Super Simple Corn Ribs

I’ve lived in Michigan a long time, which means I’ve eaten a lot of fresh sweet corn on the cob. Then I discovered the frozen corn ribs at Trader Joe’s and I knew I had stumbled upon something amazing. And that's when I started testing out the best way to recreate them.  

Now, I’ve heard these went viral on the Tik Tok…and I must confess, I”m not on the Tik Tok (clearly not a cool kid here).  I just happen to have a family that LOVES corn, and I’m always trying new ways to serve it. With a goal of staying under 7 ingredients and keeping things simple, I've made charred corn on the stove in the winter, to corn and basil soup in the summer and corn salsa all year long, and we love it all.  

This super simple copycat recipe for corn riblets will introduce yet another simple way to cook your corn and have you thinking about this summer favorite in a whole new way. Another quick and easy recipe for the win!

What are corn ribs?

Corn ribs, also known as corn riblets, are ears of corn that have been cut lengthwise into quarters or smaller.  They are then seasoned with any variety of spices and butter and cooked in the oven, on the stove top, on the grill or in an air fryer until the kernels are tender and juicy.

They make a great side dish for any night of the week.  Make a big batch you have perfect side dish to bring to a potluck or share with friends at a summer BBQ. 

Not only are they totally yummy, they are fun to eat. My kids love eating corn this way, and I serve a lot of corn in the summer.  Like regular ribs (the meaty kind), you eat them with your hands, get a little messy, and you will definitely be going back for seconds and thirds!

Ingredients

• Sweet Corn: Ideally, you want to use fresh corn for this recipe.  Peak corn season is May-September depending on where you live in the U.S.
• Seasoning: While the recipe calls just for salt, you can easily use a seasoned salt, or combination of smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. This recipe is very versatile, so use whatever seasoning blends you like.
• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter, but to make the recipe vegan, you can easily substitute for your favorite plant based butter or swap for mayonnaise or garlic butter for an added flavor boost.

How to cut the corn into riblets

I like to break each ear of corn in half so I'm making smaller riblets. You'll end up with 8 pieces of corn that will then each get cut into quarters. They are easier for little hands to eat, and safer to cut.

• Start by cutting off a little bit of each end of the ear of corn so you have two flat surfaces.  
• Then pop on your cutting glove and carefully cut straight down through the core of the corn from top to bottom.
• Lastly, cut each of those pieces in half straight through the core once again.  You should end up with 4 long spears of corn, each one the length of your original piece of corn. 

Make sure you are using a large, sharp knife for cutting the ear of corn into ribs.  This will help you get through the tough cob in one cut. 

Step by step instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then cut the corn into ribs.

Next, rub the corn ribs all over with butter and sprinkle with salt or the spice mix of your choosing.

Once fully seasoned, but them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are curled up and browned a bit.

Cooking in the Air Fryer

While I make my corn ribs in the oven, you can absolutely make air fryer corn ribs if you want.

Simply season them as if you were cooking them in the oven and then place them into your air fryer at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, turning over after about 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

• Main Dishes: Serve the corn ribs alongside Fish Tacos and Mexican Rice Skillets. They would also make a great side dish for anything that comes off the grill, from grilled chicken to ribs to whole grilled fish.
• Dipping Sauces: Depending on the flavor profile you choose, you may not even need a dipping sauce.  If you choose a rub with a Mexican flair, I would try a chipotle mayo type sauce.  If you go with more of a BBQ or savory flavor profile, try adding a dash or two of hot sauce on top.

Storing leftovers

While corn ribs are best eaten right after cooking, you can store any leftovers wrapped in foil in the fridge.  When you are ready to reheat them, simply pop into a toaster oven for a few minutes to reheat.  

I also like to cut the corn kernels off the rib and store them in a small airtight container in the fridge.  Add these leftovers to salads, use as additional filling in enchiladas or just snack on them anytime of day. They also make a great base for the corn salsa we LOVE!

Lots of flavor combinations

One of the greatest parts about these corn riblets is that once you’ve got the method down, you can easily change up the flavors.  Here are a few that work especially well on corn ribs and are easy to mix up with the spices you likely already have on hand.

• BBQ Spice Rub: use your favorite BBQ seasoning mix
• Elote Style (think Mexican Street Corn): roll the buttered corn ribs in a chili lime seasoning and cotija cheese.
• Garlic Butter: Use the garlic butter in place of regular butter.
• Garlic Parmesan: Use garlic butter, then roll in Parmesan cheese.
• Sweet and Spicy: With the same flavor profile as my sweet and spicy sweet potatoes, use the same seasoning and cook along side them for a easy cleanup.
• Cilantro and Lime: Make a cilantro compound butter and squeeze lime juice over the top after baking.
• Honey Butter: Use a honey butter to spread on the corn before baking, watching to make sure the honey doesn't burn.
• Herbed Butter: Make a compound herb butter and then spread all over the corn riblets, garnish with the same herbs as in the butter.
• Vegan: Simply swap out the butter.  You can either swap for a plant-based butter, mayonnaise or even coconut oil.

Hot Tip

And since I’m a big fan of keeping things simple, feel free to grab a bag of Trader Joe’s corn ribs and pass them off as your own…I won’t tell if you don’t 😉

📖 Recipe