Hot Honey Butter Corn

This Hot Honey Butter Corn recipe will be on repeat all summer long. The natural sweetness of corn paired with extra sweet honey, and a touch of fiery chili makes this dish irresistible —trust us, we inhaled 3 cobs! This recipe is so simple and versatile as it can be made in the air fryer, on the barbecue, and with any seasonings you enjoy. We like to make our own hot honey by mixing honey and chili flakes together but you can use store bought hot honey as well. This recipe offers a mild spice, but feel free to use more or less chili flakes, depending on your spice preference.

What stands out

We love sidedishes like this Hot Honey Butter Corn. There’s virtually no prep, low-maintenance cooking time, and the results are still sensational! The fresh summer corn is bursting with a sweetness that is absolute perfection with a hint (or more!) of spiciness. You can make this recipe using store bought hot honey, or you make your own as we suggest. That way you can totally control the amount of heat and sweetness and you’ll definitely have extras to use for other recipes throughout the week. It’s in a stir-fry, over grilled chicken or pork, or as a drizzle over homemade pizza and more!

How to Prepare

Use a pastry brush to brush each cob of corn with oil.

Mix the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl.

Sprinkle the seasoning onto the corn and then distribute it well with a brush or your hands.

Place the seasoned corn in the air fryer and air fry at 400F (200C) for 17 to 20 minutes, flipping the corn halfway through.

In the meantime, add the honey to a bowl and mix in as many chili flakes as you prefer. If you like it extra spicy you can add some hot sauce as well.

Stir the melted butter into the honey.

Check the corn and remove from the air-fryer once it’s charred and fully cooked.

Then brush it with the hot honey and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

You can cook the corn on a barbecue on a nice day instead of using an air-fryer.

Swaps

1. You can use any seasoning or seasoning blend you like for the Hot Honey Butter Corn.
2. Feel free to purchase or use store bought hot honey or make your own. If you want it spicier, feel free to add hot sauce to the honey as well.
3. We have not tried this Hot Honey Butter Corn recipe by baking or boiling the corn, but if you do please let us know how it turns out in the comments.
4. Seasoning is always to taste so measure with your heart.
5. If the air-fryer basket is small you may need to air-fry the corn in batches.

Serve it with

• Any barbecue main protein dish, such as Grilled Chicken ThighsFlat-Iron Steak or our Salmon Skewers.
• Serve this alongside other barbecue side dish favorites, such as Mixed Bean SaladGrilled PotatoesHealthy Coleslaw Recipe and Roasted Bell Peppers.
• If you have any leftover cooked corn on the cob, you can slice the kernels off the cob and use it to make our outstanding Mexican Corn Salad.

Questions

strong Can we make this recipe vegan?

Yes, replace the butter with a vegan butter alternative.

Which air-fryer do you use?

We have the mark COSORI Pro II Air Fryer Oven Combo.

how long should we air-fry the corn?

Everyone’s air-fryer will be different, so keep checking and cook until the corn is charred.

strong Can we use other seasonings?

Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different spices like cumin, smoked paprika, or even some grated parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 4 ears fresh corn, cleaned with husks and silks removed
• avocado oil, for brushing
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons honey
• chili flakes, to taste
• hot sauce, to taste, (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Pastry Brush
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Mixing Bowls

Method

1. Brush the corn with oil.
2. Mix the salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a bowl. (You can use any seasoning of choice so feel free to experiment.)
3. Sprinkle the seasoning onto the corn and distribute it well with a brush or your hands.
4. Place the seasoned corn in the air fryer and air fry at 400F (200C) for 17 to 20 minutes, flipping the corn halfway through. We like to open the air fryer basket and take the corn out once it's nice and charred.
5. Note: if your air fryer has preheat instructions, please preheat first. We preheated our air fryer for 5 minutes prior to adding the corn. If you don't want to use an air fryer, you can use the barbecue instead.
6. In the meantime, add the honey to a bowl and mix in as much chili flakes as you prefer. If you like it extra spicy you can add some hot sauce as well. Stir the melted butter into the honey.
7. When the corn is out of the air fryer, brush it with hot honey and enjoy!