On the stovetop, brown the ground beef with the onion, salt and pepper, until fully cooked. Remove the grease from the ground beef. (Or, see air fryer instructions for cooking ground beef).
Combine the corn, salsa, and beans with the fully cooked ground beef.
Make the cornbread mixture according to its package directions.
Using an oven safe dish that will fit in your air fryer basket, (I used a 9x7 dish in my 5.8 Cosori air fryer), layer the ground beef mixture, then the cheese, then the cornbread batter. Be sure to evenly spread the the cornbread to the sides of the pan.
Place the pan in the air fryer. Cook for 15-17 minutes at 330 °F. If the cornbread starts to burn, cover it with foil so that it can finish cooking.
Notes
Can I freeze cowboy casserole?
Double the recipe and freeze half of the meat mixture in a freezer safe bag to enjoy later. When ready to use from the freezer, let the mixture thaw. Add it to the casserole dish, add the cheese, then cornbread mixture. Cook at the recommend temperature and time. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes if your meat mixture is still cold.