and not a vegetable or a fruit. Since Paleo eliminates all grains, corn has been eliminated from the Paleo "world".

So, with all this information, I hope that you realize that although corn has been given a bad rap, all in all, corn has a place in a healthy and low carb lifestyle!

How to make Air Fryer Corn on the cob

Step 1:

Shuck your corn and with a sharp knife, cut around the circumference of the corn but do not try to cut all the way through.
Next, simply take the corn in your hands and snap it in half. If you want to leave it whole, feel free to do so.

Step 2:

Next, melt 1 -2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl.
Add some garlic, onion and salt to the butter and mix well.
Brush your corn with the mixture and place it in the air fryer.

Step 3:

Set your air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 10 minutes.

THAT'S IT!

If you like this Air Fryer Corn on the Cob recipe, you may also like the following:

This is by far the best way to make corn on the cob. Super easy, just add corn to your air fryer and within minutes, you have crunchy and delicious corn on the cob.

Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

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This is by far the best way to make corn on the cob. Super easy, just add corn to your air fryer and within minutes, you have crunchy and delicious corn on the cob.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 pieces 1x

Ingredients

Scale

4 medium ears of corn, shucked
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt

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Instructions

Coat your air fryer basket with avocado oil and set aside. Taking a sharp knife, cut around the circumference of the corn (not going all the way through the corn). Using your hands, break the corn in half and set aside.
In a small dish, melt butter and add garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Stir to combine and brush each piece of corn with butter mixture.
Set corn in air fryer. Set air fryer to 400 degrees F and cook for 10 minutes.

Notes

Feel free to not cut the corn in half. Personally, half an ear of corn is enough for me!

Author: Cat
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Sides
Cuisine: Gluten Free

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece (½ of an ear)
Calories: 53
Sugar: 2 g
Fat: 1.7 g
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Protein: 1 g