First, prepare the 4 ears of fresh corn by shucking them and removing as much of the silks as possible. You may need to trim the ends of the corn so they will fit in the air fryer.
In a small bowl, mix together 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise and 4 Tablespoons sour cream. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix together ¼ cup chili powder and 1 teaspoon ground cumin and set aside.
Crumble 1 cup cotija cheese on a plate or in a wide bowl with low sides and set aside.
Preheat a 5-quart basket air fryer to 370°F.
Brush each piece of corn with olive oil (or spray with olive oil) and place them into the air fryer basket.
Air fry for 15 minutes. Make sure to flip the corn halfway through cooking. Corn is ready when pierced with a fork and feels tender.
Cut 1 lime into 4 wedges. Remove corn from the air fryer and place on a plate then squeeze one lime wedge over each piece of corn
Allow to slightly cool and brush each corn on the cob with the mayonnaise mixture. Do your best to evenly coat as possible.
Then lightly roll the corn in the crumbled cotija cheese.
Next, evenly sprinkle the corn with the chili powder/cumin mixture.
Finally, drizzle 1/4 cup Mexican crema evenly over all the pieces of corn and sprinkle with ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro and a dash of Tajin seasoning (optional). And serve!
Notes
Look for cotija cheese and Mexican crema by the other refrigerated cheeses in the cold section of your grocery store. You can usually find the Mexican specialty items all grouped together.
This was tested using a 5 quart basket Air Fryer.
Don't have cotija cheese? Use feta or queso fresco instead.
If your corn ended up too brown, try using oil to prep instead of butter.
You can still use this basic recipe to make corn on the cob in the air fryer without the additional toppings.