This Pakistani street-style corn can be enjoyed as a snack on its own or served as a side. Some of my favorite recipes to eat this with are Roasted Leg of Goat (Raan), Pakistani Chicken Steam Roast, and Grilled Tandoori Lamb Chops.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Easy to source ingredients - There are only 6 simple ingredients in this Pakistani street-style recipe, and you’re likely to have them all in your pantry. No running to the store with a long list in hand. Short cooking time - With a cook time of 20 minutes or less this is a quick and easy snack or side to prepare. Easy cooking method - Imagine being able to enjoy grilled corn, rain or shine, without the hassle of lighting up the grill.
The ingredients
Corn - Fresh seasonal corn works best for this recipe. Oil - Any high smoke point oil, such as avocado, canola, or sunflower will work well. Lemon - A fresh lemon, cut in half is usually enough for this recipe. Spices - The spices used are a mix of salt, red chili powder, and Kashmiri chili powder.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Substitutes & variations
Use frozen corn - I recently discovered that frozen corn works just as well as fresh one for this Pakistani recipe. This means no extra time spent shucking and cleaning. Plus, you can enjoy this Pakistani street-style air fryer corn long past summer is over. Put the frozen cobs directly in the air fryer and cook using the instructions in the recipe below. Use different spices - If using red chili powder is too spicy for you, try paprika instead. You can also experiment with spices like amchur, used in my bhindi masala (air fryer okra curry), or chaat masala, used in my corn masala chaat recipe. These spices will add all the necessary flavor, without the heat. Make the Mexican street food version - Follow the instructions in the recipe card below. Then add some crema, cotija, lime, and red pepper mix to bring a Mexican flair to your corn.
Step-by-step instructions
Expert Tips
Don’t overcrowd the basket - This will ensure that the heat circulates and the corn gets the desired char. If you are making a large quantity of air fryer corn, just cook it in batches. Make sure the corn is in a single layer - This is an important rule for anything you air fry. If the pieces of corn overlap each other, they won’t cook uniformly. Spray your air fryer basket - This will help when it comes to cleaning the basket later. Every time I forget this step I regret it.
Recipes you may enjoy with the Corn
For more Pakistani recipes like this, check out 20 popular Pakistani recipes. If you decide to try this recipe, Please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
