Slather Grilled Corn Ribs With All the Elotes Toppings for a Messy Delight

Fresh corn off the grill is a must for almost every backyard cookout. And while a lightly charred ear of sweet summer corn really needs no improvement, we’ll admit that it can become a bit repetitive by the end of summer. Enter grilled corn “ribs,” which are thin long strips of corn fashioned into rib-like pieces, then tossed with butter and seasonings that cling to every kernel and grilled to burnished perfection. In our recipe, we toss the ribs with a paprika- and garlic-laced butter before grilling and topping them them elotes-style with a squeeze of lime, a rich Cotija crema, and a sprinkle of cilantro. They’re an impressive passed party app or a great company-worthy platter.

How Did the Corn Rib Trend Start?

While it’s not clear who first decided to turn corn into ribs, Momofuku Ssam Bar has been serving a deep fried version of corn ribs starting in 2017. Since then they’ve caught on in popularity at restaurants across the US, and have become a social media darling in the past few years. 

There’s the undeniable novelty factor and visual appeal of corn ribs, but before we started working on this recipe for them, we weren’t convinced they were worth making at home. Forming the ribs requires cutting through the cob several times, and cutting an ear of corn down its hard, fibrous middle can seem… a bit hazardous at first thought. But fear not. Our test kitchen colleague Julia Levy, who is a seasoned recipe developer, put corn ribs through rounds and rounds of testing to find the best technique and tips for making this fun, showy, and downright delicious dish approachable to prepare at home. Read on for her tips for safely preparing and cooking corn ribs at home and for the full recipe.

4 Tips for Making Party-Worthy Corn Ribs at Home

1. Start with a steady cutting surface. The first step to cutting corn ribs is to ensure a safe and steady cutting surface. Secure a cutting board to the kitchen counter with a non-slip pad, wet paper towels, or a damp kitchen towel. Then top the cutting board with another clean kitchen towel that you are comfortable getting messy. (Keep those fine tea towels folded in their drawer for another use.) Now the ear of corn can be nestled into the towel. The soft fabric will hold it securely in place when applying pressure to cut, more so than a smooth, slippery cutting board would.

2. Use a sturdy, sharp knife. Cutting corn ribs doesn’t require expert knife skills so much as a bit of muscle strength and the right knife to forcibly cut through the corn. Skip anything with a thin or flexible blade and reach for a sturdy chef’s knife with a heavier handle or a cleaver (if you are comfortable wielding one). Also make sure your knife is properly sharpened. Start with a sharp blade and a hefty knife will minimize the amount of pressure you have to push down with when cutting through the cob. This in turn reduces your risk of your hand slipping while cutting. 

3. Toss with seasoned butter to add flavor and promote browning. Arguably the best thing about corn ribs is that the long strips provide more surface area for butter and seasonings to cling to. We bolster our butter with black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder for a savory, smoky flavor. Tossing the ribs with the butter before grilling also enhances browning. The thin strips of corn cook quickly and the fat in the butter speeds up exterior browning, helping ensure that the ribs brown and cook through at the same time.

Finish with a Cotija crema. Here at Serious Eats, turning ears of corn into elotes—the classic Mexican street food of corn on the cob charred on the grill, then slathered in a spicy and creamy chile-, garlic-, and Cotija cheese–spiked sauce is one of our favorite ways to eat corn. So, we’ve incorporated these flavors into our corn rib preparation by drizzling a quick and easy Cotija crema over the grilled ribs before serving. If Cotija cheese is unavailable, feta is solid stand-in, and if you can’t find Mexican crema, sour cream will work well in a pinch. With a whiff of the grill still lingering, these corn ribs are sure to go fast.

For the Cotija crema: Stir together cheese, mayonnaise, crema, water, lime juice, chile powder, and garlic in a large bowl until mostly smooth; set aside.

For the corn ribs: Working with 1 ear of corn at a time, place the corn on a folded kitchen towel on top of a secured cutting board (this creates a steady work surface). With a very sharp, hefty chef’s knife or a cleaver, cut corn cobs in half crosswise, and trim 1 inch off the pointed end, and discard. Working with 1 corn cob half at a time, turn each half on its broadest cut end, and carefully cut in half lengthwise through the cob. Remove kitchen towel and place halves cut-side down directly on cutting board; cut in half lengthwise again. Repeat with the remaining corn cob halves (you will have 32 corn ribs total). Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder. Add corn ribs, and toss until evenly coated. 

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot (about 500℉; 260℃), about 5 minutes. 

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and preheat grill until hot (about 500℉; 260℃), about 15 minutes. 

Clean and oil cooking grates, then carefully remove corn ribs from butter mixture, letting excess drip back into the bowl and place the corn ribs, kernel-side down on the grill. Grill corn ribs, turning as needed for even browning, until lightly charred all over, 5 to 7 minutes. 

For serving: Transfer the corn ribs to a platter, squeeze lime wedges over corn, and drizzle with the prepared Cotija crema. Sprinkle with more cheese and cilantro and serve.

Special Equipment

Hefty, sharp chef’s knife or cleaver, charcoal or gas grill, large chimney starter (if using charcoal grill), grilling tongs

Make-Ahead and Storage

The Cotija crema can be prepared up to 5 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The corn can be cut into ribs and refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days before grilling.