Speckled with seasonings and darkly charred on the grill, corn ribs really do resemble ribs—and they're packed with buttery, cheesy flavor.
Corn Ribs
Published on Jul. 10, 2024
As much as we love classic burgers and brats, we’re always on the lookout for new, exciting recipes for the grill. The char adds so much flavor to grilled vegetables, and this corn ribs recipe might be our new favorite.
Corn ribs go above and beyond the average corn on the cob, channeling the bold, smoky flavor of barbecue ribs (minus the meat) for a delicious summer side dish. Our recipe doses the corn with a simple homemade spice blend packed with garlic, onion, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika, plus a zesty kick of lime.
We’ll show you how to make corn ribs, with tips for slicing the corn to get just the right shape and ways to adjust the spice mix to your liking.
What are corn ribs?
Corn ribs are a unique preparation of corn on the cob, where ears of fresh sweet corn are cut into quarters, creating a narrow strip of corn kernels along a bone-like cob. The sections even curl up a bit, so they do resemble ribs. When cooked directly on the grill grates, the corn gets a nice char and a deep, smoky flavor.
Flavor is absolutely the goal of this recipe. First, the corn is rubbed with pepper and spices to give it a savory backbone. Once grilled, it’s dipped in melted butter and Parmesan for a rich finish. Finally, it’s served with lime wedges for brightness.
Ingredients for Corn Ribs
- Sweet corn: This recipe calls for four medium ears of sweet corn, which are cut into wedges to create 32 corn ribs. Once the corn is shucked, don’t be too fussy when removing the silk; boiling the corn will help remove some of the peskier strands.
- Olive oil: Brushing the corn with olive oil before grilling encourages a nice dark color from the grill and helps the seasonings adhere to the kernels.
- Seasonings: The corn ribs are savory, smoky and a bit salty thanks to a mix of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Butter: After grilling, drizzle the corn with melted butter for extra flavor and moisture.
- Parmesan cheese: After the butter, dust the corn with Parmesan cheese. The recipe is reminiscent of Mexican street corn, so you could use cotija cheese instead.
- Cilantro and lime wedges: A sprinkle of minced cilantro freshens up the smoky flavor, and lime adds a bright dash of acidity.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the corn
Preheat the grill to 375°F. In a large saucepot, bring a quart of water to a boil. Add the corn and cook for five minutes. Remove the corn from the water and transfer it to a cutting board to let it cool.
Step 2: Cut the corn into “ribs”
Cut each corn cob in half widthwise.
Slice each half into quarters.
Place the pieces in a large bowl and toss them in olive oil.
Step 3: Coat the corn with spices
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Sprinkle the spices over the corn and toss until the corn ribs are evenly coated.
Step 4: Grill the corn ribs
Grill each corn rib kernel-side down until the corn begins to char, four to five minutes.
Step 5: Add the finishing touches
Place the corn ribs in a large bowl. Drizzle them with the melted butter, then sprinkle them with the Parmesan cheese and cilantro. Toss to coat the corn in the garnishes.
Serve the corn ribs with lime wedges and, if desired, additional Parmesan cheese.
Corn Ribs Variations
- Change up the spices: Feel free to tweak the spice mix to suit your palate. Love extra heat? Add more cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes. Love herbs? Add a sprinkle of thyme or oregano. Alternatively, you can omit any seasonings you don’t love.
- Dip them in cotija: For an even more elote-inspired taste, replace the Parmesan cheese with cotija cheese.
- Use another cooking method: Craving corn ribs in the winter? You can skip the grill and use any method for cooking corn on the cob. Broil the corn segments, kernel-side up, 4 inches from the heat for four to five minutes. You can also air-fry them in a 400° air fryer for about 10 minutes.
- Scale the recipe up or down: While this recipe calls for four cobs of corn, you can easily scale it up to make as many corn ribs as you need.
How to Store Corn Ribs
Freshly cooked corn tastes best, well, fresh. But if you do end up with leftovers, let the corn cool slightly before transferring it to an airtight container. Store corn ribs in the refrigerator.
How long do corn ribs last?
Cooked corn ribs will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can you make corn ribs ahead of time?
Since corn ribs are really best eaten right away, we don’t recommend making them ahead of time. However, you can prepare several of the components ahead of time to make cooking a snap. Whisk together the spice blend up to a week in advance and store it in a jar on the counter. Up to two days ahead, mince the cilantro and shuck the corn, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Corn Ribs Tips
How do you cut the corn to make corn ribs?
We boil the corn first to make it easier to cut. Once the ears are cool enough to handle, cut the corn cobs in half widthwise (shorter cobs are easier to work with). To cut each cob into wedge-shaped quarters, place the corn vertically on a cutting board. With a downward motion of the knife, cut through the center of the cob to slice it in half. Place the halves on the cutting board, cut side down, and slice each in half again through the cob’s center.
How do you serve corn ribs?
Corn ribs are great plain, but they’re even more delicious with a dipping sauce. We like a simple homemade spicy mayo, especially if we need to use up a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Stir together mayonnaise, chopped chipotle peppers and a squeeze of lime juice to create a creamy, bright dip. You could also serve corn ribs with a side of salsa, barbecue sauce or your favorite hot sauce brand.
What else can you serve with corn ribs?
Corn ribs are a fantastic grilled barbecue side dish to serve alongside burgers, bratwursts, steaks, ribs or chicken. They’re tasty as a part of Mexican-inspired meals that include fajitas or homemade tacos. But don’t ignore the possibility of serving corn ribs as a main dish. Just serve them with a protein and a complimentary vegetable, like vegan baked beans, leafy green recipes or any one of our best chili recipes.
Can you make vegan corn ribs?
It’s easy to turn this into a vegan corn ribs recipe. Replace the butter with a vegan butter brand—just make sure it can melt!—and omit the Parmesan cheese. You can replace it with nutritional yeast, one of our favorite vegan cheese alternatives.
Corn Ribs
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Yield
32 pieces
Ingredients
- 4 medium ears sweet corn
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 lime wedges
Directions
- Preheat grill to 375°. In a large saucepot, bring a quart of water to boil. Add corn, cook for 5 minutes. Remove to cutting board; cool.
- Cut each corn cob in half widthwise; slice each half into quarters. Place in a large bowl and toss in olive oil.
- In a small bowl mix together salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Sprinkle over corn and toss until evenly coated.
- Grill each corn rib kernel-side down, until corn begins to char, 4-5 minutes. Place corn ribs in a large bowl; drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cilantro. Toss to coat; serve with lime wedges and if desired, additional Parmesan cheese.
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The weather is warming up, and that means it's time to pull out the grills! This corn ribs recipe contains notes of garlic, onion, mild heat from cayenne pepper and a zesty spritz of lime—the perfect addition to your upcoming summer BBQ. —Bill Roberts, Geneva, Illinois
Recipe Creator
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