Corn Riblets

Corn Riblets (also called Corn Ribs and Sweetcorn Ribs), are a super fun way to eat corn on the cob. This trend began as a way to have scrumptious summer corn with a rib-like eating experience -- sans meat. They're absolutely delicious and perfect for summer parties.

Sweetcorn Ribs are the most fun trend.

Delicious and easy-to-make, you can either flavor them up, or just immerse yourself in the sweetness of pure summer corn.

A TikToc sensation, (so I'm told), Corn Ribs have been trending since about 2017 and are a huge hit with everyone. Much easier to manage then a whole corn on the cob, they're great for an appetizer, as well as a side dish. And they're easy for little kids to handle, to boot.

The Ingredients

• corn on the cob - White or yellow -- both are great. During the summer, you should be able to find fantastic corn at your local Farmers' Market. Choose corn with bright green, tightly wrapped husks. The silks should be white or yellow. If you buy pre-shucked corn, the kernels should be firm and plump.
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.
• paprika - For garnish.

(See the Corn Riblets recipe card below for quantities.)

Variations

When you use sweet and juicy summer corn (peak season), without adding anything, the corn ribs are amazing. In this recipe the corn is seasoned with just salt and pepper, however there are all sorts of ways to flavor it. Below are a few delicious ideas:

• It's super tasty with miso sauce, like the one in this miso eggplant recipe, and it's very popular to brush sweetcorn ribs with miso butter.
• Making it Mexican street corn-style (Elote) is fantastic too. To do this, add a mixture of ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, ¼ teaspoon chili powder to the corn after it's cooked. Then sprinkle it with about ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija cheese and about ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
• I also love it with fresh lemon juice and black pepper, just like this lemon-pepper grilled corn.
• Some people like to brush the ribs with barbecue sauce to go for the full rib-eating experience.
• You can also roast them in garlic butter. Use melted butter instead of the olive oil, and add either 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic to it.
• Can you grill the corn ribs? I find oven-baked corn ribs are the easiest method, but you can also grill them. Just be sure you're barbecue does not have a wide grate, or use a stovetop grill. The grilling time should be about 10 minutes - about 5 per side. (They can also be deep fried and made in an air-fryer.)

Recipe Tips

• PLEASE be very careful when you're cutting the corn cobs! This is easy IF you take your time and go slow. Don't rush it! Follow the guide below with images for the best results.
• This might be a bummer, but if you don't have a knife that's sharp, I wouldn't attempt this. (It's similar to cutting a raw butternut squash - the cob is very hard.) Make one of the corn recipes listed below instead.
• At the end of the cooking time, if the corn is tender, but hasn't browned as much as you'd like, place the sheet pan under the broiler briefly (about 30 seconds or so).

How to Make Corn Ribs

- If the husks are still on the corn, peel them off and remove any excess silk that sticks to the corn kernels. If they don't have husks on, wash and dry them.

- How to Cut Corn Riblets: Cut about ½ inch of both ends of each cob. Stand one of them up on its wider base and use a very sharp large knife to cut down the center, vertically, sort of shimmying the knife slowly as you go, rocking it back and forth. When there about 2 inches left, you can just press down firmly to finish. (Repeat this with the remaining cobs.)

- Now place the cob halves, flat side down on a cutting board. Use a very sharp paring knife, point first, to cut down the center of each one -- between two rows of the kernels. Use the tip, rocking it back and forth, to poke through the cob. Lift the knife up and repeat this as you go down the entire length of the cob. (This will not cut it in two -- this gets it started, much like loosening the lid of a jar.)

- Then, use your Chef's knife again, to slice through the cob half, directly on top of where you went through with the paring knife. Repeat this until each half is halved, and you have 16 ribs.

- On a sheet pan, use your hands to toss the cut corn ribs with the olive oil. Once they're well coated, sprinkle evenly and generously with salt and pepper.

- Place the sheet pan with the seasoned corn ribs in a preheated 475℉ oven and roast until the kernels are tender and they are slightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes per side.

- Sprinkle with paprika if desired and serve.

Other Delicious Corn Recipes

• Vegan Creamed Corn
• Fire Roasted Corn with Jalapeños
• Corn Salsa (with Chipotle Chicken)
• Baby Corn with Chili and Lime
• Sweetcorn Ice cream

Serving Suggestions

Corn Riblets are great for an appetizer or a side dish during the summer. Whether you serve them at a small family dinner or when you're entertaining on the weekends, they'll be a huge hit. They're fantastic for a casual summer barbecue.

And if there are little kids at the table, they are much easier for them to handle than a big corn of the cob. Think of them as a mini version.

As a side, they're fabulous with salads, grilled steak or burgers. Below are a few of my favorite dishes to serve the corn ribs with:

• Mexican Chopped Salad
• Watermelon Basil Salad
• Spicy Sriracha Burgers
• Grilled Coffee-Balsamic Flank Steak
• Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers
• Bell Pepper Ham and Cheese Panini

Can you roast them ahead?

Sweetcorn Ribs are at their best soon after they’re roasted. You can however, make them a couple hours ahead because they’re also good at room temperature.

If you have leftovers (which I suspect you won't 😉), store the corn riblets in an airtight container in the fridge, and warm them briefly in the oven or microwave when you’re ready to eat them.

I hope you think these easy Corn Ribs are as much fun as I do. And as delicious, of course!