Corn Ribs

This recipe is such a fun way to prepare Corn! Instead of cooking up the Corn either in kernels or whole on the Cob, this dish serves Corn up in a fun way that’s so easy to eat! Corn Ribs look and eat exactly like they sound – like traditional spareribs you’d expect at your favorite BBQ place! The Corn is sliced up into beautiful ribs that are fried over a high heat in Oil and then seasoned with wonderful flavors. They’re a simple dish to make, and a great way to put a flavorful twist on this classic ingredient

Where did the inspiration for Corn Ribs come from?

We’ve been hooked on the Fallow YouTube channel lately. They’re a few lads based out of the UK who have an amazing restaurant (or three now I believe) who also share their recipes and cooking tips on the Internet. One of their signature dishes is their Corn Ribs. They use a similar approach to this recipe. We just put our own little twist on it

How to make Corn Ribs

Making your own homemade Corn Ribs is very easy. You don’t need anything fancy, just a very sharp knife. In fact, that’s the biggest challenge of this whole dish is preparing the Corn. You will need to cut the Corn several times directly through the middle ‘Cob’ part. It’s incredibly hard, so you will need not only a sharp knife, but one that is quite heavy. This will ensure safely cutting through the Corn with not too much hassle

To cut the Corn, remove the very tip end as well as the Husk. Then, cut the Corn in half. Once you’ve done that, you want to quarter each of the halves, making each cut straight down the center of the tough Corn Husk. Do so on a flat, sturdy surface with the biggest knife you have. Ensure your fingers are well out of the way, and try to let the sharpness of the knife do as much of the work for you

Once you’ve prepared your Corn you will have 8 individual ‘Ribs’ that are ready for cooking. Personally, I think 1 Corn Cob is enough for 1 person, so prepare as much Corn as you need for how many people you are cooking for. Also, a few Corn Kernels will inevitably fall off as you are cutting the Corn, that’s ok. Most of it should still be intact with the Cob!

Frying the Corn

We cook the Corn using a classic deep frying method. Use a neutral frying Oil with a high burn point. There are loads of Oils you can use. We opt for Vegetable Oil because it’s convenient, cheap, and fries well

Fill a large pot with enough Oil that the Corn will be submerged completely. One important step is to avoid overflowing the Pot with Oil. Avoid filling it anywhere more than half full. As we add the Corn to the Pot the Oil surface will rise. Not only that, but the Oil will also have an initially violent reaction to the Corn as the water from the Corn is released into the Oil

You absolutely do not want the Oil to bubble over the top, or anywhere near the top for that matter. So as a word of caution, it’s better to use a larger pot with less Oil than a small pot where the Oil may potentially bubble over. So, just bear that in mind when filling up your pot with Oil

Heat the Oil until it’s about 350F / 175C. I recommend using a thermometer to monitor the Oil temperature easily. Once hot, carefully lower the Corn ‘Ribs’ into the Oil using a spider strainer. Cook the Corn for about 5 minutes until they’ve started to turn a golden-brown color. The Corn will also curl in on itself, which makes for a great presentation and adds to that ‘rib’ effect we’re going for

Once cooked, Simply remove the Corn from the Oil using a strainer and set them aside either on raised wire rack or a bowl with a few paper towels in there. Try to strain as much Oil from the Corn before you remove them completely from the Oil

Season the Corn immediately

The Corn Ribs by themselves will be loaded with that wonderful, sweet Corn flavor. By frying them in Oil they’ll take on a richer, fattier flavor and their texture is amazing. However, why stop there? Let’s load up these Corn Ribs with the most amazing homemade seasoning using everyday ingredients

As soon as the Corn Ribs come out of the Oil you want to season them. This way they will absorb all that wonderful flavor while they’re hot. I recommend making the seasoning in advance and having it ready to apply to the Corn in a small bowl

The seasoning is a wonderful combination of Smoked Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Coriander Powder. Along with a generous squeeze of Lime Juice, the flavors this seasoning add to the Corn are amazing. It brings on a beautiful Latin flavor, and really transforms these Ribs into something special

Once you’ve seasoned the Corn then they are ready for serving. This dish will benefit 100% from being served immediately. They’ll be slightly crispy yet wonderful and juicy. I like to add a little bit more of that seasoning to the Corn once you’ve plated them. It just gives the Corn Ribs a striking visual look on the plate

If you want to go ‘all-out’ on the plating you can reserve a few of the Corn Husk leaves and use them as a plate for the Corn. It’s a little bit fun and doesn’t take much effort at all. Even though we’ve already added Lime Juice to the Ribs it doesn’t hurt to add a few more Lime Wedges to the plate when serving

Corn Ribs are best enjoyed as an appetizer to kick off a larger meal

These Corn Ribs look and taste amazing; however, they’re not going to be a full and complete meal. Their clear Mexican flavors will make them the perfect kick off to a hearty Mexican Meal. So, if you want to go all out on a Mexican Fiesta (perhaps for a Cinco de Mayo party?) Then cooking up these delicious Corn Ribs is a great choice!

Corn Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Whole Corn Cobs
• Vegetable or Canola Oil (enough to fill a pot to submerge the Corn)
• ½ tsp. Smoked Paprika
• ¼ tsp. Onion Powder
• ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ¼ tsp. Coriander Powder
• ½ tsp. Salt
• Juice of 1 Lime
  
  

Instructions

1. Using a sharp, heavy knife, remove the top of the Corn and discard the outer leaves. Cut the Corn in half, then cut each half into quarters, making each cut down the center of the Cob. This will form 8 ‘Ribs’ per Corn Cob
2. Add enough Oil into a large pot so that the Corn will be completely submerged. Do not fill more than halfway up to avoid any potential overflow. Heat Oil to 360F / 175C
3. While the Oil is heating, prepare your seasoning by combining the Spices and Salt in a small bowl. Mix well then set aside
4. Carefully place the Corn pieces into the Oil and fry for 5 minutes until golden-brown. Remove from Oil using a spider strainer and place on a wire rack or bowl with paper towels to remove excess Oil
5. Season immediately with ¾ of the seasoning and toss to coat. Add Lime Juice and then place on a serving plate
6. Finish by sprinkling the remaining Seasoning over the top of the Corn Ribs. Serve with a few extra Lime Wedges on the side
   
   

Recipe Notes

• 1 Corn Cob will serve 1 person. So, use as many (or as few) as you want
• Be very careful when cutting the Corn through the Cob. Use a sharp, heavy knife and always cut on a flat, sturdy surface. Let the weight of the knife do the work
• Do not fill the Oil more than halfway up your pot to avoid any overflow. We recommend filling the Oil at a Maximum of ⅓ the height of your pot
  
  

These wonderful Corn Ribs not only taste amazing, but they also look the part! They’re a fun and creative way to serve Corn and they taste delicious. We highly recommend you give them a go

If you’ve got a hankering for some more fun recipes, then you’re in luck! We’ve got loads of them here at Dinnertime Somewhere! Here are a few of our favorite fun dishes that we recommend you check out:

• Spicy Popcorn Chicken
• Lamb Lasagna Roll Ups with Pea Puree
• Fried Lasagna Rolls
• French Onion Pizza
  
  

Happy Cooking!