The taste and texture of these “corn ribs” will be my exact fuel to continue to buy corn from now on. I would never buy corn otherwise – before this, corn would only be good for one thing – on the BBQ with a slather of butter. But now I’ve evolved. Here’s a new way to enjoy it – but just be careful for your fingers!

These “corn ribs” are a Tiktok raved fave: oiled and sprinkled with a mixture of salt, paprika, onion and garlic powder. I don’t have either of those two last spices, but I do have my fave’ ever spice mix used for my addictive salt & pepper seafood dish. It would work with anything, and it was perfect with this! Try this quick & easy corn recipe for yourself, it makes the best side dish!

Here’s a few tips to (safely) make these corn ribs

  • Safety first! If you have a butcher knife, I would encourage you to attempt this recipe with confidence. If not, then be very careful!
  • Follow this to proceed with full confidence. Follow this step-by-step image from Alpha Foodie (side note – Samira is one of my fave Instagrammers to follow. She is constantly testing new recipes, and I’ve learnt so much from her on how to use new ingredients – she makes everything look so easy! Her full recipe on corn ribs, here).
  • Now the fun part: season it however you like! I went a Chinese flavoured route with green onion oil dousing, and sprinkle of Chinese 5-spice, chicken powder, sugar & salt. Magic. You can enjoy it elote style or spice with anything in your pantry (think: cumin, zaatar).
  • To cook, either BBQ, air-fry, or oven-bake! Air-frying is my favourite method of all, as the corn becomes crispy with varying textures. But, you can always cook corn ribs without an air-fryer, but you would just sacrifice that natural curve of a rib!

The magical seasoning salt!

Recipe: Easy Corn Ribs

Serves: 2
Cooking time: 20+ minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Ingredients:

2 Corn, husked

Green Onion Oil

2 Green Onions, chopped
4 tbsp Neutral Oil
1/8 tsp Salt

Spice Salt

4 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp ¾ -1 tspn Salt
¾ tspn Sugar
¾ tspn Chicken Powder, Knorr
¾ tspn Chinese 5-Spice

Instructions

  1. Prep the corn: Trim both ends of the corn, to have a flat reliable surface. Lay flat on the wider end, pointing up. Begin to slice down the middle, wedging carefully from the top to the bottom. To cut further into quarters, cut it in the same method. Note: Do not lay the corn flat to chop (it will be near impossible to cut in half, and you would end up crushing the corn.
  2. Make the green onion oil: Slice green onion, put it into a heat safe bowl. Add salt. Heat up oil, until shimmering. Slowly pour the hot oil onto the bowl of green onion. Mix gently. Brush the quartered corn with the green onion oil mixture.
  3. To cook: Combine the seasoning mixture. Sprinkle onto the corn. Place into the airfryer for 15 minutes at 375ºF. Or oven bake for 25 minutes. The corn will become golden at the edges. Sprinkle with additional seasoning, and serve!